Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/233

Rh cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 50. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. 51. And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh; For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 52. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 53. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the store-houses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Observe here,

I. The building of Joseph's family in the birth of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, v. 50..52. In the names he gave them he owned the Divine Providence giving this happy turn to his affairs. 1. He was made to forget his misery, Job 11. 16. We should bear our afflictions when they are present, as those that know not but Providence may so outweigh them by after-comforts, as that we may even forget them when they are past. But could he be so unnatural as to forget all his father's house? He means the unkindness he received from his brethren, or perhaps the wealth and honour he expected from his father, with the birth-right. The robes which he now wore, made him forget the coat of divers colours which he wore in his father's house. 2. He was made fruitful in the land of his affliction; it had been the land of his affliction, and in some sense it was still so, for it was not Canaan, the land of promise. His distance from his father was still his affliction. Note, Light is sometimes sown for the righteous in a barren and unlikely soil; and yet if God sow it, and water it, it will come up again. The afflictions of the saints promote their fruitfulness. Ephraim signifies Fruitfulness, and Manasseh, Forgetfulness, for these two often go together; when Jeshurun waxed fat, he forgat God his Maker.

II. The accomplishment of Joseph's predictions; Pharaoh had great confidence in the truth of them, perhaps finding in his own mind, beyond what another person could, an exact correspondence between them and his dreams as between the key and the lock; and the event showed that he was not deceived. The seven plenteous years came, (v. 47.) and at length, they were ended, v. 53. Note, we ought to foresee the approaching period of the days both of our prosperity and of our opportunity; and therefore must not be secure in the enjoyment of our prosperity, nor slothful in the improvement of our opportunity; years of plenty will end, therefore, What thy hand finds to do, do it; and gather in gathering time. The morning cometh, and also the night, (Isa. 21. 12.) the plenty, and also the famine. The seven years of dearth began to come, v. 54. See what changes of conditions we are liable to in this world, and what need we have to be joyful in a day of prosperity, and in a day of adversity to consider, Eccl. 7. 14. This famine, it seems, was not only in Egypt, but in other lands, in all lands, that is, all the neighbouring countries; fruitful lands are soon turned into barrenness for the iniquity of them that dwell therein, Ps. 107. 34. It is here said, that in the land of Egypt there was bread; meaning, probably, not that only which Joseph had bought up for the king, but that which private persons, by his example, and upon the public notice of this prediction, as well as by the rules of common prudence, had laid up.

III. The performance of Joseph's trust; he was found faithful to it, as a steward ought to be. 1. He was diligent in laying up, while the plenty lasted, v. 48, 49. He that thus gathers, is a wise son. 2. He was prudent and careful in giving out, when the famine came, and kept the markets low by furnishing them at reasonable rates out of his stores. The people in distress cried to Pharaoh, as that woman to the king of Israel, (2 Kings 6. 26.) Help, my lord, O king: he sent them to his treasurer, Go to Joseph. Thus God in the gospel directs those that apply themselves to him for mercy and grace, to go to the Lord Jesus, in whom all fulness dwells; and, What he saith to you, do. Joseph, no doubt, with wisdom and justice fixed the price of the corn he sold, so that Pharaoh, whose money had bought it up, might have a reasonable profit, and yet the country might not be oppressed, nor advantage taken of their prevailing necessity; while he that withholdeth corn, when it is dear, in hopes it will yet grow dearer, though people perish for want of it, has many a curse for so doing, (and it is not a curse causeless,) blessings shall be upon the head of him that thus selleth it, Prov. 11. 26. And let the price be determined by that golden rule of justice, to do as we would be done by.

CHAP. XLII. We had in the foregoing chapter, the fulfilling of the dreams which Joseph had interpreted: in this and the following chapters, we have the fulfilling of the dreams which Joseph himself had dreamed, that his father's family should do obeisance to him. The story is very largely and particularly related of what passed between Joseph and his brethren, not only because it is an entertaining story, and, probably, was much talked of, both among the Israelites and among the Egyptians, but because it is very instructive, and it gave occasion for the removal of Jacob's family into Egypt, on which so many great events afterward depended. We have, in this chapter, I. The humble application of Jacob's sons to Joseph, to buy corn, v. 1..6. II. The fright Joseph put them into, for their trial, v. 7..20. III. The conviction they were now under of their sin concerning Joseph long before, v. 21..24. IV. Their return to Canaan with corn, and the great distress their good father was in, upon hearing the account of their expedition, v. 25..38.

OW when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2. And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may