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.
Theme: Joseph meets with his brothers including Benjamin
Title: The Second Trip to Egypt
Text: Genesis 43
Genesis 43:1. And the famine [was] sore in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
Do you notice anything about this passage that related to the previous chapter? They waited until the last moment before they went back to Egypt. I wonder what would have happened if the famine had subsided at this moment?
3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you. 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 5 But if thou wilt not send [him], we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.
Judah pleads with him and tells him what Joseph had said. If they did not return with Benjamin then they would not get Simeon back and they would be slaves.
I do want to make kind of a contrast. This is probably not the intention of this verse but it does remind me of something. We hear the same thing that the father says to us. We shall not see his face unless our adopted brother be with us. We cannot go before God nor see his face unless we have Jesus.
6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye [so] ill with me, [as] to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
Why did you tell him you had a brother? Strangely enough they really did not have to tell him because he knew.
7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, [Is] your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of
these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
Another clue of who he was the way he asked the right questions.
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, [and] also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
So Judah says unto his father he will take care of the lad. He says he would be a surety for him. What is a surety? "to exchange". Do we have a surety for us? Who was that surety? Jesus Christ. How? What tribe did Jesus come out of? the tribe of Judah
10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
If we would have left earlier and not hung around and waited on you then we would have already been back.
11. And their father Israel said unto them, If [it must be] so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a
little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: 12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry [it] again in your hand; peradventure it [was] an oversight: 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
Proverbs 21:14. A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.
So his plan is to take presents. All the presents of the land. balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts and almonds. The only thing missing was grain the sustance of life.
Why take double the money? to return the old money.
14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved [of my children], I am bereaved.
May God be with you. And if Benjamin don't come back and I am bereaved then I must be bereaved.
15. And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
I wonder how Joseph felt. You know that Joseph had to often wonder whether or not Benjamin his only true brother was alive. It had to cross his mind many of times whether or not they killed him also.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring [these] men home, and slay, and make ready; for [these] men shall dine with me at noon.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
A very surprising move on Joseph's part. The Egyptians hardly ever associated with the Hebrews. They were isolated from each other. But Joseph is no ordinary man either.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
Why do you think they were afraid? Wouldn't it be a priviledge to be in the prime ministers house? It would be like being invited to teh withe house. Why because they had a guild complex. They were full of guilt.
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, [every] man's money [was] in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
They begin to apologize and give repentance to this steward. They were sorry and had no intention of keeping the money. Now we will see they notice a startling discovery.
23 And he said, Peace [be] to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
What do you think he meant by "you God and the God of your father"? How would he know their God? I believe this is Joseph's procylete.
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave [them] water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
Foot washing is a symbol of acceptance. A symbol of welcome. Just as we pratice it in our church. It is a symbol of humility and welcome into our church and our lives.
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. 26. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which [was] in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
Again they bow to Joseph
27 And he asked them of [their] welfare, and said, [Is] your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? [Is] he yet alive? 28 And they answered, Thy servant our father [is] in good health, he [is] yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
They bow again after Joseph ask of his father
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, [Is] this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
Here is the long awaited meeting between the two. Finally. What a long time it has been since he last saw Benjamin. But now. And we see the reation of Joseph first is says, " God be gracious unto thee, my son" God bless you. I noticed one thing that we will see. Joseph shows him favoritism. Why do you think? maybe he is still testing them.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought [where] to weep; and he entered into [his] chamber, and wept there.
It has probably been over 20yrs since he saw him. What would you do?
31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
You know as a thought. Jesus when he came to earth was not recognized by his own people. He told them. He tried them and he tested them. He wept and prayed for them. The Jews would not accept. But Jesus will come back. On the second coming. And scripture teaches this time they will accept him.
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that [is] an abomination unto the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 34 And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
I want to notice three things that would have given Joseph away if they were looking for him:
1) Joseph did not eat with the Egyptians but was separate
2) He arranged them all in order by age
3) He favored Benjamin
Many of times God gives of signs to recognize him. Many times in our lives he shows us his will with signs. It is not that God does not let us know but it is that we are looking for the wrong answer or in the wrong direction.
