I say Pharaoh, Pharaoh, Oh baby, let my people go!
When we think of Pharaoh, we usually think of the mean dude who enslaved the Israelites and then wouldn’t let them go until God brought plagues upon Egypt.
But did you know Pharaoh is actually a title — similar to the president — and not a name? And not all of the Egyptian pharaohs were bad guys. In fact, it was a kind invitation from a friendly pharaoh that the Hebrew people even ended up in Egypt.
In Genesis 45:17-18, we read some of the invitation:
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’”
What Is the Context?
We are first introduced to Joseph in Genesis 37. He’s had quite the roller coaster of a life. He was the favorite son of his father, Jacob, but that ended up with him being thrown in a pit to die.
But rather than letting him rot, they actually decided, at the behest of Judah, decided to sell him to Midianite traders instead.
Joseph ended up in Egypt at the house of a powerful guy named Potiphar. Joseph became successful. But after some time, he drew the attention of Potiphar’s wife.
She seduced him, Joseph didn’t want anything to do with it, but she decided to fabricate a story. This ended up with Joseph in prison, back in the pits.
Sometime after, though, Joseph was given an opportunity to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh. These nightmares were warnings from God about a famine that would go through the land. Joseph, and Joseph alone, could interpret the dreams.
His knowledge and wisdom allowed the Egyptians to survive the famine, and because of his proposal to Pharoah, Joseph once again rose in power. By the end of Genesis 41, Joseph is one of the most powerful people in the land of Egypt.
The famine had reached Joseph’s father and brothers and pushed them into Egypt. There they met Joseph again — not knowing it was him. A difficult choice is presented to Joseph.
Will he provide for his family or respond in bitterness? Joseph decides to respond with grace and love. This is where Pharaoh enters back into the story, and he will provide for Joseph and his family.
What Does it Mean to ‘Enjoy the Fat of the Land’?
If you call someone “fat” in our culture, there’s a good chance that you’re trying to insult them. It’s a rude insult. But in Hebrew culture, it’d be somewhat similar to calling someone wealthy. To give someone the “fat of the land” would be to give them the choicest of products of the land. It means the best of something.
To “live off/on the fat of the land” means to “live very well by enjoying the best things that are available without having to work hard to get those things.”
That is precisely what is happening with Joseph and his family. They will not have to work for these blessings, but Pharaoh will give them because of his relationship with Joseph.
What is this “fat of the land” specifically? It’s likely the land of Goshen. This is close to where Joseph lived, and in Genesis 47:5, it is called the “best part of the land.”
It’s actually a bit set apart from the people of Egypt, which will play a significant role later in the narrative. In Genesis 47:11, the “land of Goshen” and the “land of Ramses” seem to be used interchangeably.
It will be from Goshen that the Israelites grow numerous, and when a new Pharoah comes into power — one who did not know Joseph — the Israelites end up enslaved by the Egyptians.
Apparently, giving them “the best of the land” wasn’t a choice that successors to Joseph’s friend wanted to grant.
How Do We Apply This Today?
What do we make of the Egyptian Pharaoh blessing Joseph and his family? I immediately think of Proverbs 23:1-3
When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
I’m not saying that the Pharaoh, who was Joseph’s friend, had bloodthirsty intentions. From all appearances, he was truly grateful for Joseph’s gifts. His blessing of Joseph’s family is certainly sincere. And we see some of this play out even in Genesis 47 when Pharaoh is blessed by Jacob.
There are most certainly times in which God will use unbelievers to bless His children. God can use even wicked rulers to bring about good ends. But there is also a bit of warning, I believe, baked into this story. Is Egypt the land that God swore to give to Abraham?
No. This was to be temporary. But the people of Israel were living in the “fat of the land,” but it was from the hand of Pharoah. How easily we can become similarly distracted.
There are very good things that our world can offer us. There might even be help offered to us in times of desperate need. But we’re never meant to stay there.
Accepting the gifts of Pharoah for survival is one thing. Attempting to transform those gifts into the Promise Land is quite another.
Goshen isn’t the Promised Land. It bordered the Promised Land. Settling for the kindly gifts of an Egyptian ruler eventually led to their slavery. Is this not the same case for us today?
In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins argues that “good is the enemy of great.” Collins says it this way:
“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.”
I would tweak that a bit and say that feasting on the “fat of the land” from Pharaoh’s hand can cause us to miss out upon the real shalom that God intends to bring His people.
The Israelites didn’t leave Goshen because it was the best land in Egypt. They had settled for the good life in a land that wasn’t meant to be theirs.
God had something greater for them, but they couldn’t see it because they were inoculated by the choicest of Egypt.
May we not be blinded to the New Heaven and the New Earth or to the “spiritual blessings,” which are fully ours in Christ. This world may have good things to offer. But none compared to what comes from the hand of our God.
For further reading:
Why Was it Important for Joseph to End Up in Egypt?
God’s Faithfulness to Joseph, the Cupbearer, and the Thief on the Cross
How God’s Provision Is Revealed Through Joseph’s Dreams
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Phooey
Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.
