Genesis 43:17-23

The verses we’ll look at today have some great “gems” for us! When Joseph’s brothers were taken to his house, instead of being relieved or feeling honored, they were terrified and assumed the worst:

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.” (Gen 43:18)

They were expecting to reap what they had sown here. Notice how they believed Joseph wanted to attack them, overpower them, and make them slaves - which is exactly what they had done to their brother! So they passionately pleaded their case to Joseph’s steward:

So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “Please, sir,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food. 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. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.” (Vs. 19-22)

It’s the steward’s response in verse 23 that we will focus on this morning:

“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.”


It seems that Joseph’s steward worked closely with Joseph, for he knew about Joseph’s God, and he knew specifically the details of this particular business transaction. He assured the brothers that God must have put the “treasure” in their sacks, because their account was already paid in full! What a picture of what God has done for us!

The hardest thing for people to receive it seems is grace! We just can’t wrap our brains around the fact that our accounts have been paid in full. We have all heard this saying about what Christ did for us so many times, but we have difficulty personally applying it: “We owed a debt we could not pay; He paid a debt He did not owe!” We want to come to God on our terms, with our merits and gifts, but the Bible tells us our righteousness is like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)

There is NOTHING that we can add to the work of Christ on the cross! If we try to, either through some “religious” work - (a particular prayer, ritual, or work in the church) - or our own good deeds, we deny that Jesus paid it all. We in essence say, “What He did was not enough; I must do something to add to it.” We can offer our “works” as a sacrifice to demonstrate to the world the love God has poured out into our hearts, but these do NOT give us more favor before God or make us righteous. Paul wrote, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."  (2 Cor 4:7)

Now, Beth Moore adds another look at the “treasure” that was buried in their sacks. She asks, “How did God bury treasures amidst the rubble for Jacob’s sons in Egypt?” (The Patriarchs, P. 210). When I think of the “rubble” in Jacob’s family, I think of their wretched relationships and the disastrous dysfunction that had nearly destroyed this family. I think of all that Joseph suffered, being betrayed, beaten, sold into slavery, then falsely accused and imprisoned. I think of the agony of Jacob, who refused to be comforted by his remaining sons. And then I think of the famine that threatened to obliterate this family physically. There was rubble, indeed!

So how did God bury treasure in their sacks? He placed Joseph exactly where he needed to be for the salvation of this family, and the ultimate salvation of all who would receive the Savior coming from this family. Beth asks us to think about what “treasures” God has buried amidst our own rubble. What a thought! When I think about the rubble of Jacob’s family, I think about all of the “messed-up” families I know about (in addition to the one in which I was raised). Some have bigger messes than others, but all have plenty of hurt and injury to fill a book that no one would believe! It always cracks me up when I’m with friends who are sharing stories about their “crazy” families, that none of us sees ourselves as the crazy family member. Which makes me think: I wonder what the crazy family members tell their friends??? Do they think WE are the crazy ones?

Don’t you know (or maybe you’re in) a family that is falling apart, because hurting words have been said that just can’t be taken back? or betrayal has been too deep? Does your family seem beyond repair? That’s why I LOVE the story of Jacob’s crazy family. What an amazing group of crazies!!! Yet, in the midst of this rubble, God is going to pull out the treasure of eternity! Oh, doesn’t that give you hope for your family? Is there a way you can see God work forgiveness and healing back into your family? Will you be willing to be part of the healing? We’ll see that, at any time, Joseph could have justifiably taken revenge on his brothers. Instead Joseph will become an instrument of mercy and forgiveness, and by that be used as a tool for carrying out God’s divine plan! But first, he will test his brothers some more. . . Joseph is noble, but he's also human!  :)

 

Genesis 43:15-16

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. (Gen 43:15)

With all that the Bible tells us about God, His people, their history and their future, it is amazing what is NOT included in Scripture. I do love that Beth Moore asks her readers to conjecture about what is NOT described in this section of the story. We have not yet heard a word out of Benjamin! We have no idea what went through his head during this trip. Being Daddy’s favorite and being the baby of the family - even as a man - this was possibly the first time he had gone on a trip with his brothers. Because I am the youngest in my family of four girls, I am anxious to get into Benjamin’s head!

Being the youngest has some definite advantages, from which I truly benefitted. Everyone loved me and doted on me right from the start, which gave me lifelong confidence. I was able to observe my sisters and learn from some of their mistakes (although I made some doozies of my own). By the time my parents got to me, they were worn out and very hands-off! I interpreted this as trust, and honestly thought they gave me full rein because they trusted me. Turns out they just didn’t care what I did and couldn’t be bothered. The good news about that, however, was that I always wanted to live up to their trust (although I didn’t), so it had a positive effect on my behavior most of the time.

