by Jeremy Lallier

Thanks to God’s warning and Joseph’s excellent management skills, the royal storehouses were more than prepared to ride out the seven years of famine foretold in Pharaoh’s dream. Unfortunately, the Egyptians don’t appear to have put much aside for themselves during the seven years of plenty. As the famine continued, desperate Egyptians spent their money, then bartered away their livestock, then their land, and finally themselves in order to purchase food from the storehouses.

Through the simple act of careful resource management, Joseph was able to consolidate the entire nation of Egypt under the rule of Pharaoh. The final agreement between Joseph and the people was that, in exchange for seed, the Egyptians would bring one-fifth of their harvest to Pharaoh, keeping the remaining four-fifths for themselves.

This story serves to highlight the importance of good stewardship. If the Egyptians themselves had made more of an effort to set aside their possessions during the seven bountiful years, they might not have been reduced to selling their lives for provisions during the famine.

The Bible actually provides many principles of wise financial management. To learn more details of how to manage your money according to biblical principles, read our article “Christian Budget.”

Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “The Overflowing Cup.”