Genesis chapter 47. This is God's Word. There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe. Both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up. Then bring your livestock, said Joseph. I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock since your money is gone. So they brought their livestock to Joseph and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock. When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, We cannot hide from our Lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there's nothing left for our Lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we perish before your eyes? Why? We and our land as well. Buy us and our land in exchange for food and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die and that the land may not become desolate. So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other. However, he did not buy the land of the priests because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had enough food from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. Joseph said to the people, now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so that you can plant the ground. But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children. You have saved our lives, they said. May we find favor in the eyes of our Lord. We will be in bondage to Pharaoh. So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt, still enforced today, that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become pharaohs. Now, the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. Jacob lived in Egypt 17 years, and the years of his life were 147. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, if I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried. I will do as you say, he said. Swear to me, he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on top of his staff. May God add his blessing to this reading from his holy and inspired word. Well, what do you think of this tax plan? During the years of plenty, Some of the surplus, a lot of the surplus was collected from the people, and they didn't mind so much because they had plenty. And so, surplus was collected, it was stored up, Joseph saw to that, and if it had not been for that, their lives would have been lost. But now when it comes time to save their lives and provide them with the savings that had been laid aside, Joseph doesn't say, well, you know, that's why we laid this up. Here you go. He says, well, you can buy grain. Sure, we'll sell it to you. And so the government, under the leadership of Joseph, is selling what the people had grown in previous years. You do get that. They grew it on their land. The government collected it, and now they're selling it back to the people. Anybody following this? And what that results in, eventually, is slavery. It's slavery on the part of the people. Now, what does it look like when people are enslaved by the government? It's a flat tax of 20%. It's a flat tax of 20% on income. From now on, because you are a slave of Pharaoh, you're going to have to pay 20% income tax. Okay. Just a little economic and political lesson here. Just so you know, just, I mean, this is, I mean, we just read this in the text, didn't we? there are a whole lot of people in our country who pay a whole lot more than twenty percent taxes a whole lot more than twenty percent of taxes one of the reasons for that is because there are a whole lot of people in this country who pay a whole lot less than twenty percent in taxes and they pay in many cases no money at all in taxes but they derive enormous benefit from the government thanks to the more than 20 percent in taxes paid by other people so I'm going to suggest to you an alternative way that Joseph could have handled this arrangement these people come in for food Joseph says oh well I like you and I like what you do. I'm just going to give you food. Okay. But now, since we're not getting 20% of your crops, I'm going to have to charge you people over here, 40%. Okay. Cause you're going to have to make up for these people over here. And so I'm going to give them food for free, but I'm going to charge you 40% for your food. And from now on, when you grow crops, you're going to have to pay 40% to the government. But that's so that we can provide food for these people over here who, in many cases, just really don't feel like growing crops. Now, some people might consider that unfair. But you need to understand, not only is that kind of what's going on in our country, it is the kind of decisions that governments can make when the people who don't pay taxes get the same vote as the people who do. Does that make sense? I was having a discussion recently with one of my offspring. And I was explaining that if I, and to my offspring's credit, there was no argument, okay? Um, I was explaining that if I am driving the vehicle and I am paying for the meal, then I get to decide where we eat. Okay. Does that make sense? And it was no one in this room. It was not one of the kids who's in this room just to let the ones who are in this room off the hook. Um, But I was just explaining, it was not a contentious conversation. It was just an educational conversation. I was talking about the fact, we were actually talking about tax policy and about investments and about various things like that. And I was explaining that if I'm driving the vehicle and I am paying for the meal, then I get to decide where we go to eat. Now, if I want to be nice, I can say to my passenger, who is going to be the beneficiary of my largesse, I can say to them, where would you like to eat lunch? I can let them suggest any place they want, but I get to decide. I can suggest to them, knowing what they like, how about Chick-fil-A? Okay? And that would be perfectly fine, but it's my decision, not theirs. Because as long as I'm driving the vehicle, I'm buying the gas, I'm paying the insurance, and I'm paying for the meal, it's my decision. We do not have that system in our country. We have a system in our country where the people who are buying the gas and paying for the insurance are not driving the car. But they're expected to pay for the meal at whatever restaurant the other folks want