Genesis 43:1-14
Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin
1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”
3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
6 And Israel said, “Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”
7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”
11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”
Bereavement faced Israel if he chose to allow his sons to return to Egypt to buy more food because they could not show their faces again without bringing baby Benjamin along as was solemnly commanded as the condition of their return and freedom for their other brother Reuben. On one hand, Israel and his family were out of food and faced starvation, and on the other the warning loomed over the minds of the remaining ten siblings that they would not be able to get the grain or their brother without Benjamin accompanying them. They refused to go alone out of fear. Israel asked why they told Pharaoh that they had another brother and they conveyed the words of the king asking about the welfare of him and his other son, which should have rung alarm bells, but led them only to reply that they were well. When they were told to bring Benjamin, they were concerned and confused. This time Judah spoke out as Simeon was being held and Reuben evidently had no more to say. Judah promised himself as the surety pledged by promise to bring Benjamin safely back home, along with Simeon. He promised to take the blame if anything went wrong as a substitutionary sacrifice in a way. We see this is a Christlike attitude to take on the blame of his sin for allowing Joseph to be sold into bondage as we are in our inheritance of sin from Adam. Therefore, their father Israel acquiesced and gave permission to take his beloved Benjamin with them and provided presents and double the amount of money found in their bags to show goodwill to Pharaoh as a further incentive for his grace. He prayed for mercy from God when they met the king to release his sons. He was resigned to that same mercy and grace by saying, “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!” They then left home to redeem their brothers in bondage. We also intercede for others on behalf of Christ that they may be released from the bondage of sin (Hebrews 2:15) and see them set free to be brought into the Father’s presence. We are likewise bereaved if they reject Christ or if they remain enslaved in sin until they are ransomed and return to Him their Lord and Savior who created them in His image. This account is much more than just a tale of sin and redemption on a human level of the peril of Benjamin and bereavement of Israel. It is a shadow and picture of God’s seeking us out and buying us back from our sinful state by His grace and mercy of divine intervention on the cross and our willingness to stand in the breach to put ourselves in harm’s way to see others delivered by grace to be brought to the Father in heaven through His Son.
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