Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem
As I mentioned, Today's Chapter has Three Stories. The Middle Story, about how Joseph copes with SEVEN YEARS of Famine, has gotten a lot of press recently, as a number of modern preachers have used it to compare the Modern Welfare State to Slavery. They also try to depict Joseph as a totalitarian dictator. (I'm sure you got the email that went around about that!) But we should not read modern socioeconomic ideas into ancient civilizations. Joseph was a servant of Pharaoh, not of The People, and was doing what seemed best for everyone in the emergency. The narrative does not place a value judgement on Joseph's actions by merely reporting them.
Once the money, livestock, and land were used up, the people became part of a system of serfdom or sharecropping. They had to give 20% of their produce back to the "government", so they were not getting something for nothing. Looking back at my years of being gainfully employed, I seem to remember being in an even higher tax bracket than 20%, and now am forced to pay more for Medicare each month than any health insurance program I have ever purchased. Not complaining...but how is that any different from what was going on in this story? And to look at me, you will instantly know that I'm not even starving!
This is why we must always be careful not to read in our own interpretation of Scripture based upon our own experience or world-view. It also shows us why CONTEXT is SO important when we look at Scripture.
Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.
May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us, may the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us. Be always ours this day and for evermore.
(St. Patrick)
God Bless America!
Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.
This Symbol Represents Christians in The Middle East, who desperately need our Prayers.
Hallelujah and Amen
ML/LTOS