Recap: (see Genesis 35b) Judah became the forefather of David, and Jesus. Joseph was sold as a slave in Egypt, and when Pharaoh had dreams, Joseph explained that they pointed to impending famine. He was put in charge of the grain stores.
Read Genesis 42:1-38
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, ‘Why do you just keep looking at each other?’ 2 He continued, ‘I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.’
3 Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. 5 So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.
There were many mouths to feed in Israel’s (Jacob’s) family. It required a whole team of people to transport sufficient grain to feed them, although it seems that money was no object.
6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognised them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked.
‘From the land of Canaan,’ they replied, ‘to buy food.’
8 Although Joseph recognised his brothers, they did not recognise him. 9 Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, ‘You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.’
Twenty-two years had passed since the brothers had last seen Joseph as a teenager (Genesis 37:2, 41:46 + 7 good years + 2 lean years 45:6). By now, Joseph had become an Egyptian – in looks, clothes, mannerisms, and speech. Besides, he was the most senior person in the land and naturally the brothers were in awe of him. The palace officials ascertained what language they spoke and arranged an interpreter for Joseph (v23), so they only heard him speak Egyptian.
Joseph for his part actually recognised his brothers but decided for the time being to hide his own identity from them.
Why do you think he did that?
10 ‘No, my lord,’ they answered. ‘Your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.’
12 ‘No!’ he said to them. ‘You have come to see where our land is unprotected.’
That was quite a possibility. These ten ‘outdoors’ people would have looked more like a detachment of soldiers! It is quite likely that by the second year some of the food stores would have already been raided and guards would have had to be posted. And it was going to get a lot worse yet.
13 But they replied, ‘Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.’
14 Joseph said to them, ‘It is just as I told you: you are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: as surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!’ 17 And he put them all in custody for three days.
It appears that the only motive Joseph had seems to be one of revenge. He wanted to make his brothers suffer like he had. But then he realised that for practical reasons, if he was to provide sufficient grain for the whole family, the majority would have to be released to carry it.
18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, ‘Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.’ This they proceeded to do.
21 They said to one another, ‘Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.’
22 Reuben replied, ‘Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.’ 23 They did not realise that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.
For their part, the brothers felt that they were being punished for what they had done to Joseph, but they still didn’t realise that Joseph was punishing them!
Joseph saw their distress and started to weep, but still went along with what he had already decided.
24 He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.
Why Simeon? (Joseph had just heard for himself (v22) that Reuben – the oldest – had tried to prevent harm from coming to him, so he chose the next eldest as being most responsible).
25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man’s silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.
Why did he do that? (Maybe just because he didn’t want to take money from his family – or maybe he also wanted to add to their confusion)
27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28 ‘My silver has been returned,’ he said to his brothers. ‘Here it is in my sack.’
Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, ‘What is this that God has done to us?’
They were terrified ‘trembling’ and at a loss to explain how this could have happened – it seemed to them that only God could have done this.
29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30 ‘The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31 But we said to him, “We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.”
33 ‘Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, “This is how I will know whether you are honest men: leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.”’
It was bad enough to return without Simeon; now it seemed that Jacob was being asked to trade Benjamin for his return. But to make matters worse:
35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, ‘You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!’
Again, on seeing the money returned they were frightened. What could it mean?
37 Then Reuben said to his father, ‘You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.’
38 But Jacob said, ‘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 grey head down to the grave in sorrow.’
Rachel, his true love (who had died in childbirth), had only born Israel (Jacob) two sons: Joseph and Benjamin. As far as he knew Joseph was dead, and now his other sons wanted to take Benjamin from him.
He was an old man and he felt that he just couldn’t do it. He had wept much when he was told that Joseph had been killed. Now he felt that the distress of losing Benjamin too would be enough to kill him.
