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Genesis 42:1-2, When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” And he said, “Indeed I have heard there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.”

Seven years of plenty and seven years of famine was the interpretation of Pharaoh’s two dreams.  God, through Joseph, prepared Egypt for what He was going to do in the world. When the seven years of famine came Joseph’s father and brothers were affected by it; they went to Egypt to buy grain.  Remember the dreams Joseph had that his brothers would bow to him.  The dreams were about to come true, and ultimately, Jacob, his sons, and their wives would move to Egypt.  It is interesting that Canaan was the land of promise; yet, there was famine in the land.  Egypt was the land where Noah’s son, Ham, settled.  It had grain.  All this was directed by God to serve his purpose.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary states this:

It is observable that all the three patriarches, to whom Canaan was the land of promise, met with famine in that land, which was not only to try their faith, whether they could trust God though he should slay them, though he should starve them, but to teach them to seek the better country, that is, the heavenly, (see Hebrews 11:14-16). We have need of something to wean us from this world, and make us long for a better.

God knew that if the Hebrew people stayed in Canaan, they would conform or become like the pagan culture that existed there.  God’s plan of sending Joseph to Egypt to become second to Pharaoh himself is now bearing fruit – the saving of God’s people during famine and from losing their identity.  The Lord used the famine to make them move from Canaan into what was His careful plan of provision.

God is still on His throne, still in control of all things.  What is His plan as we see the events of today unfolding?  A pandemic that we still do not understand and does not seem to be going away, unemployment, trillions of dollars in debt, protests, rioting, looting, cities being taken over are serious concerns.  What do we make of it all?  What is God saying to us?  Perhaps Mark Batterson’s comment needs to be considered.  He said, “The circumstances we ask God to change are often the circumstance God uses to change us.”  If the things happening would make us better people, a better society, bring real change that would be called righteous, all this might be good.  Or, perhaps God has some other end in mind. 

I refer back to Matthew Henry’s Commentary and think that God is telling His people to seek the better country, that is, the heavenly.” 

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