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Beware Benevolent Governments
The Philosopher King was benevolent. He reassured his people, speaking kindly to them, “Don’t be afraid! I will take care of you and your little ones.” And the people were deeply reassured and appreciative, and lived and prospered under the wise governance and kind eyes of the Philosopher King.
Except, of course, that in order to receive those assurances, they had to give up their freedom. “We are your servants!” they declared to the Philosopher King, who accepted their entreaties while gently remonstrating, “It’s all good! There is a Master Plan, and I will take care of you.”
We know how this ended. The Philosopher King, Joseph, having centralized all economic planning, having forcibly transferred people around the country, and enslaved all of the Egyptians as well as his own family, created a welfare state, one in which it is the State, not the person, who is the guarantor of all good things. In the fullness of time, those who gave up their freedom for security end up as full-blown slaves to the State.
Ironically, they still have a form of security – and there is a security in being a slave, in being told what to do, in never having to make a decision or take a risk. Welfare states are deeply seductive; we fear responsibility and choices.
But the loss of freedom is absolute, and with the loss of freedom comes a loss in humanity, a deep descent into the mindset of mere serfs, worker ants in a centrally planned machine.
The Torah is telling us about Freedom. And the pernicious dangers of surrendering to governments, no matter how benevolent or wise they might be. The story of Joseph and his family is an ancient telling of The Road to Serfdom.
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Love it.
Freedom is no longer in fashion.
Or so we’re told. But was it ever? Or was it always just a rabble-rousing minority who valued it?
I think that among the noncommittal ⅓, most of them just wanted to be left alone by everybody.
As is often the case, iWe, I find myself wondering whether we read the same Bible.
In the version of Genesis 47 that I read, it doesn’t seem to describe a Philosopher King promising security. Rather, after accurately interpreting Pharaoh’s dream (in a prior chapter), Joseph stored grain for the coming famine.
It looks as if Joseph acted like a capitalist.
First, he sold grain for money, until the people were out of money. (Verses 14-15.) Then, he traded grain for livestock, for a year, until the people were out of livestock. (Verses 16-17.) Then, when the people had nothing left to sell, he traded grain for the people and their land, and they agreed to be servants. (Verses 18-19.)
The part about making the people slaves appears to be a questionable translation. It’s in verse 21, and according to Bible Hub, the Hebrew version doesn’t mention slavery or servitude, but rather says that he removed people to the cities. Other ancient versions — Samaritan, Septuagint, and Vulgate — say that Joseph made the people slaves or servants.
Genesis 47:23-26 describes the deal that Joseph made with the people in detail — he gave them seed to sow, and they were required to pay one-fifth to Pharaoh, keeping four-fifths for themselves.
Capitalism in action.
The deal doesn’t actually seem that bad, either — a 20% share of the crop, as rent for the land. In the meantime, as described in verse 27, the Israelites settled in Goshen and prospered.
The eventual enslavement of the Israelites did not follow from servitude. This is described in Exodus 1:8-10.
So the enslavement was a political consequence of the potential power that the Israelites gained after multiplying and prospering.
Indeed. I have an advantage in that I read Hebrew. Key note: the word for “slave” and “servant” and even a common meaning “officer” are ALL THE SAME.
Read 50:21
And so, fear not. I will sustain you and your dependents.
They sold themselves into slavery for food. Joseph did not need to dehumanize and take advantage of them.
See above. The word “eved” means servant/slave and some other things besides. The Egyptians were desperate and Joseph took advantage of them.
Capitalism is great. It is not a license for immoral and unethical behavior.
Not at all. Perpetual taxation and serfdom.
You are not only not reading carefully, you are reading the wrong place!
No! There is no use of the word for enslavement here at all!
The Jews ENSLAVE THEMSELVES just as surely as the Egyptians did! Both populations offered themselves as slaves to Joseph/Egypt.
50:18
His brothers went to him themselves, flung themselves before him, and said, “We are your slaves.”
You seem to be completely wrong in your references to Genesis 50:21 and 50:18. The entire section reads (ESV translation):
Your position is that in these verses, Joseph’s brothers sold themselves into slavery in return for a promise of security. I think that you are completely wrong. It looks like Joseph refused to treat his brothers as servants, as they feared after the death of their father Jacob. Instead, Joseph made it clear that he would care for them as the head of the family, as he was the “prince” among his brothers, according to Jacob himself, right?
I think that you are trying to fit the round peg of Scripture into the square hole of your freedom-obsessed libertarianism. This is not what Scripture teaches.
The error is yours.
The brothers say, “we are your slaves.”
Joseph does not insist on them having their freedom. Instead, he says, “Have no fear! I will take care of you.” Which is exactly what I said.