We Belong to God
Genesis 47:23 – Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate the land. 24 – When you gather in the crop, give one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” 25 – They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”
The famine was much worse than anyone could have imagined except for Joseph who had wisely followed God’s instructions and gathered as much grain as possible during the seven years of plenty. As the years of famine rolled on, the people of Egypt had run out of money to buy grain so they sold their livestock to Pharaoh. When they ran out of livestock they sold their land and when there was no more land to sell they ended up selling themselves as slaves to Pharaoh. Under Joseph’s guidance the Pharaoh ended up literally owning all of Egypt! Then a few hundred years later another Pharaoh lost it all to One more powerful than He.
Consider these verses in Isaiah 43: Now, this is what the LORD says, the one who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: “Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I am with you; when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your deliverer. I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price, Ethiopia and Seba in place of you. Since you are precious and special in my sight, and I love you, I will hand over people in place of you, nations in place of your life. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. From the east I will bring your descendants; from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’ and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’ Bring my sons from the distant lands, and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth, everyone who belongs to me, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed – yes, whom I made! – Isaiah 43:1-7.
We belong to God. Our enemies will not be able to claim ownership of any who’ve been created and redeemed by Jesus Christ.
Like the famine in Joseph’s day, the results of sin are much worse than any of us could have imagined – but Jesus accounted for it when He decided to purchase us with His own blood. Let’s listen to what Jesus has to say: “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage – I have conquered the world.” – John 16:33.
Where two are gathered 