[Prayer]
Today’s message is from Genesis chapter 43, the entire chapter. This is about the brothers’ return to Egypt and to Joseph to buy more grain.
You remember that Joseph’s brothers had gone to Egypt to buy grain because the famine was not only in Egypt but in Canaan as well. People were coming from all over to buy grain. When Joseph brothers arrived, they bowed down before Joseph just as the Lord had foretold in his dreams of many years earlier. Every brother was there and bowed down before Joseph but Benjamin. Jacob had been afraid to send Benjamin. Jacob had lost Joseph and he’d lost Rachel. He didn’t want to lose Benjamin who was the only other son of his wife Rachel. When Joseph’s brothers came, he recognized them, but his brothers didn’t recognize him.
Joseph spoke harshly to his brothers accused them of being spies who had come see find out the weaknesses of the land. (Spies are enemies and are likely to be put to death—like the Rosenbergs, as I mentioned last week.) When the brothers insisted that they were not spies and explained that they were all from one family of 12 brothers and that their youngest brother was still at home, Joseph told them that they could prove that they were not spies and not be put to death by producing their youngest brother.
It was all very confusing. First Joseph was going to keep them all in prison and just send one back to get Benjamin. He locked them all up in prison for three days. Then he wound up keeping just one brother in prison and sending the rest back to get Benjamin. (He wanted them to be able to take food back to their families.)
None of it made much sense. And how would producing Benjamin prove anything? But what Joseph wanted was for his brothers to be convicted of sin and to repent. The brothers had hated Joseph and sold him into slavery, but Joseph loved his brothers and wanted to save them—and that, by the way, is the power and the grace of God.)
Anyway, the brothers were convicted of sin. (And, by the way, just who is it that convicts people of sin? Jesus, before he was crucified, told his disciples that when he returned to his Father, he would send the Holy Spirit to convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment—John 16:8. It is God who does the convicting. And it was God who was guiding Joseph in his dealings with his brothers.) The brothers were convicted of sin and were telling each other that it was plain that God was punishing them for what they had done to Joseph.
The brothers thought that Joseph could not understand them because he was speaking to them through an interpreter. But Joseph could understand them and he turned away from them and wept. This was all very emotional. (And it’s going to get even more emotional.) Joseph’s tears were tears of joy. You know, there is much rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents. (Luke 15:7) It’s literally going from death to life! (I’m a sinner, too, but I also rejoice much when one sinner repents!)
Joseph had Simeon bound while the brothers watched and sent the rest of them back with the food. When they arrived home and told Jacob what had happened and that would neither get Simeon back nor would they be able to buy grain unless they came back with Benjamin, Jacob refused to let Benjamin go with them. Here’s what he said: “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.” (Gen. 42:38) Benjamin was Jacob’s favorite just as Joseph had been. And that brings us up to today’s passage.
We’ll take turns reading today’s passage—Genesis chapter 43. Remember as we read that we are reading the word of God. God breathed it by his Holy Spirit to Moses in order that it might be recorded and that we might read it know him through it. The words we will read describe actual events that God brought about so that, ultimately, we might have salvation from our sin through faith in him and in his Son, Jesus. So also, as always, I encourage all of you to read and to study your Bibles every day. The word of God gives life.
So, let’s read today’s passage now—Genesis chapter 43:
[Read Genesis 43]
Well, verse 2 says that when they had used up the grain that they had brought back from Egypt, Jacob told the brothers to go back and buy more food. I think Joseph, when he kept Simeon and sent the other brothers home with the food, knew that they would be back sooner or later—not necessarily to retrieve Simeon, but because they would run out of food. Joseph knew something they didn’t. He knew that the famine would last seven years.
When Jacob told the brothers to go back to Egypt, Judah reminded their father that ‘the man’, Joseph, had made it clear that he would not talk to them unless they had Benjamin with them. And they knew that Joseph was dead serious about that. So Judah told Jacob that they would not go without Benjamin. I think that was a wise decision based on the information they had. Joseph had told them, “Bring back your brother and you will live.” If they went back without Benjamin, that would ‘prove’ that they were spies and they would die.
Well, Jacob answered, “Why did you cause me so much trouble? Why did you tell that man that you had a brother?” Earlier, when they had first returned from Egypt and told Jacob about the situation, he had said, “Everything happens to me!” He still had a ways to go in learning to be humble and to trust God—but so do we. (I thought I ought to be steadfast and mature by the time I was 70, but I’m not. We all have a ways to go. A man who was around 70 came here a few years ago and preached. In the middle of his message he made the comment that he preached above where he actually was. We certainly have to do that, too, or we will all conclude that we have already arrived! That would not be good because we haven’t.)
In response to Jacob’s laments, the brothers explained that Joseph, ‘the man’, had asked them about their family: “Is your father still alive.” It may not have made sense to them, but Joseph wanted to know about his father and his family, so he asked them.
Now listen while I read what Judah said. This is from verses 8 and 9:
8Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live, and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children. 9I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever. (Genesis 43:8, 9)
I want you note what Judah said, especially. When the brothers had first returned from Egypt, Reuben had said to Jacob, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him (Benjamin) back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.” This sounds like a pretty rash statement: “You can kill my two sons.” Jacob certainly wouldn’t have done anything like that. And I don’t think Reuben’s statement carried much weight as far as guaranteeing Benjamin’s safe return. But Judah’s statement doesn’t seem to mean much either: “I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.” (Actually, Judah might have had the rights of the firstborn, since Reuben, Simeon and Levi had probably forfeited those rights, and he could have, too, if he didn’t bring Benjamin back. But, really, how could Judah or any of them have actually guaranteed Benjamin’s safety.) But we will see (and you already know) that Judah’s guarantee had real teeth in it! (If you don’t already know, you will find out next week.)
