Joseph's Economics

Genesis 47:13-26

And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.

And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.

When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land be not desolate.

And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's. And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass, in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants. 

And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

This extended passage describes the economics that Joseph determined in Egypt. He sold the grain to the people, and when their money was gone, having been transferred into Pharaoh's coffers, they paid with their animals and livestock, which all became Pharaoh's property; then, amazingly, the people all consented to give up their land and be slaves of Pharaoh! All because of the famine. So Joseph established in Egypt that the people would all work for Pharaoh, giving him 20% of all their produce and could retain the other 80% for seed and food.

Today I see a very similar system at work in the governments of the world, in extracting at least a 20% tax on all that is earned by the populace, which have been reduced to this slavery. Except for the churches (the priests).

This is also similar to how I see the Man of Sin (the Antichrist) will reduce the whole world to servitude, ruling over not only their lives and finances, but also demanding their worship.

When economic conditions get drastic, people will always be willing to give up freedoms for security, and will end up with neither.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!