Note: When doing a study on a book in the Bible you use a lot of resources. The major influence for me on this study of Genesis is The Genesis Record by Henry Morris.
Purpose of Chapter: To show the leading of the Israelites into Egypt
Title: The testing of character
Text: Genesis 42
Main characters: Joseph, brothers
Place: Egypt
Genesis 42
1. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
So we see the famine hit everywhere. As I said the famine probably was cause from the Nile being lessened with water. It water a lot of the area. This would cause a great famine. Notice that all were affected. Even the chosen of God.
God could intervene and make way for Jacob and his family not to be affected but he has other plans as we will see.
2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
What is faith? Faith is believeing in something you have not seen. You may have heard it
Hebrews 11:1-AV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Believing in something that you have not seen. In someone. You believe but it is more when you act upon it. You do what is commanded
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
So the ten went. But Benjamin stayed back. Why Benjamin? Why was he so special?
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph [was] the governor over the land, [and] he [it was] that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him [with] their faces to the earth.
Joseph probably set himself on this side of Egypt so that he could meet his brothers who would be coming from Canaan.
Let us look at the first dream of Joseph in Genesis 37. How was it fulfilled?
Genesis 37:5. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I
have dreamed: 7 For, behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
Their empty sheaves did obeisance to his full ones.
It is strange how what the brothers tried so hard to prevent they were the cause of.
Just as the very people who despise and reject God will truly know and bow down before him. Rev 3:9
7. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
Why do you think he held his identity? To test them. He wanted to see if they were truly repentant.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
Why don't you think they recognized Joseph? 1) They were not looking for him 2) He was dressed differently, he talked different 3) He was now almost 40 yrs. old. 17 yrs when sold. about 10yrs at Potiphars, 3 yrs in prison, 7 yrs of harvest now maybe 1 or a few more years into the famine.
Let us look at Joseph's plan to bring repentance and remorse to his brothers.
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye [are] spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
11 We [are] all one man's sons; we [are] true [men], thy servants are no spies.
12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
Joseph really tests them. As we will see he will try to pump them for as much information without giving himself away.
13 And they said, Thy servants [are] twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest [is] this day with our father, and one [is] not.
So they told the truth from their perspective. Tweleve of them at one time. One at home and one dead for all they knew father at home.
14 And Joseph said unto them, That [is it] that I spake unto you, saying, Ye [are] spies:
15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether [there be any] truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye [are] spies. 17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
So the plan was they must prove to him that they were not spies. Spieing was a captital offense and could mean the life of the people. So what must they must do. Send one. He must bring back Benjamin. But it changes.
By the life of Pharaoh is a comman way to make oaths. It is an Egyptian saying. But we will see Joseph reveal something about himself in a few minutes.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; [for] I fear God: 19 If ye [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: 20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
So the plan changes. This time he will keep one of his brethern. The first test is: Will they betray this brother or bring back what was said?
The word God here is Elohim. He does show a little about himself. May to remind the brothers.
Why do you think that Joseph deals with them so harshly? Is it because of revenge?
To discover the welfare of his family.
To produce or reveal genuine repentance
To test their character
21. And they said one to another, We [are] verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
Their conscience is rising. They are reminded of their plight of their brother Joseph. The idea of you ,"Reap what you sow" is in their minds. Reuben wastes no time telling them and rubbing it in.
23 And they knew not that Joseph understood [them]; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
They did not know that Joseph spoke in thier native language. He understood what they said. He was so emotionally distraght that he turned and wept. When he came back he took Simeon and put him in prison to wait for their return. Why did they use Simeon?
25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to estore every man's money into his sack, and to give them rovision for the way: and thus did he unto them.
26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender n the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it [was] in his ack's mouth. 28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, oh, [it is] even in my sack: and their heart failed [them], and hey were afraid, saying one to another, What [is] this [that] God hath done unto us?
Joseph planned this. Why did he put the money in their sacks? To test their loyalty even more.
29. And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, 30 The man, [who is] the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 And we said unto him, We [are] true [men]; we are no spies: 32 We [be] twelve brethren, sons of our father; one [is] not, and the youngest [is] this day with our father in the land of Canaan. 33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye [are] true [men]; leave one of your brethren [here] with me, and take [food for] the famine of your households, and be gone: 34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye [are] no spies, but [that] ye [are] true [men: so] will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land. 35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money [was] in his sack: and when [both] they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
Why do you think they did not go to Egypt?
36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved [of my children]: Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and ye will take Benjamin [away]: all these things are against me.
37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Jacob was wroght. Why should he have to suffer? What would happen to Benjamin? Why must he lose another son?
