Genesis 43-44

Genesis 43-44

Enough time passed that Jacob and his son ran out of the grain that Joseph had sent them, and they still had not returned to Egypt for Simeon. So Jacob reluctantly told his sons to go back and get some more food. However, this meant that Benjamin go with them, which Jacob still did not feel comfortable doing. He was angry at the situation and did not know who to be angry at. Judah assured Jacob that they would keep Benjamin safe, and he began to make his way back to Egypt. The 11 of them took back enough money to cover the new batch of food as well as the money that they had received back during their last visit. Finally, they took food from their land of Canaan as well. Jacob gave in, allowing Benjamin to go with them, and placed his safety in God’s hands. Remember that Jacob has no idea that he is actually dealing with Joseph in this situation, and he has a right to be afraid for his son’s life. But even in this most confusing situation, Jacob turned to God for guidance, and placed all of his trust in God.

Upon arriving back in Egypt, Joseph invites them into his house for a meal. But they do not know why they have been brought into the house. They fear that they are about to be punished for having the money from their first visit. So they quickly explain the situation, showing how they are innocent. But the men in Joseph’s house assured them that they were in no trouble, and that they had received the money already. They then explained that Joseph was on his way to eat with them. When Joseph arrived, they all bowed down to meet him. Does this sound familiar? Again, here is the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams. Joseph was still not ready to reveal himself, so he inquired of their family situation. He learned that his father was still alive and that Benjamin was with them. Afterwards, they ate.

After dinner, they began to pack up for their journey home. Once again, Joseph tricked his brothers. He had all of their money returned once more along with his silver cup (placed in Benjamin’s sack). After his brothers left the next morning, he had his men follow them to accuse them of stealing from Joseph. When the brothers were caught, they quickly pleaded innocence, explaining that they had already returned the money and would never take advantage of the situation by stealing from Joseph. But in the end they were shocked to discover that Benjamin actually had the cup. Now although was truly in the wrong, it appeared as if they were (due to Joseph’s actions, which were pure when you consider the rest of the story). But life is not always this simple. We may find ourselves in situations that we never willingly placed ourselves in. We may be set up by others so that they can see our demise. Is it fair? Of course not! But sadly, that is just how life is sometimes. Like Jacob’s situation in Genesis 42, we may not always understand why things happen in life, but when a crazy set of circumstances get handed to us, we must figure out how we are going to deal with them. We can choose to react in our flesh, seeking revenge, or we can turn to God, depending on Him to rescue us from that situation.

Joseph’s brothers chose the latter option. They knew that they were innocent, but they had no way of proving it to the Egyptians. So they showed humility, rather than being haughty in the situation. They explained their side of the situation truthfully, hoping for a change of heart. But in the end, punishment still came (at least in their eyes), and Benjamin was forced to stay in Egypt as they returned to Jacob. But Judah stepped up offering to take the punishment for Benjamin. This is another clear sign of humility as well as sacrifice. Judah explained all that had happened since their first trip to Egypt, and told Joseph how Jacob would die from grief if Benjamin did not return to him. Thinking of his father’s well-being, Judah offered himself in exchange for Benjamin, hoping that Joseph would understand. What is truly remarkable at this point in the story is the turnaround we see in Judah’s life. Out of the 11 brothers, he was one of the ones who developed the initial plan to sale Joseph as a slave. Now, several years later, he has made a huge change in his life. Instead of thinking of himself and his desires, he is thinking of the well-being of others, such as Jacob and Benjamin. Judah’s life is finally beginning to reflect those of his ancestors, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Matt