In our overview of how the poor were dealt with in the Bible, we want to remember what happened in Egypt during the famine.

I never understood how saving 1/5 of the crops each year during the good years could sustain all those people for seven years. I felt like I was missing something in the numbers.

Let’s read the record again.

Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob (Israel). His brothers hated him because Jacob had named him (the youngest) his heir. So, they sold him into slavery. He was sold to Potiphar and became his steward.

Genesis 39:1-3 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

When his master thought Joseph had sinned against him, he committed Joseph to prison.

Genesis 39:20-23 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper. (See Psalm 1:1-3)

It would appear that life was against Joseph. But the record establishes that Joseph walked with God, and God made everything he did to prosper.

Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

Pharaoh needed someone to interpret his dreams because the dreams troubled him greatly.

The chief butler told Pharaoh that a prisoner (Joseph) had interpreted his dream when the butler himself was in prison.

So, Joseph was brought before Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:15-16 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Joseph knew where the interpretations came from and gave God the credit rather than puffing out his chest with, “Yep, you got the right man!”

Genesis 41:17-36 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So, I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

Joseph rose to the top of the kingdom just like he became the top of Potiphar’s house and the top man in the prison.

Genesis 41:37-42 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

Genesis 41:46-47 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

The “handfuls” the land brought forth were an extreme abundance. Those “handfuls” were enough that 1/5 or 20% of the crop was enough to feed Egypt, the land of Canaan, and all the other countries that came to buy food for one year. That was repeated for seven years. The ground produced a huge abundance.

Genesis 41:48-57 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 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. 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. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Note here that neither the grain nor the gain belonged to Joseph; they both belonged to Pharaoh. Pharaoh was saving the grain, but it was a tax on the people. The tax was 1/5 or 20% of what they produced in very abundant years.

Genesis 41:43-45 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

When the years of famine came, Joseph sold the grain to the people. Joseph cannot be condemned for selling the grain to the hungry or the poor of the land rather than giving it away because it was not his to give. All the profit was Pharaoh’s. Joseph’s actions did not bring him personal gain at Egypt’s expense. His duty was to further Pharaoh’s interests. He was a steward to Pharaoh. His job was, in part, to see Pharaoh prosper, and he did.

Another interesting point is that by Pharaoh being so prosperous it literally saved the lives of the Egyptians and many other people including Jacob (Israel). Otherwise, they would have starved and been blown away by the desert sand. So, by Joseph prospering Pharaoh, it literally saved the lives of the poor.

Having just passed April 15th and annual income tax returns and payments, most of us might be inclined to think that the Egyptians got off too easily. Who among us would not settle for a mere 20% tax?

Joseph accumulated one fifth or 20 % of the crops of the land during the abundant years. That left four-fifths or 80% of a bumper crop for the Egyptians. Should they not have been storing up grain for the famine as well as Joseph? But they thought the years of plenty would go on and on. Why not spend some of this excess profit? Buy a bigger house, another car, a new boat, and some lakefront property! The Egyptians, I believe, were informed that hard times were coming. They must have known the purpose of the 20% tax, yet they failed to prepare for them.

So, here we have a class of people that, after great abundance, became poor because they failed to save their money, i.e., crops during the years of abundance. God’s solution that He gave Joseph by revelation when Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream was to sell the people the food — not give it away, not provide food stamps, but to sell it. Interesting! God’s solution to the problem of the “poor” seems to vary depending on the circumstances.

Now, it is quite common that as our income goes up so do our expenses.

Ecclesiastes 5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

In the early 1980’s there was quite an economic downturn, but just before that the economy was booming. One old man I talked to after the economy fell apart said, “I told those kids not to spend all that money. But did they listen? No! They just kept spending like this would last forever. I told them things change. Now they are having to sell those cars, and they are losing that rental property, etc.”

Things do change. So, we do not live in fear, but with the wisdom of God to save the prosperity He gives us so that when the downturns do come, we will be able to come out on top.

I saw people that had saved their money buy $350,000.00 homes for $150,000.00 because the banks were under orders from the Fed to dump the repos.

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Proverbs 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man spendeth it up.

The 20% that was stored up in the cities was enough to feed all Egypt, the land of Canaan, and the other countries that came to Egypt to buy food. Those seven prosperous years were extremely abundant. I had never realized how great the good years were and thus why 1\5 or 20% could have provided so abundantly.

Another question this record now answered is about saving money. When it comes to tithing, giving or sharing of your abundance, we have the standard set in the old testament of 10%. Now we have a number for saving – 20%. Remember, this was revelation given to Joseph for a specific situation, but it is a place to start if you are looking for a percentage.

In the Church Epistles, we are instructed to give as every man purposes in his heart. We are not under a law, but the Old Testament now gives us an amount for starting to give as well as to save. For some, it may have to be a goal, but at least get started. When it comes to finances, some people advise to give 10%, save 10% and invest 10% which, apparently, is close to biblical.

The seven good years must have been a HUGE bumper crop each year. Think. If 20% could provide for all those people and countries, could the Egyptians have saved 20% each for their own families against the famine? That would have left them 60% and they could have lived very well on that 60%. But instead, they must have spent all they brought in. Many of us do the same.

There is more to see in this record the next time we think again on The Prosperous Life.