Nevertheless, the food situation was serious. Judah said that they had to go in order that they might live and not die—in order that their entire family might live and not die. Jacob finally recognized the reality of the situation and agreed for them to go and to take Benjamin. He also told them to take a gift—some balsam and some honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds. (It’s interesting that they were rich in money and in luxuries—fancy food and perfumes—but had no food that would really sustain their lives. That can be true for us, too. We can be rich in the things of this life, but not in what really sustains us for eternal life!)
In addition to the gifts, Jacob also told the brothers to take back the money that was returned to them in the top of their sacks. You remember that finding the money in the tops of their sacks had caused them much consternation and distress, but that it had been God’s way (through Joseph) to convict them of sin. Do you remember that they said, “What is this that God has done to us?” (Gen. 42:28)
The return of the money was really a gift from God through Joseph, but for the brothers, it scared them to death. Sin and guilt can do that. Before they left, Jacob said to them, “May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.” God almighty was indeed being merciful to them. But when Jacob said, “If I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived,” I think it was stoicism, not faith in God.
Well, the brothers left for Egypt with the double the amount of money, the gifts and with Benjamin. When they arrived, they stood before Joseph. (Verse 15) When Joseph saw that they had brought Benjamin, he ordered that a feast be prepared for them. But, when the brothers were taken to Joseph’s house for the feast, they were afraid. They said, “We have been brought here because of the money that was returned in our bags the first time. They intend to overpower us, seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” Guilt makes you think like that. I’ve actually experienced that, myself. Let me tell you about it.
This was around 35 years ago. At work, I was working on a particular project. I did not get along well with my supervisor on the project. I considered the project mine and didn’t want anyone telling me how to do things. It was obvious to my supervisor that I felt that way, too. (And I complained to Mooma every day about the situation.)
Anyway, my boss’s boss called me into his office one day and told me he had taken my boss—my supervisor—off of the project and was putting me in charge of it. I was happy to hear about it.
But, shortly after that, my former supervisor invited Mooma and me to a get together with some other coworkers and their wives at his house. I thought, “He thinks that I asked him to be removed from the project and he’s going to poison us, or something.” Can you believe that I thought that? I really did! I had to pray and overcome to even go.
I think the reality of the situation was that, if the invitation had anything to do with my supervisor’s being taken off the project, it was that he just wanted to show that he had no hard feelings. Anyway, I was guilty of rebellion and complaining. Sin makes you think weird things.
Verse 20 says that the brothers spoke to the steward of Joseph’s house and explained to him about the money that was returned to their sacks and what had happened. (Verses 20-22) Here’s what the steward said: “May you be well. Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. I received your money.” The phrase “may you be well” was a blessing to the brothers. The steward also made it clear that it was the Lord God who had put the treasure in their bags. (Most of the translations don’t say, “Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags.” They just say, “Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your bags.” The steward referred to God as the God of their father. Jacob was their father. The steward knew, not only that they belonged to God, but that Jacob also belonged to God!) Then the steward brought Simeon out to them.
When the steward brought the brothers into the house, he treated them as honored guests. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided feed for their donkeys. When Joseph arrived, the brothers brought their gifts to him and bowed down before him. (Verses 24-26) Now, all 11 of the brothers were bowing down before Joseph according to his first dream. (The second dream included his father and mother and that had not and has not been fulfilled yet.) How do you think Joseph felt when they were bowing down before him? Do you think he was gloating in his heart or feeling vindicated that his dreams were being fulfilled? We might do something like that, but I think what Joseph was doing in his heart was praising God!
Joseph Asked about their father—his father, although the brothers didn’t know it yet—was he still alive? He wanted to know. They bowed down before him again and said that their father—‘your servant our father’—was alive and well. (Verses 27, 28)
Then Joseph asked if Benjamin was the younger brother they had told him about. (He knew he was, of course.) And when they told him he was, Joseph blessed Benjamin. He said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” (Verse 29) Then Joseph had to run out of the room because he was overcome by emotion for his younger brother. (Remember, this was his full brother. The others were half-brothers.) Joseph had to run out of the room to weep. (And I’ve said before, when I’ve read this story in the past, every time Joseph wept, I also wept.)
After Joseph regained his composure, he washed his face and came back and ordered that the meal be served.
Now let’s look at verses 32, 33 and 34. Listen while I read them:
32They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is abhorrent to them. 33They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment. 34Portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, and Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of theirs. They drank, and they got drunk with Joseph. (Genesis 43:32-34)
Joseph had arranged to have the brothers seated in the order of their age from oldest to youngest. Except for Benjamin, they were pretty close together in age. The brothers were astonished that they could have been seated in order of age. (More things to wonder about and to see God’s hand in!) Joseph was seated alone and the Egyptians were seated separately. Joseph couldn’t be seated with the Egyptians because that would have been abhorrent to them. Joseph, whom everyone in Egypt had to obey, could not eat with the Egyptians.
Benjamin got five times as much food as the other brothers. He probably couldn’t eat it all. But Joseph was giving him special treatment. Maybe this was part of the testing of the brothers—to see if they would be envious of Benjamin, who was now Jacob’s favorite, as they had been envious of Joseph—maybe to teach them not to be envious. They also were being blessed, although not with so much food. It says that they drank and got drunk with Joseph. It was a party!
You know, we have a party waiting for us, too. It’s called The Wedding Supper of the Lamb. We will also rejoice with our brother (who is also our Lord and our God—our Savior). Joseph suffered and then was exalted to the highest position in Egypt in order to save his brothers and many others. Jesus suffered much, much more in order to save us from sin and death and was exalted to the right hand of God the Father, and we will rejoice with him at the wedding supper of the Lamb.
More next week.
[Prayer]