Genesis 43: 26-34
We've followed this story along to when the brothers had to return to Egypt for more food, because the famine outlasted the grain they bought before, and they had to bring Benjamin with them so they wouldn't be arrested as spies by the stern, suspicious lord over the grain and the country.
So Jacob relented and decided to let them bring Benjamin; and if he lost this son, too, then he would just die in grief! He put them all in God's hand, and learned to trust God more with this difficult step he had to take.
Then when the brothers all arrived in Egypt, Joseph didn't even let them come far into the market, but had his men escort them directly to his own royal house for lunch. This scared the brothers, thinking that he wanted to pick on them and accuse them of stealing the other grain, so they approached the head manservant and asked him to explain to this ruler what had happened.
(26) When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him.
They still didn't realize who this Egyptian ruler was. They're confused about all the "coincidences" that are happening, but they're still doing their best to appease this suspicious lord, with the gift from Canaan their dad had them bring. And they all bow down before him again.
(27) When he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"
Joseph wants to know that his father is still alive, he is very old by now, he's 130 years old (see 47: 9)!
(28) They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." They bowed down in homage.
And they assure him that Dad is still kicking! And they again bow down to him.
(29) As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son."
When Joseph looked over all his brothers, and saw his little full brother among all his half-brothers, he spoke to him, welcoming him.
(30) Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there.
He was so overcome with emotion he had to get out of there and find a private place where he could vent some of this overwhelming joy, so he ended up all the way into his private bedroom where he could cry his eyes out! These Middle-Easterners are a very passionate people, which shows us how passionate our God is with us!
(31) Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal."
Now that he's been able to take the edge off, he cleans up and steels himself to be the Egyptian ruler, and commands the feast to begin.
(32) So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with them by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians.
This must be a large dining room, as each group is sitting at a separate table from the rest; so Joseph is sitting by himself at his table, his brothers are all at their own table, and the other Egyptians who normally ate the midday meal with their lord are at their own table, also. Evidently the Egyptians had a problem with having that close an association with this other, Hebrew culture.
(33) Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
When Joseph had his brothers seated at their table, he lined them up all in birth-order. And his brothers were even more confused at this "coincidence." How would this foreigner "just happen" to put their places at the table in the precise order? Weird!
(34) He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
Now this lord is serving them! He doesn't tell his servants to serve them, the servants put all their food on Joseph's table, and he got up and served them their dinners. And he gave extra honor (more food) to his little brother, because he was the only one who had the same mother as Joseph.
Joseph is a prototype of Jesus, demonstrating that our Lord Jesus came to serve us. So we are also to serve one another as He did.
Jacob, who the Lord renamed Israel, had 12 sons, by 4 women. Two of these women were sisters, who were his wives, and the other two were the sisters' maids, servants. It is very interesting that Joseph and Benjamin are the sons of Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel, who is the girl he fell in love with, and worked for seven years to marry her. But the girls' father Laban put his other daughter, Leah, in the tent on the wedding night, instead of Rachel, and made him work another seven years. So Rachel was the only one he wanted to be his wife, and the sisters gave him their slave-girls to be his concubines and have children when they weren't having sons. (All this is recorded in Genesis 29, 30, and 35.)
So Leah ended up giving him 6 sons and a daughter, and the two maid-servants and Rachel each had two sons, making twelve sons to become the twelve Tribes of Israel.
And it was Leah's sons, Reuben, Simeon and Judah, who spoke up in Joseph's and Benjamin's defense. None of the concubines' sons. I find this interesting. Not only the father, but the mother is also important, because she is the one who provides their children's first education. Then when they are older, they are taught by their father.
These twelve boys all had the same father, but their mothers provided their basic moral foundation.
O my Father, You pay attention to every detail of our lives, and You direct our steps in the paths on which You have placed our feet. You were directing Jacob, the deceiver, to grow into Israel, the Prince with God. And You were directing Laban to provide to Jacob his wives and their maids to be the mothers and first teachers of each of his sons, to become the nation of Israel.
Father, It was this blood-line that You used to bring Your only begotten Son into the world to be our Savior. Now You are calling to Yourself those from every nation, every tribe, every family, every place; to be Your own children. You have made us all to be one race of Mankind, and You offer Your wonderful gift of Salvation to every living person.
O Father, please send out all of Your children as Your messengers and missionaries to tell everyone how much You love us all. And draw all of those seeking You into Your own family, to fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable children.
Because every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