The downside of being the baby, is that you never grow up in the eyes of your siblings. At 61, I’m still feeling I’ll never quite be grown up enough for them or be taken seriously as an adult. From the time I was little I was always told to “wait until...” It was “Wait until you are in fifth grade - then the homework really starts!‘ Then “Wait until you are 16 and you can drive . . . wait until you are 21 . . . wait until you are married, then you’ll understand... wait until you have children. . . wait until you, too, go through menopause,” etc. :) The only bright point there? I will always be younger than they are!!! The truth is, I adore my sisters, and I know they love me - but I am never feeling quite adult enough. Can any of you relate to that?

So, it makes me wonder about Benjamin! Surely Benjamin knew about the mysterious “death” of his only full brother, Joseph. Was he fearful about going on this road trip with the guys, or did he see it as a time for potential bonding? Was he worrying about his father being left alone? Or did he see this as a great adventure? We’re not told. Note, though, that Benjamin is listed almost as one of the “goods” being taken down to Egypt: they took “the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also.” I’m wondering if that reflects the attitude of the brothers. If you are an older sibling, you know that sometimes it’s a pain to be in charge of the “babies” of the family! Is this how they felt about Benjamin? Were they resentful of the fact that he was precious cargo? One thing I’m certain of is that the brothers were in a hurry to get this whole thing over with! They expected the worst, but Joseph was about to pour mercy on them:

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 dinner; they are to eat with me at noon.” (vs. 16)

I don’t think I’ve ever noticed before that they were actually taken to Joseph’s own home. I always have seen this story played out at some official banquet hall. But Joseph takes them to his house. This was very personal and intimate. He orders a banquet for his brothers! Was he going to “forgive and forget?” Oh, there is so much more to these verses! Can’t wait to see the reunion tomorrow!

 

Genesis 43:1-14

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!” (Gen 42:36)

When Jacob refused to let the brothers take Benjamin back to Egypt to rescue Simeon, Jacob blurts out what has been on his heart for a long time. For years he apparently had been convinced that these sons had been the cause of Joseph’s death, but in this scene, he so much as says so. His “Everything is against me!” shows that he was convinced he was the victim. Jon Courson notes that he is referred to consistently as Jacob, rather than Israel here, because he is anything but “ruled by God.” He will see soon that God has been in charge all along for the good of this family, at this moment he is wrapped up in the “woe-is-me” blanket.

This next chapter shows us what it took to get Jacob to change his position on Benjamin: an empty stomach!

Now the famine was still severe in the land. 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.” (Gen 43:1-2)

You would have thought it was a small thing to run down to Egypt for a loaf of bread! Now we will see Judah finally step up to lead this family. Remember that it i from Judah’s tribe that the Savior is to come so we want to see God’s hand on this line. The last time we read specifically about Judah was in chapter 38, when he slept with his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Not his best moment. However, he had redeemed himself by finally accepting responsibility for his sin (38:26). Sometime between chapters 38 and 42, Judah had moved back home with his family, and now he reminds his father what it will cost to get more grain. Reading this exchange makes me want to slap Jacob up the side of his head!:

But Judah said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 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 asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?” (vs.3-5) [Here’s where I want to smack him!]


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’?” (vs.3-7)

I’m choosing to hear patience in his voice as Judah tries to reason with his father here:

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. 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. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.” (vs.8-10)

Judah reminds Jacob that the survival of the entire family depends on their taking this trip (which they could have done a long time ago, had Jacob been reasonable). And here Judah accepts full responsibility for the success or failure of the trip. Although, the reality is that he and his brothers had already been bearing all of the blame from their father for years anyway! I love how Beth says,"Guilt and blame were the stakes holding up the family tent.” Can you relate?

Jacob finally relents - what choice did he have? He sends them off with gifts to attempt to appease the Egyptian prime minister (even as he had done with Esau years before), and finally calls on God’s mercy:

Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 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.” (vs.13-14)

Jacob was at the breaking point, and he recalls the God of his fathers, God Almighty, El Shaddai. Beth Moore points out that in chapter 17, when Jacob left his father, Isaac invoked the blessing of God Almighty on Jacob, but, at this point, when this family was barely holding on because of its dysfunction and need, Jacob asked for mercy! How often what we need is not blessing, but mercy! Only God, in His mercy and grace, could bring good out of this family!

