Calling on Their Savior

Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh's... So they said, "You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."

When we read the last section of Genesis we find ourselves in awe of what God did through Joseph. That's as it should be. God preserved his people by rescuing Jacob's family from starvation. Hurray! In fact we even find ourselves pleased for the pagans. The Egyptians were delivered from famine. Hurray! But wait, maybe we shouldn't be so happy. We forget that the means used to deliver the Egyptians from the famine left Pharaoh in control of the entire economy and the people as tenants on their own land. So desperate were they for food that they gave up their independence to became the servants of their savior, Pharaoh. Not so good that.

Throughout the world people are turning to their governments to deliver them from the financial crisis. They are crying out to be saved from ruin. "Rescue us from our irresponsible debt. Use your magical power to turn our worthless pieces of paper into something of value. Bail us out now!" They are calling on their savior, the State, for deliverance. No doubt the State will attempt to accommodate them, but whether or not governments can save anyone from disaster they will require servitude from their people. However merciful any particular Savior-State may turn out to be, it is certain that economic freedom will be curtailed to one degree or another. Just ask the Egyptians. In the end, we all become the servant of the one whose name we call upon for salvation.