Genesis 42 - 43

In the last chapter we saw Joseph riding high as the number two man in the nation of Egypt, preparing the people for the upcoming famine. He has to pinch himself to be sure he isn’t dreaming this. Just a few days ago he was in prison. The Pharaoh is pleased because he has complete confidence in Joseph and, if he fails in his duties, he has someone to blame.

Verse 1, “When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, ‘Why do you just keep looking at each other?’”

Does this sound like everyone seems to be depressed and resigned to their fate, just waiting to die? Or were they passive, unimaginative, waiting for someone else to come rescue them from the famine? Does the dad sound a bit disappointed in his sons? Imagine the tone of voice he might have had. “Why do you bums just sit there waiting to die. There’s food in Egypt, why don’t you get off your back sides and go get some? If Joseph was here, he would have thought of something.”

Verse 3, “Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain.” Jacob wouldn’t allow Benjamin, the youngest, to go. He feared for his safety and besides, he probably wasn’t needed. Why would so many of the brothers have to go? Did they really need ten? Weren’t there employees who could have gone or were they all laid off because of the famine? Maybe they needed all ten to haul enough food to last for some time.

Guess who they had to deal with then they arrived in Egypt? Yes, that little brother who they sold off as a slave years ago.  Verse 6, “So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.” This was just as he predicted years ago from the dream that he had recorded in chapter 37.

What would Joseph’s natural reaction be to seeing his brothers? He must have been startled and perhaps had to control the urge to approach them. He recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him. Why not? We’re talking about twenty years passing from the time they last saw each other. Have you seen photos of yourself in your high school or college yearbook? Do you even recognize yourself after twenty years? What do you think of the hair styles back then? Yikes. Beehive hair dos for the ladies, for the men maybe a full head of thick hair in long hippie style. And the clothing . . . bell bottom trousers, platform shoes and miniskirts. And we thought we looked great, then. Joseph’s voice may not be recognizable by this time. His teenage voice has deepened and whatever accent he may have had has faded or disappeared. Besides, he was probably speaking through an interpreter. And it’s not as if they were looking for and expecting to see Joseph there. As a slave, if he was still alive, they probably thought he would be working in some field harvesting the grain that they have come to purchase.

Joseph begins to test them by accusing them of being spies. This must have put the brothers into a panic. How can they prove that they are not? They explain that they came from Canaan and that their dad is with their youngest brother and another brother had died. Joseph tells them that he doesn’t believe them and tells them they will not leave this place; they will be imprisoned unless their youngest brother comes here. This was to prove that their story of not being spies was true. The brothers had three days in prison to think about their fate when Joseph comes and says, in verse 18, let one of you stay here in prison while the others take food back to your home and return with the little brother you claim that you have. Do this and you will live.

In verse 21 the brothers acknowledged to each other their guilt in selling Joseph into slavery. “They said to one another, ‘Surely we are being punished because of our brother.” And of course, though they didn’t know it, Joseph could understand what they were saying.

Joseph had one of the brothers, Simeon, bound (verse 24) and then had their animals loaded up with grain for their return trip to Canaan. Why was Simeon left behind? Why not the oldest one, Rueben? Perhaps it was because Rueben was the one who saved Joseph back in chapter 37. Whose shoes would you rather be in? Simeon would be in a prison, but the others would have to return home and break the news to Jacob that his youngest son, the last son his beloved late wife Rachel gave birth to, must be taken to Egypt. I think I’d volunteer to take Simeon’s place.

Verse 26, they loaded up their grain on their donkeys and left. What was the atmosphere like on the way back? How are they going to explain all of this to Jacob? “I’ve got an idea,” one of them may have said, “We say, ‘Hi Dad, we’re home. Good news! We’ve got grain! We’re all going to live!’” Jacob is probably blind by now and wouldn’t even noticed that one brother is missing. After they’ve eaten, someone (the one who drew the short straw) had to tell Jacob the rest of the story. “Oh, by the way, did we mention that we have to go back to get Simeon? Yeah, he’s in prison, being held hostage by the Egyptians. And one more thing, we have to take Benjamin with us? So, what’s for dessert?”

I don’t know which part of this trip was the most uncomfortable. Heading off to Egypt in hope of getting some food or returning home without Simeon and having to explain it all to Jacob. In verse 28, as they were unpacking for the night on their journey home, they noticed that in each person’s sack was the money that they had given to purchase the grain. How do they understand this? Verse 28, “This is what God has done to us.” This is the hand of God. He’s using the Egyptians to punish us for what we have done to Joseph.

They made it back home with the food and told Jacob all about their trip (verses 29-34) and what that Egyptian leader said about them being spies. They then told him that the Egyptian gave them food but held Simeon as a hostage to prove that we weren’t spies. Oh, one more thing, we have to take Benjamin back with us.

Who steps up to assure Jacob that all will be well? It’s Reuben, again. You remember Reuben. Reuben is the one who had sex with his father’s concubine. He is the one that Jacob will say “will no longer excel” and lost the birthright to Joseph. It is Reuben who persuades the others not to kill Joseph, tries to rescue him, and who later concludes that the trouble the brothers run into in Egypt was divine punishment for the plot.

