Genesis 47:13-31 - Sojourner to Citizen of God’s Kingdom

Genesis 47:13-31

Joseph Deals with the Famine

13 Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.

15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.”

16 Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.

18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.”

20 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. 21 And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”

25 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.” 26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

Joseph’s Vow to Jacob

27 So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years. 29 When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”

And he said, “I will do as you have said.”

31 Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

Faith led to following God into His promise of deliverance from famine and the development into a multitude of His people In a foreign country while waiting to enter the promised land.  We as Christians who are called out of the world instead of Ur or Egypt have been similarly called by faith like Abram who trusted God’s word and left the world to journey towards that heavenly kingdom (Hebrews  11:16, 12:22) to come.  We were starving for God’s word and good will towards us as sinners in rebellious defiance as we opposed Him and His righteousness until He sent His Son as our deliverer and brought our souls into His kingdom of plenty which increases as we bear witness of this good news to others whom Jesus is calling out to join us with Him.  In the famine of food at the time of this historical account in Egypt and Canaan we see how God gave grace and wisdom to Joseph to start a central bank to provide food for the nation, and then assimilated the animals and land of the citizens for food to survive the seven year famine.  The land became property of the Pharaoh and the people were moved to urban centers to gain access to the stored food bought with all they owned.  Yet they survived.  They were then given seed to replant afterwards with the promise for all the people except the priests to give one-fifth of their harvest to Pharaoh in return.  A system was setup to rebuild the crops and economy by this wisdom given by God to Joseph as His servant and instrument of grace to the nation.  How would it be today if leaders would first follow God and then provide for others instead of themselves!  These actions are partly the basis for our laws to not tax churches and to pay taxes on our land and food to distribute some of what we have been given to help one another.  Joseph then vowed to his father that he would bury him in the promised land and not the land of their fruitful sojourning.  We also have the promise of the Lord as sojourners (Hebrews 11:13, 1 Peter 2:11) in this world to be buried in the land God gives us with the future hope of a resurrection into the true promised land of the heavenly kingdom to come.  For this we work and live by His promises and grace, no longer merely sojourners (Ephesians 2:19) of this world, but are citizens of heaven and of the household of God. 

Genesis 47:1-12 - God’s Sovereign Provision of Daily Bread

Genesis 47:1-12

1 Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.” 2 And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. 3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”

And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.” 4 And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” 10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.

Joseph was a good provider for his family, leveraging the place God had put him over Egypt and its food stores to feed and house his own there in Goshen.  After advice from Joseph to his father Israel to tell the Pharaoh he was a shepherd, an occupation below the Egyptians, he took five of his brothers to the king to have them repeat the same declaration after settling them in the lush grazing fields of Goshen given by Pharaoh to them.  The king was so impressed with Joseph interpreting his dreams and saving his country from the famine that he was more than happy to give them that land and bless them there.  He even went further to ask them to care for his own flocks as he entrusted them with even that as he realized that the God of Joseph was powerful and made them prosperous.  When Joseph introduced his father, he was asked his age and found that Israel was one hundred and thirty.  Not only that, but he heard that Israel’s ancestors lived even longer on their pilgrimage!  They were given the best of the land in Goshen of Rameses as commanded by Pharaoh at Joseph’s hand and Joseph provided them with food as he had served bread to his brothers (Genesis 43:31) when they first sat down with him in Egypt and bowed to his authority over them as God had shown him in his dreams (Genesis 37:7-8, 9-10) before being sold into slavery and blessed to reign over the land under the Pharaoh.  God had shown them such grace in His sovereign plan and leading through the suffering and tribulation of the circumstances!  He does the same with us who are His people in Christ as well, allowing sometimes overwhelming circumstances to serve His purpose (Romans 8:28) for His glory and our good at the same time.  Praise Him, our blessed Redeemer for His sovereign provision of our daily bread!  We should likewise trust Him in trying times when we are hard pressed on every side (2 Corinthians 4:8-10), knowing He is leading us for His glory and our good.