Jacob sends the boys off with little hope as he agonizes, “I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” Are you seeing any trust and expectation here? Me neither! Just a lot of whining! How small is our picture of God Almighty sometimes!! We have the benefit of knowing the ending of Jacob’s story, so we can shake our heads at him. But Jacob was in the midst of this thing, just as you and I are now in the midst of our own situations. Are we looking to God with expectation, anticipating His mercy and blessing?? Or are we whining and feeling hopeless? “God Almighty” means just what it says: He is the God of the universe; He holds all things together, including our present situations. He has a sovereign plan. Let’s trust Him!

 

Genesis 42:18-38

When we last saw Joseph, he had thrown his brothers into prison on charges of spying. He told them that one of them should go back home to get the youngest brother, while the rest stayed in prison, to guarantee the arrival of Benjamin. He kept them in custody for three days while he figured out how he should proceed.


On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do. (Gen 42:18-20)


Joseph had changed the demand, most likely because he feared God! Instead of keeping nine and sending one home, he does just the opposite. I’m thinking he probably realized that his family was suffering in the famine and would need the majority of brothers to return with the grain – and one hostage was enough. As they were being sent on their way, minus Simeon, they realized that their guilt had caught up with them:


They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.”


Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.


He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. (vs. 21-24)

Talk about drama! The brothers had no idea that it was Joseph standing in front of them, and they didn’t know that he understood all that they said. It had been more than 20 years since they had sold him into slavery - years of agonizing with the guilt as they witnessed the pain of their father. And they were on their way to bring Jacob more bad news. As they headed out of Egypt, the brothers went with sacks filled with grain, provisions for their journey, and a surprise in every sack: their silver, which they had given to Joseph in payment for the grain. Uh-oh!  Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?” (vs. 25)

Finally back in Caanan, the brothers gave Jacob the bad news that they had to return back to Egypt with Benjamin in order to rescue Simeon:

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”


Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.”


But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.” (vs. 36-38)

You’ve got to love Reuben! At least he stepped up like a man each time, accepting responsibility, not only for their guilt, but here for the safe return of Benjamin. He was so sure that he would be able to bring Benjamin back, he put his own sons’ heads on the chopping block. And then, you just have to shake your head at Jacob, making the unbelievable claim that Benjamin was the only son left to him! Ouch! No matter what they did, these brothers could never win their father’s heart, for he was so focused on the sons of Rachel, his favorite wife. Apparently his concern for Simeon wasn’t enough to risk losing Benjamin! It boggles the mind to think how differently things could have been for this family had Jacob loved his children equally and unconditionally... Are we learning this lesson?

Jacob put his foot down: they would not go back for Simeon! We’ll see tomorrow what changed his mind.

 

Genesis 42:1-17

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”


Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. (Gen 42:1-5)

The narrative that begins with this chapter would make a good nighttime soap opera! Think Dallas with 12 brothers instead of just JR and Bobby! The dynamics of this family are clear in the first verse, when Jacob, thoroughly disgusted with his sons, basically said, “You idiots! We are in trouble here! Why are you all just standing around with your hands in your pockets? Get down to Egypt and get us some grain - NOW!” Apparently their relationship with their father never improved after they got rid of the competition!

And, you have to figure that Jacob suspected their involvement in the disappearance of Joseph so many years ago, because he refused to send Benjamin, the baby, with the others, because he was afraid that harm would come to him. He had no problem with sending the other ten into harm’s way! Jacob had learned nothing about the problem of showing favoritism!

So the ten older brothers headed down to Egypt, along with throngs of others who were seeking relief from the famine.

Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked. (vs.6-7)

Wow! Wouldn’t you love to have been the fly on the wall to witness this? This is one of those Biblical scenes that you hope are on God’s DVD player! It’s not until verse 9 that we’re told Joseph remembered his dreams, but they were finally fulfilled - the brothers were bowed down before Joseph.

While he recognized them immediately, his initial reaction was to act like they were strangers, but we can only imagine what was going on inside his brain! He had made a decision to forget them, but here they were actually in his face. He decided to mess with them! Hmmm... he doesn’t immediately run to hug and kiss and forgive? I love that Joseph was so real! He is not at the place of forgiveness yet, and all of those feelings of hurt, betrayal, and abandonment came bubbling up from within. After charging his brothers with spying, and their protests of innocence Joseph exacts a little revenge:

Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies! And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” And he put them all in custody for three days. (vs.14-17)

So now who’s in prison? Imagine the brothers’ terror! This man had complete power over their future - and they knew their entire family was depending on them to keep them from starvation. What would their father think? It would kill him to let Benjamin go! You just know that on a TV soap opera, the episode would end with the closing of the prison doors and a long camera shot of their faces!