to go to. Okay? And so when we get to the destination where this person didn't even want to go, and it's like, excuse me, I'm allergic to olive oil. Okay? Pardon me, but I can't eat this. And it's like, well, that's all right. You just wait here in the car. We're going to go eat. Oh, I need your credit card. Okay? That's what we have in this country. Governments can make decisions like that when the people are enslaved. They can. Governments can make decisions like that when the people are enslaved. And I want you to understand that Joseph enslaved the people of Egypt. It wasn't just the Hebrews who became slaves in Egypt. It was the Egyptians who became slaves in Egypt first under the leadership of a Hebrew. Now, that's not an anti-Semitic remark by any stretch. It is simply what the text says. And if anybody knows me, they know I'm not even a little bit anti-Semitic. But the record should show here that when the Jews went through horrible suffering in Egypt as slaves of Pharaoh, they had fallen into a trap that had been set by Joseph. who himself had been a slave in Egypt. So it's not like, you know, well, nobody ever treated Joseph that way. I wonder why in the world he would enslave others. Oh, no. Joseph had been a slave in Egypt and he rose to prominence in the sovereignty of God and then turned around and enslaved everybody else. But what goes around comes around. And then it goes around and it comes around and then it goes around and it comes around. Joseph was enslaved. Joseph enslaved others. Others then enslaved Joseph's descendants. That tends to be the way life works. And I would submit to you that it is only God's grace and His divine power that can break that cycle. Is that clear? It is only the grace and power of God that can break that cycle and bring real freedom to God's people. And that is what we're going to see. We're going to discover as we go forward that God's plan for His people was not just their deliverance, but their freedom. But having brought them out of Egypt after they became slaves, they're gonna become slaves again. And the reason for that is because they wouldn't serve God. Here's a principle that you need to understand and not forget. If you will not serve God as God, you're going to end up serving something less than God as God. You understand? If you will not serve God as God, you're going to end up serving something less than God as God. You will be a slave to something or someone. It's going to happen. Not me. I'm independent. Independent of what? Gravity? You don't need oxygen? What are we talking about here? Okay. You are not the self-existent creator of the universe. All of us are dependent on God, whether we acknowledge it or not. All of us at all times are dependent on Him. But if we refuse to acknowledge our dependence on Him and yield ourselves to His governance, then we are guaranteed to end up in bondage to lesser things. Habits, appetites, ambitions, other people, governments, all kinds of things. The flip of that is that if you are the bond slave of God, nobody can ultimately enslave you. People can persecute you, people can put chains on you, but you are in God's care and He will use you wherever you are and give you a freedom that is greater than those who think that they've enslaved you. So you have Romanian pastor Joseph San being tormented persecuted for his faith in Jesus Christ and suddenly realizing as he is being persecuted he sees in his mind the strings on his tormentors and realizes God is controlling what's going on right now and he laughs because he realizes i don't know what god's up to but i know god's in control and these guys may think they've got all the power but they don't jesus displayed that in his dealings with pilot pilot said don't you understand i have the power of life and death over you jesus is you have no power except what was given to you from above see the people who think they have power are a bunch of slaves. They're a bunch of slaves. But God is working in all situations for the good of his people. And so when we go through things, we don't panic and feel powerless. No, if we are in Christ Jesus and slaves of God, we can be like the apostle Paul standing before the king and saying, I wish you all could be like me, except for these chains. Because Paul was the slave, that was his favorite description of himself, was the bond slave of Jesus Christ. And in that slavery to Jesus was his freedom. Because he knew that he was utterly dependent on his master, the Lord Christ, and that his master was working out the plan. for the spread of the gospel, the glory of God, and the good of the apostle Paul. Now, look again at this passage. At the end here of the text this morning, we talked about the bondage and the taxing and all that stuff, but verse 27. Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen, and they acquired property there. They acquired property. Everybody else is losing their property. But this season, the Jews were gaining property. They acquired property there, and they were fruitful and increased greatly in number. They're prospering. They're getting plenty of food. They're taken care of. Because even under an oppressive regime like Joseph was running, there are always people who make out better than the rest. Always. Was it an animal farm that the description was, everyone is equal, some are just more equal than others? Right? I mean, that is because of human nature. Under the failed Soviet Union, Everybody was supposed to be equal, but that was a nonsense. Those who ran things did not live in the same amount of square footage as those who were given their allotment. I mean, when my wife and I have gone over there several times to Russia and Ukraine and Poland and Czech Republic and so forth, it's absolutely astounding. You can go from town to town, city to city, region to region, And apartment building to apartment building, and inside, they're all the same. These are Khrushchev-era apartments, and they all have not only the same amount of square footage, they all have the same furniture. because it was government-issued furniture. The government didn't say, okay, you're allowed this much money and you can buy whatever kind of