Genesis 46:1-34 - Israel’s Journey Begins

Genesis 46:1-34

Jacob’s Journey to Egypt (Exodus 6:14–25)

1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

3 So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”

5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. 7 His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

8 Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. 9 The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.

16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. 18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.

19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 21 The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.

23 The son of Dan was Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.

26 All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.

Jacob Settles in Goshen

28 Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. 29 So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.

30 And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”

31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’ 33 So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

After Pharaoh gave his consent and command to send Joseph and his recently reacquainted brothers to journey to Canaan, the journey for Israel down to Egypt began.  Israel stopped along the way at Beersheba to give offerings of thanksgiving to the LORD and there had dreamed a vision of God calling out to him by his original name, Jacob.  He reassured Jacob that as the God of his fathers, He would lead and keep him there, making Israel a great nation there (Genesis 15:13) and then returning him (Exodus 12:40-41) to the promised land just as He had promised to Abram before renaming him.  There is a transformative work in God’s promises taken to heart by faith that changes a man to align with God’s plan.  He does that with all His children to a point, promising deliverance from the bondage of sin and an eventual new name (Isaiah 62:2, Revelation 2:17, 3:12) in Heaven because we are His in Christ.  He also promised Israel to have Joseph there at his death as desired and so he journeyed to Egypt in light of the promised provision and suffering to glory that would follow to his descendants who would multiply and the stars and sand grains (Genesis 22:17, 26:4-5, Exodus 32:13) according to His promise taken at His word by faith.  All seventy of Israel’s people journeyed there to see the mighty hand of God work in them!  Jacob rode to meet and help settle them in the fertile land of Goshen in Egypt.  There Israel was glad at seeing his son given up as lost to the wild beasts (Genesis 37:33, 35) but now consoled and at peace for their safety there from famine and having hope for the future.  A strange but understandable preparation was told Israel by Joseph for his meeting with Pharaoh; he was to tell his occupation as dealing in livestock, since the Egyptians looked down on shepherds and would supposedly leave them alone there in Goshen.  That would last only as long as that ruler lived, unfortunately.  Time would reveal the rest of the journey of the people of Israel who descended from Jacob there according to God’s sovereign plan for them as a channel of salvation to the world.  Israel’s Journey Begins in Egypt through peace as well as suffering.

Genesis 45:1-28 - God Sends into Suffering to Save

Genesis 45:1-28

Joseph Revealed to His Brothers

1 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.

3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.“‘

12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”

14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. 23 And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”

25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

The LORD God sent Joseph into slavery in Egypt by the hands of his jealous and vengeful brothers for a purpose.  It was to save them from starvation and destruction as a people chosen by Him for His glory.  When Joseph had all his siblings before him at last and heard how losing Benjamin would be the death of their father, he chose that moment as the big reveal of his identity and God’s plan through all these events.  He cleared the room of all servants first so what he said would be first heard as a family moment.  He blurted out that he was their lost brother Joseph and in the same breath asked how his father was doing, if he still lived.  They were speechless with nervous and anxious fear because they knew what they did to almost murder their brother and then sell his off as a slave, never to be seen again.  They did not imagine that he was still living, just as Joseph wondered about his father.  He told them not to be hard on themselves because God had orchestrated it all!  He had brought Joseph to Egypt and risen him to power as his dream had forewarned to send him there before them to preserve their lives (Genesis 50:19-20).  He conveyed the circumstances of the famine crisis and the way through it as a deliverance to save their lives for a posterity of their people under God.  This is also spiritually true for his completed people in Christ (Philippians 1:6, 2 Timothy 4:18, 2 Peter 2:9) who are kept by the power of God (1 Peter 1:4-5) until Jesus returns to judge the world (Acts 17:31) in righteousness and lead His chosen children into the eternal deliverance from His wrath on our sin just as Jesus has already delivered us from our bondage to it.  He told them to go back home and tell of the glory of God’s plan to raise his son to power in Egypt and to bring everything back to Egypt to be delivered from the death of starvation just as God had arranged and told them through his dreams before his being sold into slavery.  They rejoiced together and Pharaoh heard the great news and told him to send his brothers to bring back their father and they would be given the best of the land as an inheritance.  Joseph sent them on their mission with plenty of supplies and the good news of their deliverance!  This is as a picture of our deliverance received by the gospel as God’s plan for His chosen people appointed before time began (2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2-3)!  Joseph at first did not believe the good news, but when he saw the evidence he trusted and began the journey to the place of their deliverance, just as we see the evidence of changed lives and follow into the promised land of the kingdom to come (Hebrews 11:16, 12:22, 28, 2 Timothy 4:18) with the evidence of faith (Hebrews 11:1) set before us.  No matter the tribulation we endure in this life, we have the certainty of the promises and assurance of faith in the substance of God’s word of faithfulness.  We therefore endure all things for the sake of the elect (2 Timothy 2:10, 4:5) and their deliverance.  God Sends Suffering to Save us, delivering us from the consequences and eternal suffering of sin.

