Genesis 43: 1-15
We have seen that Joseph is selling Egypt's grain to everyone in the world who can come to buy it, as well as the locals, and his brothers have come also for food. He recognized them, but they didn't realize that this Egyptian ruler was their long-lost brother. So Joseph put them to the test, and let them go home with the grain to feed their families.
Joseph told his brothers not to come back without his little brother Benjamin, under pain of accusation as spies, a very serious charge. But Jacob is still finding it hard to trust, to let Benjamin go.
It's most likely a year later, and Joseph is still waiting on God to reunite his family.
(1) Now the famine was severe in the land. (2) So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food."
This famine is lasting longer than one or two years, and they've eaten all the bread they were able to make from the grain they bought, and they're out of food again. So Jacob tells them to go buy some more.
(3) Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.' (4) If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. (5) But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"
Judah is speaking for the brothers, and reminds his dad that if they go without Benjamin, then the Egyptian ruler will accuse them of spying and probably execute them all. So they have to bring Benjamin.
(6) Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?"
Now Jacob is taking this personally, as though his sons are conspiring against him!
(7) But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"
They are reminding him that this Egyptian was questioning them closely, asking for detailed personal information that could be verified. As though he would investigate them to see if they're spies. If they lied, they would be found out, and they had no reason to lie anyway, they're honest men. They had no idea that he would ask them to bring their little brother.
(8) Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, as well as you and our little ones. (9) I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. (10) For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice."
Judah is appealing to his father Israel, the "Prince with God," rather than Jacob, the "Deceiver" who can't trust anyone else. He's saying to trust him to protect Benjamin, and to make sure he's safe the whole trip; and that he will take responsibility for him, so that if anything happens to him at all, then Judah will take the blame. And they've already been debating the issue for so long now that they could have made the trip twice.
(11) Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, Pistachio nuts and almonds. (12) Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.
So Israel (not Jacob) rises to the occasion and advises them to bring a gift to this stern Egyptian ruler to soften his heart toward them, and to bring twice the price for the grain they want to buy, as well as the money that was returned last time. He didn't want to take any chances.
(13) "Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man;
And he even relents and lets them take Benjamin with them. This is huge for him.
(14) "and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
And he decides to trust his children to God Almighty, the only One who ultimately can protect all of them and bring a positive result. This is a big step of faith for Israel, in all his years of knowing God, he's learning to trust Him more in his own circumstances. But is he leaving to God the disposition of his children, or is still not trusting Hm enough to bring them home safe?
(15) So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
So they journeyed again to Egypt to face this stern Egyptian lord, hoping that the present and the money and Benjamin will convince him to be lenient and not think they're spies.
When we're between a rock and a hard place, what will we do? Jacob found himself and his family between the hard place of starvation and the rock of the Egyptian ruler who seems so suspicious of them. So he's trying to soften the rock. He's relying more on God than before, but he's still not taking any chances, which is probably wise. We are to do what we can, and leave the rest to God.
O my Father, You are so good to us! You are teaching Jacob to be Israel, to trust You with his children, where a parent's deepest fears lie. You are teaching him that You are not only trustworthy, but will grant him blessings beyond his imagination, right here in this life.
My Father, You will also grant me blessings, the color and flavor of which I don't know, but I'm sure I will be surprised and satisfied beyond what this world can give. So I want to trust You, too.
O Father, teach all of Your children to love You back and trust You with their greatest fears and insecurities. We all have different cares, and You are sufficient for all of us, each with our own particular need.
Father, send out all Your children, to share with all the world how much You love us all, and have already met all of our various and sundry necessities. We all do have some common needs, being broken humans, and these are the deepest most fundamental issues that You have taken care of first, through Your Son.
Give Your children the words to tell and write and communicate with those who are looking for You, to bring every developing embryo to the birth into Your family.
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 with haste, Lord Jesus!
