The Lord blesses the land of Egypt with rain and then an abundant harvest. There's so much grain that Joseph and his foreman cannot keep up. It is "like the sand of the sea." That phrase evokes God's promise to Abraham and introduces one of Joseph's greatest blessings: he has children.
Although he had no say in the name that Pharaoh gave him or in choosing his wife, he now is free to name his sons. Manasseh means "forgetting," signifying that God had helped take away the sting of suffering of prison and the treachery from his brothers.
He names the second son Ephraim, which means to "be fruitful," a key term in Genesis, especially regarding the covenant promises.
With these two names, Joseph stakes out where his true allegiance lies: with Israel, his father, and the Lord God of the covenant, and not Egypt. The names also express Joseph's thankfulness to the God who had been with him.
The good times end, and the famine hits hard, described as "sore."
Pharaoh commands the people to look to Joseph. As Pharaoh's right-hand man, he is on the spot. The pressure is on. Will all his preparations work? Will there be enough food to last seven years?
Joseph has now lived in Egypt longer than in the land of promise, his home in Canaan. Although he was a man with great power and authority, he never had the opportunity to take a trip back home. But soon, his family will come calling.
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Kurt Snow serves as a ruling elder at Covenant Reformed Church of Sacramento (RCUS). He served as a member of the Board of Governors of City Seminary of Sacramento from 2000 to 2020.
