These final studies are short and could be combined
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. When the famine severely affected Joseph’s family they too went for grain. Joseph recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him.
Read Genesis 43:1-34
1 Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, ‘Go back and buy us a little more food.’
3 But Judah said to him, ‘The man warned us solemnly, “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.” 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.”’
Israel’s (Jacob’s) sons were afraid of Joseph. They knew his power and the possibility that they could be taken as spies: they weren’t prepared for the consequences of that. They would prefer to starve in their own country than to be tortured and killed in Egypt.
6 Israel asked, ‘Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?’
7 They replied, ‘The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. “Is your father still living?” he asked us. “Do you have another brother?” We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, “Bring your brother down here”?’
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, ‘Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10 As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.’
Reuben, firstborn, can’t be trusted. Simeon, second eldest, is in prison in Egypt, Levi, 3rd in line was not favoured by Israel either, so it falls to Judah (4th) to offer himself as a guarantee.
11 Then their father Israel said to them, ‘If it must be, then do this: put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift – a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14 And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.’
Israel has to be practical, and made the hardest decision of his life. By allowing Benjamin to go he would be left with no sons at all – and without Rachel at his side, that would be unbearable. But starvation was a very real threat.
So he told his sons to take the best that they had left to offer to Joseph, along with a fortune in silver. Perhaps that would appease him.
15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, ‘Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.’
17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, ‘We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.’
‘Now the men were frightened’ They had simply gone to buy grain; now what tricks was this man playing? They were totally out of control and feared the worst.
19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20 ‘We beg your pardon, our lord,’ they said, ‘we came down here the first time to buy food. 21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver – the exact weight – in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. 22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.’
Maybe the problem was the silver – perhaps it had been a mistake that it had been put in the sacks and when it was found to be missing it was assumed that somehow they had stolen it.
23 ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.’ Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.
Well at least the silver wasn’t the problem, and Simeon had been released, but the way they were being treated was still confusing.
26 When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, ‘How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?’
28 They replied, ‘Your servant our father is still alive and well.’ And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.
29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, ‘Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?’ And he said, ‘God be gracious to you, my son.’ 30 Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.
Up to now Joseph had played his part well, but the meeting and news of home was just too much – and he was caught unawares. Just like us, when emotion strikes there is no stopping it; Joseph just managed to get to another room before the floods came!
31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, ‘Serve the food.’
32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment.
Now how did they feel?
34 When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
Perhaps a little more relaxed – but what would happen next?
