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And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Genesis 47:10
Pharaoh, the ruler ofEgypt, the man who wisely put Joseph under him, the man who now has the world in debt to him because he is the possessor of the world’s food supply, comes in to meet the Hebrew father of Joseph.
Joseph’s father, Jacob, is a shepherd and the head of a family of seventy-five. Joseph presents his father before Pharaoh, and it is not Pharaoh who blesses Jacob, but it is Jacob who blesses Pharaoh. Hebrews 7:7 says, “But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.”
What made Jacob greater than Pharaoh, the ruler ofEgypt? It was not his money, his fame, or his social status. It was his God. I can only imagine the conversations that must have gone on between Joseph and Pharaoh as they discussed the kingdom business ofEgypt.
Egyptserved many gods, and they were a “religious” people. I am sure that Pharaoh must have sought to know more about the God that revealed his dream to Joseph; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I can imagine Joseph walking with Pharaoh and sharing his God with him through the stories that had been passed down from father to son. So when Jacob, Israel, the man who had seen God face-to-face (Genesis 32:30), came before Pharaoh, a blessing was welcome from him becauseIsrael intimately knew God.
This intimate knowledge and relationship with the God of gods, the Creator of all things, was what made Jacob greater than Pharaoh. It’s said that it is not what you know; it’s who you know. All the whats in this world will someday pass away, but the Who will remain forever.
God does not determine greatness according to the standards of man. In this world, it is easy to get caught up in the strive for fame and fortune. It is thrust upon us and our children through the medias of society. It is driven in us through public education and even well-meaning friends and family.
It doesn’t matter how great we are in this world; what matters is the One that lasts forever. Jesus said in Matthew 5:19 that “whoever keeps and teaches the commandments of God, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” In Mark 10:43–45 Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.”
My friends, let us strive to be great in the kingdom of our God.
Oh Father,
That I might serve You. That my life might be given so that other lives might come to know the glory of Your name and the name of Jesus Christ. My Jesus, might I serve You with all my heart, all my mind, and all my strength. All that matters is the crown that one day I will lay at Your feet. Those who fight for money, fame, and power in this life, their reward will perish, but the reward that we are to seek is imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25). The things of this world will someday pass away, but Your Word will endure forever (Luke 21:33). Your kingdom stands forever; my service to You and to Your kingdom is all that matters.
My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,
Amen.