Genesis 42: 1-28
The dreams that Joseph has interpreted for Pharaoh are coming to pass, and the seven years of plenty have past. Now the famine has come to the whole area, not just Egypt. Since Joseph stockpiled a fifth of all the grain produced in Egypt during the seven years of bounty, now the only food that was to be had in all the known world of the day is in Egypt.
Joseph does not limit his sales of the grain to only Egyptians, but anyone from the rest of the world who can travel to Egypt is welcome to also buy grain, since there is enough to go around.
(1) Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt,
Back in Canaan, also under drought conditions, Jacob got the news that there was food to be had in Egypt.
and Jacob said to his sons, "Why are you staring at one another?" (2) He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die." (3) Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Jacob tells his sons to stop standing around and do something before we all starve! Go on down to Egypt and buy some of that grain they have there. So the ten brothers take off for Egypt.
(4) But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "I am afraid that harm may befall him."
Since Jacob lost his favorite wife's son Joseph, he was afraid of also losing her other son, who she died in childbirth with, so he made him stay home. He didn't want to take any chances.
(5) So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
Since the famine was everywhere, people from all over Canaan were traveling to Egypt for food, and the sons of Jacob (Israel) joined the caravan trekking through the desert, to Egypt.
(6) Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
This refers back to the last chapter, that Joseph was vizier, second in command from the king himself. So Joseph was overseeing the sales of the grain to all of the crowds of people coming to buy. And when his brothers came in, they, like everyone else in line, gave honor to the man in charge by bowing to him.
This is Joseph's dreams starting to come true!
(7) When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, "Where have you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food."
Joseph immediately knew his brothers, but as an Egyptian now, he maintained his foreign persona and proceeded to question them.
(8) But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.
Joseph had the drop on them, because he knew who they were, but they didn't know him; they never expected to see their brother again.
(9) Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them,
Joseph is remembering how the dreams went, and he sees now that his brothers are bowing down to him, just like he dreamed.
and said to them, "You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land."
Joseph is going to pick on them, to see what their reaction would be.
(10) Then they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. (11) "We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants, not spies.
They start to defend themselves, and reveal a little bit about who they are.
(12) Yet he said to them, "No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!"
And Joseph continues to egg them on.
(13) But they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive."
Joseph isn't going to let them go yet.
(14) Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies; (15) by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! (16) Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."
Now Joseph is going to test his brothers, to see how honest they are. And he really wants to see his little brother!
(17) So he put them all together in prison for three days.
Joseph is going to let them stew in their own juices for a while. This is probably the elite jail he had been in, not the common one for the criminals.
(18) Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God:
Here Joseph gives them a hint: he doesn't worship the multiple gods of Egypt, but the same Lord God that his brothers believe in. So he's decided to be more lenient on them.
(19) "if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, (20) and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die." And they did so.
Instead of sending only one back, he tells them he will send them all back, except for one; but they must bring their little brother to get him out of jail. Otherwise, if they're lying he would be executed. This put "the fear of God" into them, because they had to agree with him, and they talked about it among themselves.
(21) Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us." (22) Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood." (23) They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.
They felt free to converse in his presence, because he was using an interpreter, and they thought he couldn't understand their language, so Joseph heard them confess what they had done to him, and that Reuben said, "I told you so!" in defending him back then. Now Joseph heard "the rest of the story" of who did what while he was in that pit.
(24) He turned away from them and wept.
Joseph was so moved by their sorrow that he had to leave to cry his eyes out with all the emotion he felt.
But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
Then when he came back, he chose Reuben, because he's the one who stood up for him, and tied him up so they could see how serious this Egyptian official was.
(25) Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.
Since Joseph was still speaking in Egyptian, his brothers didn't know that he was telling the servants how to take care of them, returning their money and giving them provisions.
(26) So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. (27) As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. (28) Then he said to his brothers, "My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack." And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"
These brothers are scared now. They don't know who this stern official is who doesn't trust them, and now they find that one of them didn't even pay for his grain; what kind of trouble will they be in now! And Simeon is still in jail in Egypt, too, what about him?
Joseph has hope now, with seeing his brothers, he expects to also see his little brother. And he is seeing how his own dreams are starting to come true. So exciting!
And he has to wait again.
O my Father, You have grown Joseph's patience and perseverance through all the waiting he has already endured. And he will be ready whenever it is that his brothers will return.
O Father God, You are sovereign over Your whole creation. You have already decided the whole Plan of the Ages, and each one of our stories as part of it. You know what You're doing, and You let us know day-by-day and step-by-step where You are leading us.
You had Joseph deal with his brothers in a way that would bring them to the place You wanted them, to reunite this family and bring Your judgment on Egypt when the time was right. Father, You are never too early or late, You're always just on time!
And Father, You are just in time for me, too. Help me to do each day the things You would have me accomplish, to be strengthened in Your thoughts and ways, and to always do for others what You know they need from me, whether it be my words, my finances, my attitude, my material belongings, whatever it is You have given me to share.
O Father, send me out, send out all Your children in the way each of us can go, to tell the world how much You love us all, so that every living person in all the nations will be able to hear, and open their minds and hearts to understand the gracious and generous gift You are offering us all in Your Son.
Fill Your great house will all of Your uncountable children, and let no one have any excuse for neglecting or refusing Your amazing Salvation.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