Genesis 44:1-34 - Further Retribution and Pleading

Genesis 44:1-34

Joseph’s Cup

1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 2 Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’”

6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. 7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. 8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” 11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”

16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”

17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Judah Intercedes for Benjamin

18 Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

24 “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. 29 But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

30 “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31 it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

We see further retribution exacted by Joseph on his brothers as he gave them grain and planted a valuable cup in Benjamin’s to accuse him of being a thief and holding him as he had done with Simeon before.  The brothers could not return to their father Israel without him or the loss and grief would certainly kill him after losing the last tie to his beloved Rachel who was lost delivering Benjamin into the world.  Joseph inflicted pain and suffering on them for wanting to murder him and then selling him into slavery, so he had them tracked down to find the planted evidence and accuse them all of repaying his benevolent good with the trickery of evil in stealing it.  They went back to Joseph’s house and pleaded for mercy and offered themselves up as slaves, but he told them that Benjamin was now his slave.  This tore their hearts in their guilt for Joseph whom they sold and still assumed was dead with his blood on their hands and now the blood of their father seemed certain.  They pleaded with reasoning of how Israel told them plainly he would die if the last tie to Rachel also was gone from his life, reminding Joseph that he had put the condition on them to be cleared of espionage and free Simeon.  They quoted their father’s words of bringing his gray hair with sorrow to the grave if he did not return.  Israel’s life was bound up in the lad’s life and the grief would certainly kill him.  Judah had even promised his own life in exchange if any harm came to the youngest one, a picture of the Messiah who would one day sacrifice His own life (John 3:16) in exchange for our sin’s consequences.  He made Joseph understand that evil would fall on their father if they did not come back with Benjamin.  Such was their pleading for clemency in the background of their own guilt for what they had done with the other son of Rachel whom they still assumed was dead but stood in veiled judgment before them.  His further retribution exacted their pleas for mercy.  We are to take this to heart and be forgiving instead of vengeful (Romans 12:19) and show mercy instead (Romans 12:21) of getting back at those who mean us harm, especially if they are family. 

Genesis 43:15-34 - Serve the Bread!

Genesis 43:15-34

15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

18 Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”

19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21 but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.

26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.