Rueben says in verse 37, “You may put both my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you.” What if his sons were there, listening to this talk? “Hey Dad, what are you doing?” This reminds me of Lot’s offer to the men who came to his door wanting to have sex with his visitors. Lot says, “Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them” (Gen 19:8). The kids must think, “Thanks a lot, Dad. You’ll never get another Father’s Day card from me again.”

Jacob dismisses Reuben’s idea saying, in verse 38, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.” Translation: I’ve already lost two sons and I will not risk losing another to a bunch of morons like you guys. If I lost Benjamin, it would never be able to recover from the grief.

In time, the food they purchased was all gone and the famine continued. Now what do we do?

Chapter 43:2 with the food running out, Jacob has a change of heart. “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

Do you feel bad for Jacob? I do. I see him shuffling around the house in a tattered robe, stoop shouldered, head down. He’s old, and worn out by the famine, age and all the struggles of life. Time is running out for him and for everyone. Someone has to convince Jacob that they must go back to Egypt and they must take Benjamin with them.

Judah steps forward and tells Jacob the unvarnished truth that he doesn’t want to hear, that is, if they return for food, they MUST take Benjamin with them. He quotes Joseph’s demand saying, “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.” Now Judah is the one who guarantees the safety of Benjamin in verse 9, “I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame.” In Hebrew it reads, “I shall have sinned against you forever,” which carries with it the consequence to be cut off from any and all inheritance. It was Judah who saved Joseph from death by talking them into selling him. Now he is willing to become a guarantee for Benjamin, knowing that the affection Jacob had for Joseph was not directed towards Benjamin. He then goes on to say that if they had gone back to Egypt when they wanted to, they would have already been back with the food by now.

The sons had to give their dad some time to accept the idea of them taking Benjamin with them back to Egypt. It’s like having to tell Dad that he shouldn’t be driving anymore. “Dad, you ran over three mailboxes today and sideswiped a van yesterday. I think you need to give up your keys to the car.” “What? I’ve been driving for 65 years; I’m not giving up driving.” Well, after a while Dad shuffles his way into the kitchen his places his keys and drivers’ license onto the counter, slowly turns and walks away. Sometimes, it just takes time to get used to an idea and to accept the inevitable. But having said that, “No, I am not giving up my motorcycle and moving into that nursing home. Don’t bring the subject up ever again!”

Finally, Jacob, or Israel as he is called here, agrees. Verse 11, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift.” So, they packed honey, pistachios, almonds, spices, a couple of nice DVDs of movies like The African Queen and Casablanca. Maybe a video game or two. Hey, Jacob is really getting excited about this trip. Once he accepted the fact that the trip has to be made, he gets involved in the planning.

They made their way back to Egypt, with Benjamin constantly asking, “Are we there yet?” And what a welcome they received. When Joseph saw them, he told his assistant to take these guys to his house, make a nice meal and I will join them for lunch. Oh, and get them a nice shower, also. There are extra towels in the hall closet.

Now the brothers were getting suspicious and scared. Why would this official have us taken to his house. I bet it’s a trap. Yeah, I bet they are going to enslave us or something. The worriers in the group are catastrophizing everything, coming up with the most outlandish scenarios. “I bet these guys are really aliens and they are going to experiment with us and eat our brains. One fella said that he was there to serve us. Maybe that means he is going to serve us for dinner.”

They tried to explain to the servant that they had brought back the silver that they found in their bags and that they really weren’t spies. Verse 23, the steward says, “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Why would an Egyptian be referring to the God of Israel? Had Joseph been evangelizing while he was in prison and in his position of authority? Didn’t the Apostle Paul evangelize while he was under house arrest or in prison, also?

Then they had a great surprise. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (another great movie)? The brothers look up and into the living room comes SIMEON. Smiles and hugs everywhere, fist bumps for the more reserved.

Joseph arrives for lunch and the brothers bow down to him (again) as they greet him. Joseph asks about their aged father (verse 26 on) and then his eyes turn to Benjamin. That did it. The emotions grew too strong and he had to leave the room for a moment to regain his composure. After a few minutes he returned and asked the waiter to serve the guests their food. Joseph ate in a separate room. In fact, they ate in three groups. Joseph sat by himself, because of his rank. The brothers sat by themselves and the Egyptians ate by themselves. And so, the brothers were enjoying a wonderful feast, especially the youngest guy at the end of the table, Benjamin. They gave him five times as much as anyone else. He must have been a teenager because we know how much they can eat. But what must the other brothers have thought when they say the huge mounds of good on his plate? And why would they be given this feast in the first place? This isn’t how they treat all prisoners, is it? This was a test. Joseph wanted to know if the brothers had matured. Joseph wanted to know if the brothers would be jealous of Benjamin as they were of him when favoritism was shown to him years ago. The last verse of the chapter tells us the answer, “So they feasted and drank freely with him.” Another translation reads, “And they drank, and were merry with him.” So, no, they were not jealous. And I’m sure Joseph was pleased to see this trait in his brothers. Joseph knew all along that they weren’t spies. Now he knows that they weren’t the same people that they were twenty years ago. Do we sometimes have images of people that are also outdated? Do we still think of someone as who they were years ago, not able to see who they have become? Did some people still think of Paul as the blasphemer, persecutor, and a violent man that he used to be (I Tim 1:13)? Or John Mark as the young man who deserted the mission team on their first missionary journey? Perhaps we need to reexamine our assessment of people who have stumbled or failed in the past and give them some credit for maturing, as Joseph did with his brothers.