# 433 God Rules the Nations

The Book of Genesis

Day 433

Ge 47:1 Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, "My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen."  2 And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.  3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers."  4 And they said to Pharaoh, "We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen."  5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, "Your father and your brothers have come to you.  6 "The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock."

The land of Goshen. It’s an interesting piece of real estate. Big enough to allow God’s people to grow and prosper from the original 70 souls to around 3 million  men, women, and children by the time they leave in the great exodus 400 years later.

It was well suited for raising livestock and tending sheep. It was strategically located along the eastern entrance to Egypt and seems strange that Pharaoh would allow a strange people to settle along this vulnerable border. But maybe not so strange when you consider a few things about God:

Isa 40:22,23 says, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.  23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.

And in  Job 12:21-24, “He pours contempt on princes, And disarms the mighty.  22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light.  23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.  24 He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.”

This is great stuff from the Bible for those of you who may be history buffs! Think about all the great conquerors throughout history. We often look back with wonder at the apparently stupid things they did that brought about their downfall. We can’t believe it!

Well, believe this! Men do stupid things when their “understanding is taken away,” and God obviously has the power to do it. It’s HIS STORY, not THEIR STORY!

Giving the land of Goshen to the Israelites was not the smartest political ploy for Pharaoh. Not only did it leave his eastern border vulnerable, but it was the best place from which to stage the exodus. It was from the land of Goshen that the Israelites would escape from Egypt to the glory and praise of Almighty God! The God whom we see here, was way ahead of everyone else. How foolish then for us to look to anything or anyone else for our help. Our help is in the name of the Lord!