29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”

32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

Israel’s sons journeyed back to Egypt with Benjamin the youngest and money to repay what they found in the grain they had paid for with double the amount to make amends.  They strongly before the steward of all Egypt who was their unrecognized brother Joseph and told his steward to take them to his house.  The brothers assumed the worse because of the guilt of their sin in selling off their sibling and expecting to lose Benjamin and so also their heartbroken father if that was to happen.  Why else would they be summoned to his house?  They would be enslaved and robbed as they would be accused of.  That was their reasoning because their shame had blinded them to see their lost brother standing in the power he had told them about in his two dreams (Genesis 37:6-7, 8-9) before of how God would rise Joseph’s position over them.  They knocked at his door with fearful trembling and told their account of the money in their bags and their restitution to avoid as penance and confession of any sins against him they had committed unwittingly and unwillingly.  Joseph replied oddly that it was their God and the God of their father who had provided that treasure in their sacks of sustenance.  He pronounced peace upon them and handed over Simeon as promised (Genesis 42:16, 24) in return for bringing Benjamin to verify their account of him and clearing them of espionage charges.  They were ushered into the house and freshened up there.  The brothers presented him with a gift and bowed to him as the sheaves of wheat in Joseph’s first dream.  Joseph then inquired about their father’s health if he was still alive, and they answered that he loved and was well before bowing down once more to him.  They verified that Benjamin was the youngest son they spoke of and he could not hold the emotions in anymore; he had to turn away to weep with joy so they did not see and suspect before the big reveal.  He washed away the tears and came back to say, “Serve the bread” as a way to share the time together.  He arranged their places at the table by ages and still they could not understand how he could know that!  In astonishment, they all looked around the table in wonder and ate while noticing that the youngest was given five times as much food as the rest.  In their relief from prosecution, they quickly put aside their wonderment and made merry together as they broke bread.  When Jesus had forgiven us our sins and such a gift of eternal life and the kingdom in which we bow to Him, we then were given such a feast of His sacrificial body as the bread of life, true manna from heaven (John 6:58), and wine of His lifeblood (Matthew 26:28, 1 Corinthians 11:25) poured into us to bring us into Him and His righteousness that we also should make merry every time we remember and celebrate His self-sacrificing death until He comes back (1 Corinthians 11:26) for us to welcome us into the kingdom!  Serve the bread! Drink the wine!

Genesis 43:1-14 - Benjamin and Bereavement

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. 

Genesis 42:25-38 - Return to Face Sin’s Consequences

Genesis 42:25-38

The Brothers Return to Canaan

25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. 27 But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. 28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”

29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: 30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. 34 And bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’”

35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.”

37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”

38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”

On the return journey home to Canaan by Joseph’s brothers minus Reuben, one of them opened one of their grain sacks of food they were given to feed his steed.  There he found that their money given for the food had been put back in with the grain in the sacks as they all discovered in each of their bags of grain later when arriving home.  Their first thought was that they would be accused of being thieves on top of their espionage accusations.  Instead of trying to understand they immediately cried out in despair to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”  They had been so focused on their own sin and guilt for their brother sold into slavery and now had to tell their dying father that he had to send his last link to his beloved Rachel back as proof the rest were not spies he that he did exist in order to prove to Pharaoh that they were indeed honest and truthful men.  If they brought Benjamin back they would be able to get their other brother back and be able to trade for food to survive the famine.  Jacob was distraught when he saw the implications of the money implicating his sons as thieves and the loss of Simeon already on top of the heartbreaking loss of Joseph.  Reuben (who argued initially for the life of Joseph to his brothers) tried to convince his father to let them go back to show Benjamin, but Jacob could not stand the sorrowful loss of another and refused.  He lamented the supposed death of one of Rachel’s two sons and would not lose his last tie to his beloved by risking the other youngest son.  This shows the snowball effect of sin as the brother’s jealousy almost led to murder if not for the intervention of Reuben who once more offered his own two sons as collateral if things went further south in Egypt.  The consequences of sin led them to face starvation if they did not return and possible imprisonment if they did, not to mention the effect on their father for his past and looming future loss if the others went back to prove their innocence in the midst of their true guilt.  They had to return to deface their sin’s consequences just as we all must do (Romans 6:23, Hebrews 9:27-28).  In Christ our sin against Him has been forgiven and covered by the lifeblood of Jesus spilled on the tree of sin’s curse (Galatians 3:13) for our lives and the opportunities to find ongoing forgiveness (1 John 1:9) in that reconciliation with Him and one another.  We must face the consequences of our actions but not suffer eternal suffering (1 Corinthians 3:12-13, 14-15) anymore as His ransomed children out of the bondage of sin represented by the enslavement of God’s people for four hundred years in Egypt.  There is continuing mercy in Christ for us just as God showed compassion on Jacob and his sons in dealing with their sins and suffering.  We discover these truths as we return to face the consequences of sin and forgiveness in Him. 