furniture you like. No. Everybody gets this kind of table, this kind of shelf unit, this kind of sofa, everything. Can you imagine having the government regulate all that stuff? Get ready. You know, when the government thinks they know better than the people, then they begin regulating But there will always be people who are not subject to the regulations. There will always be people who know somebody, who are related to someone, and they're able to get special arrangements. That was happening right here, verse 27. The Israelites settled in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. They're doing OK, while other people are in bondage. Verse 25, you've saved our lives, they said. May we find favor in the eyes of our Lord. We will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Please understand that. These people were not rebelling. The Egyptians were not saying, no, we will not give up our land. That was our food. We grew those crops. You're just giving us back what we already earned. The people in times of desperation will gladly accept bondage in order to get a free meal. People will surrender their freedom in times of hardship. Most people, that is. Most people, that is. You and I need to understand, if we're going to understand world history, if we're going to understand current events, we've got to understand human nature. And the Bible shows us what human nature is like. You and I are hardwired to be somebody's servant. It's built into our DNA. We were designed to serve God. And when we are his servants and depending on him, that's freedom. But when we are not serving God, the situation will get desperate. And in that circumstance, people are willing to surrender their freedom and gladly accept bondage just to have food, just to get by. Because survival, survival is what we're wired for as well. Jacob lived in Egypt 17 years and the years of his life were 147. This is verse 28 when the time drew near for Israel to die. He was very concerned about this. He called for his son. Joseph said to him if I found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you'll show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt. OK. He says I came down here son in order to be with you. And I'm willing to live here with you the rest of my life. But after I die, get me out of here." He's not going to need any more food then. When you're dead, you don't need a food allotment. And so he says, I want to go back. And the reason was this. God had promised, God had promised this land, the land of Canaan, belongs to you. And so, even though they were acquiring land in Goshen, a very desirable area, even though they were prospering, even though materially, while others were suffering, they were doing well, what was more precious to Jacob than the comforts and the wealth of Egypt was the promise of God. And he said, I want my burial to be a deposit that is signaling the inheritance. That land back there in Canaan, that's what God promised to my grandfather. That's what God promised to my father. That's what God promised to me, and that is what God has promised to my descendants. We may be living in Egypt for a time, but our destiny is in Canaan. Isn't that sweet? Isn't that nice? Isn't that good? Yeah, but it's more than that. It is a message to us about what our attitude needs to be. Our attitude needs to be that this world is not my home. Jesus said in John 14, I've gone to prepare. I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I'm going to come again and I'm going to take you to be with me so that you can be where I am. Don't let your heart be troubled. Don't be afraid in my father's home are many rooms. You're going to be with me. And our affection should be looking forward to the place that our Father has for us. To be with Him. Well, Pastor, the Bible also speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. And I had some people coming to my door recently and they were explaining to me that apparently there's just about a small group, relatively speaking, in history who will be in heaven and the rest of us will be here on earth. What about that? OK, well, we don't have time for all that this morning, but let me say this about that. First of all, those people are operating out of a Bible that is not a real Bible. It's their own special translation where their translators were so modest that they didn't list their names so that people could not trace the fact that they don't have the educational credentials to translate accurately. And therefore, they could say that the Bible says anything they want it to say when it comes to key passages concerning, for instance, who Jesus is. Is that clear? But, when it comes to this passage reminding us of the fact that our home is in heaven, it's because our home is in heaven. All right? God has promised that we will be with Him forever. And that is not something that is obtained by our hard work. It is something that was purchased for us through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If anyone is joined with the Lord, he is one with Him in spirit. And you and I, according to Jesus, are loved the way that Jesus is loved. God the Father loves us like He loves Jesus. How amazing is that? Like He loves Jesus. That's the way He loves us. Will we have anything to do with the new earth? Yeah, apparently so. But does that mean that somehow we're shut out of heaven? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. We will know our father's embrace for eternity. He's going to wipe away every tear from our eyes. That's personal. That's up close. How is God going to do that? Well, God has a wonderful advantage over the rest of us. He is infinite. He is God. And so if you try and limit Him geographically, or in terms of time, you're making a huge mistake. God is God. And He has promised not just so many acres of land. God has promised that he will take us in his arms, that we will be his forever, and that nothing can separate us from his love. So while we're living in Egypt, keep a good attitude. Enjoy the provisions. Prosper in the land. But remember, this is not where we're going to end up. This is just temporary. Here we are pilgrims and aliens. We are not home yet.