Chapter 42 starts out with a great quote from Jacob, "Why are you staring at one another?" I guess he is the first in history to say, "Don't just stand there; do something!"
Obviously, Jacob is hesitant to send Benjamin on this trip, since he is all that's left of Rachel. He just can't risk it.
When I first read the account of the meeting between the brothers, I thought Joseph might have been a little harsh with them. Perhaps he had not fully forgiven them. But then I remembered that he didn't know what we know. He had no way of knowing whether his brothers have changed at all. He doesn't know if the his father is still alive. He might be afraid that they got rid of Benjamin the way they did him. So in addition to testing their truthfulness, he wanted to see that his loved ones still lived. It has been over ten years since Joseph was taken to Egypt. No wonder they don't recognize him.
Obviously, in these years they have been haunted by what they did to Joseph. They assume that this trouble is a direct result of it. (And actually, they are right--but not in the way they think...)
It must have been difficult for the brothers, even thought they were now grown men, to hear their father refuse to send Benjamin to Egypt in order to save Simeon from prison. He has never been able to love them equally. He might also be suspicious of Joseph's disappearance. After all, they were the last ones to see him alive.
Chapter 43 - Notice that they ate through all of the Egyptian grain before they went back to Egypt--and Simeon was in prison that entire time. Jacob is angry with them for even telling the official that they had another brother. But dishonesty would have been devistating, since Joseph already knew.
I am moved by Joseph's reaction to seeing his baby brother. It reminded me of the reunion of Jacob and Esau. It must have been a huge relief to finally know that he was safe. I think the description of the dinner is hilarious. Can you imagine he astonished looks they must have been giving each other? I would love to see that!
In chapter 44 Joseph tests his brothers again. I think it was truly wise of Joseph to plant the cup in Benjamin's bag. They could have abandoned him any number of ways, but they stood by him. Through the years these men have had a true change of heart. It is evident in the speech that Judah gives Joseph. He is ready to lay down his life for his brother. This is the same Judah who had the idea to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. We have to remember that God loved these men as much as he loved Joseph. Maybe he allowed them to do this terrible thing, because the guilt of it would eventually pierce their hard hearts. God wanted a relationship with them as much as he did with Joseph. But their roadblocks (hatred, pain, neglect) were different than Joseph's (pride, arrogance) and so, they had to endure different trials to get past them.
Next time: Genesis 45-47
Can you believe how far we have come!? Only six more chapters to go in Genesis!
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