Genesis 42:1-24 - False Spies or True Sinners?

Genesis 42:1-24

Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.”

3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.” 5 And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?”

And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”

12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”

14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15 In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” 17 So he put them all together in prison three days.

18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”

And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.”

22 And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.” 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

Were Joseph’s brothers spies as accused openly or sinners as they concealed their treachery against their brother?  As the family starved in Canaan, Jacob who is Israel heard that there was food available to buy in Egypt and sent the sons to buy enough to keep them alive through the extensive regional famine.  He sent ten of them, keeping Rachel’s last son Benjamin the youngest at home since he already lost the other from her, Joseph, and needed him as a reminder of her that he could not afford to lose.  When they stood before Joseph to buy grain, he recognized them at once but the Egyptian face paint, clothing, and hair style must have been enough to conceal who he was from them.  He also was the governor over the land, so even if the thought briefly crossed their minds, they would have immediately dismissed it as they presume him dead or sold off elsewhere.  They could not believe God’s grace to fulfill his dreams (Genesis 37:7-8, 9-10) of the sheaves of them bowing to him or the stars, sun and moon submitting to him.  Joseph was angry for them wanting to murder him and then selling him off to endure such hardships, and enacted his vengeance by accusing them of being spies instead of directly exposing their sins against him and the LORD.  Do we sometimes make this same mistake to take matters into our own hands which we should put in the hands of God who alone can judge and avenge us?  We are called to forgive, to confront sin committed against and by us (Matthew 5:23-24, 18:21, Luke 11:4) and leave vengeance to the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19, Revelation 6:10) who alone is worthy and holy enough to judge us.  Joseph was full of vengeance and kept accusing his brothers of spying out the land and dismissing their explanations of coming to buy food alone.  Joseph tested their story to draw out their anguish by locking them up in jail as he had been unless they brought their youngest brother back to corroborate their story.  He ended up keeping only one of them imprisoned and sent the others back to fetch Benjamin.  They spoke to one another in Hebrew, thinking an Egyptian could not understand them (but of course Joseph heard every word).  They admitted their sin’s guilt to one another there as Joseph had begged for mercy and they did not relent in their jealousy and vindictiveness when they had sold him off.  Only Reuben had dissented at that time and reminded them of his warning not to sin against their brother and how they had let the admonition fall on deaf ears stopped up with jealousy and evil intent.  When Joseph heard this admission, he turned and wept so they could not see lest he reveal himself to them because he was still making them pay by hiding himself from them.  They left Simeon there and went back to Canaan with anguish of sin’s conviction and the cons to come.  Were they false spies or true sinners?  That question was clear to them all now once their sin was exposed.  The accusation of espionage was still being leveled against them to put fear in them for what they had done to Joseph and the LORD allowed it to stand for awhile until the story played out and His sovereign will to bring Israel to Egypt to save them as promised (Genesis 15:13, Exodus 12:40-41) came to fulfillment to deliver them all from the bondage of sin which held them there until they sinned again and lied when the spied out the promised land (Numbers 13:2, 14:36) offered to them out of fear.   Lying and spying seemed to cause much sin with lasting consequences for them, just as it does to us.  We have been called to speak truth to one another (Zechariah 8:16, Ephesians 4:25) and love transparently (2 Corinthians 6:11, 7:2-3) and not enact jealous vengeance on one another to please the Lord and do good to one another.  Are we accused of being false spies or true sinners who are ready to act openly and confess our sins (James 5:16) to one another?