The Surprising Grace of a Pagan King Text: Genesis 45:16-20
Introduction: God's Unexpected Instruments
When God determines to save His people, He is not limited in His choice of instruments. He can use a shepherd's staff, a boy's slingshot, a talking donkey, or the belly of a great fish. And as we see in our text this morning, He can even use the unmitigated enthusiasm and generosity of a pagan king. We have just witnessed one of the most poignant scenes in all of Scripture: Joseph's revelation of himself to his brothers. It is a torrent of weeping, forgiveness, and a breathtaking explanation of God's meticulous providence. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, has become the savior of his family and, by extension, the entire known world.
Now, the story moves from the private, emotional reunion in Joseph's chambers out into the public square, into the very court of Pharaoh. And what we find there is remarkable. We do not find suspicion. We do not find a bureaucratic debate about immigration policy. We do not find a calculating king worried about the cost of these new arrivals. What we find is joy, generosity, and an unreserved welcome. This is a stunning development, and it is intended to teach us something profound about the nature of God's saving work. God's grace often flows through the most unexpected channels. When God is blessing His people, He can make even the Egyptians glad to help them pack.
We are conditioned to think in terms of antithesis, and rightly so. There is a great war between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. But we must never forget that God is sovereign over both sides of that conflict. He can harden Pharaoh's heart, and He can soften it. He can use the Egyptians to enslave His people, and He can use them to enrich His people on their way out of bondage. Here, at this moment in redemptive history, God moves the heart of the most powerful man on earth to rejoice in the reunion of a Hebrew family. This is not an accident. It is a critical part of God's plan to preserve the line of promise, and it shows us that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, including the treasuries of Egypt.
The Text
Now the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” And it was good in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’ Now you are commanded, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. Now do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’
(Genesis 45:16-20 LSB)
A Pleased Potentate (v. 16)
The first thing to notice is the reaction of the Egyptian court.
"Now the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, 'Joseph’s brothers have come.' And it was good in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants." (Genesis 45:16)
The news spreads quickly. The emotional outburst from Joseph's chambers was loud enough to be overheard, and the report reaches the throne. Joseph is not some minor functionary; he is the prime minister. His personal affairs are matters of state. And the reaction is one of pure gladness. The Hebrew says it was "good in the eyes of Pharaoh." Why? Why should this pagan king be so pleased?
From a purely natural perspective, one could argue that Pharaoh is pleased because his trusted vizier is happy. A happy Joseph is a productive Joseph. Furthermore, this news solves a mystery. It explains Joseph's background, where this strangely wise and gifted man came from. It humanizes him. But we must see the hand of God here. Proverbs 21:1 tells us, "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will." God is turning Pharaoh's heart here, not toward hardness and confrontation as He will with a later Pharaoh, but toward generosity and welcome.
This is a picture of common grace, but it is a common grace directed toward a covenant end. God is ensuring that His chosen family, the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will have a safe harbor during the devastating famine. To do this, He makes the very head of the serpent's territory, Egypt, pleased to provide it. This demonstrates that God's enemies will, wittingly or unwittingly, serve His purposes. When God is setting the table for His children, He can make their enemies foot the bill and be happy about it.
A Royal Command of Grace (v. 17-18)
Pharaoh does not just approve; he takes the initiative. He issues a series of commands to Joseph that are startling in their generosity.
"Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Say to your brothers, "Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land."'" (Genesis 45:17-18)
Pharaoh's command is a complete adoption of Joseph's family. He does not offer them refugee status. He does not offer them a temporary plot of land on the outskirts. He offers them "the best of the land of Egypt." They are to "eat the fat of the land." This is the language of covenant blessing. The fat was the Lord's portion in the sacrifices, representing the very best. Pharaoh, the pagan king, is speaking the language of grace.
This is a beautiful picture of how God's providence works. Joseph has already told his brothers what God has done. Now, Pharaoh confirms it. The highest authority in the land ratifies the plan. God's secret providence is now being displayed in public policy. This is what happens when God's man is faithful in his station. Joseph served Pharaoh with integrity and wisdom, and the result is that Pharaoh's entire kingdom is now being marshaled to bless God's people.
This is also a typological foreshadowing. A great king invites the family of God to come and live in his kingdom, to be sustained by his provision through a famine. This is what our King, the Lord Jesus, does for us. He finds us starving in the land of Canaan, a land cursed by sin, and He says, "Come to Me, and I will give you the best of my kingdom. You will eat the fat of the land." The grace shown by Pharaoh is a dim echo of the superabundant grace shown by Christ.
Lavish Provision for the Journey (v. 19-20)
Pharaoh's generosity extends to the practical details of the move. He understands the logistics of moving an entire clan, and he provides for it lavishly.
"Now you are commanded, 'Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. Now do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'" (Genesis 45:19-20)
Pharaoh commands Joseph to provide Egyptian wagons. This was the equivalent of providing a fleet of moving trucks. Wagons were high technology, a sign of wealth and power. This was a royal provision. It ensured that the journey would be as easy as possible for the women, the children, and the elderly Jacob. God's grace is not just a theological concept; it is intensely practical. He cares about the journey.
Then comes the most stunning command of all: "Do not concern yourselves with your goods." Literally, the Hebrew says, "Let not your eye pity your stuff." Don't worry about the old furniture. Don't waste time packing up the worn-out implements. Leave it all behind. Why? "For the best of all the land of Egypt is yours."
This is the logic of the gospel. The Apostle Paul puts it this way: "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:7-8). Pharaoh is telling them to operate on the principle of radical grace. What you are leaving behind is nothing compared to what you are about to receive. Don't cling to your worthless goods when a kingdom is being offered to you.
This is a call to faith. Jacob and his sons must believe that this offer is real. They must be willing to abandon their old life, their old possessions, based on the promise of a king they have never met, a promise relayed by a brother they once betrayed. They must forsake all to gain the fat of the land. And is this not precisely what Christ calls us to do? To lose our life in order to find it? To leave our nets, our tax booths, our "goods," because the best of the kingdom of heaven is ours?
Conclusion: The Surprising Welcome of the King
This scene is a profound illustration of God's sovereign grace working through unexpected means. The world system, represented by Pharaoh, is made to serve the purposes of redemption. The wealth of Egypt is being prepared for the people of God. This is a down payment on what would happen centuries later at the Exodus, when the Israelites would plunder the Egyptians, taking their silver and gold with them. God owns it all, and He can give it to whomever He pleases.
But the deeper lesson is for us. We are Jacob's family. We are starving in a land of famine, a world under the curse. We have a brother, a greater Joseph, who has gone before us. He was rejected, betrayed, and cast into the pit of death. But God raised Him up and has given Him all authority in heaven and on earth. He is the ruler of the kingdom.
And from His throne, He sends a message to us, His estranged brothers. He says, "I am Jesus, your brother, whom you crucified." But like Joseph, His message is not one of condemnation, but of salvation. And the King, God the Father, ratifies the invitation. He says, "Come to Me. Bring your families. I will provide the wagons for the journey. Do not worry about the worthless junk you are leaving behind, for the best of my kingdom, the fat of the land, is yours. All that I have is yours."
The response of Pharaoh was "good in his sight." How much more does our heavenly Father rejoice to welcome us home? How much more is it "good in His sight" when sinners, hearing the invitation of the Son, abandon their worthless goods and come to Him? Pharaoh's welcome was temporary. The land of Goshen was a temporary refuge. But the welcome we have in Christ is for eternity. He gives us the best of His kingdom, and that best is Himself.