Joseph gave them three days to stew in fear, while he most likely had to get himself together and figure out what he should do. I imagine their was a lot of inner turmoil - and yet, because we know that Joseph had great character, and because we know that God was with Him, we can also be assured that Joseph would have been in prayer. I can’t wait for the next episode!

 

Genesis 41:46-57

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. (Gen 41:46-49)

I’ve put the verbs in this passage in bold font, because I want us to see that once Joseph received his promotion, he did not sit at a big desk with his feet up, calling for coffee while others did the hard work. Joseph was a hands-on, servant leader! He immediately got busy traveling around Egypt preparing for the coming famine. God does not call us to “easy!” When He gives a call, it is to put us into action, whether in ministry at the church, the workplace, or the home.

So Joseph did the job he’d been called to do - he collected the food produced during the seven good years, and stored it for the lean years. He had two sons prior to the famine, and the names he chose are significant in what they tell us about Joseph:

Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” (vs.51-52)

Jon Courson and Beth Moore have different takes on the purpose in the name of Joseph’s firstborn. Courson believes that Joseph was truly honoring God, because He had made Joseph forget the suffering, much like Paul when he exhorted the Philippians to forget the past:

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:13-14)

Beth Moore finds irony in the fact that by naming his firstborn Manasseh (Forget ), Joseph assured the fact that every time he called Manasseh’s name, he would remember what he was trying to forget! The truth is, in order to get beyond a hurtful past we really do have to come to terms with it. Joseph seems determined to get over it, but we’ll see in the next chapter, the pain is still just below the surface. However, Joseph does recognize the sovereignty and blessing of God in bringing him to “the land of my suffering,” the place where God made him so fruitful. In fact, Ephraim means “twice fruitful.”


All of us yearn for and cherish our “mountaintop” experiences with God, when we’ve had a truly special spiritual encounter or feeling of true closeness with God. But have you ever noticed that the higher up you go in elevation on a mountain, the fewer the trees? Mountain tops are mostly rock! Very little actually grows on the peaks. The real growth is down in the valleys, where the rain falls. That is where are the fruit grows! And I’m certain that, if we look back on our valley moments, our places of suffering, we will be able to point to the fruit God produced in our lives during those times. He desires that we bear much fruit (see John 15:8), which is probably why Jesus made that great promise that “in this world you will have tribulation!” (John 16:33)

Joseph had these two boys before the famine, and I’m sure he enjoyed every bit of those seven years of abundance! Don’t you wonder how he determined to be a father after his own experience? Don’t you suppose that his dearest wish would have been that these two boys be very close and loving toward each other? I’m sure he did not want to make the same mistakes as Jacob did. However, there was much good in Jacob, at least in his love for God and his love for Joseph, that he would have wanted to emulate. 

When we look back at our own childhoods, I’m sure there is much we can all find to regret and to criticize about our parents, yet we have to acknowledge that we would not be the people we are today if it weren’t for them. We need to honor our parents for they surely had a part in our coming to Christ!

Joseph, who wanted to forget his past hurts, was about to come face to face with all of it! The famine finally came, and we see in the last verse of this chapter that God is setting up a divine appointment: And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world. (vs. 57) Stay tuned!

 

Genesis 41:41-46a

God baptized me into the criticism of man to inoculate me against the approval of man. - Beth Moore

I love this quote from Beth as it relates to Joseph - and US! Joseph had years of suffering under the hatred of his brothers, being sold into slavery, then being falsely accused and imprisoned. God needed to work humility into the cocky teen who had strutted his stuff, proudly wearing his coat of many colors. Joseph was given a vision from God that one day his family would bow down to him. But first he had to have the pride weeded out. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (I Peter 5:6) Apparently the “due time” had come for Joseph! At last, he was ready to assume authority in the land of Egypt, with a heart fully submitted to his God.

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, “Make way!” [or “Bow down!] Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.


Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.


Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Gen 41:41-46a)

This was heady stuff! Joseph had just been plucked from prison, dressed to the hilt, and paraded before the people in a chariot! Is this an illustration of the “Peter Principle?” Had Joseph been promoted to the level of his incompetence? Well, that would be the case if God had not been with Him.

God can gift and skill people for public service and business in ways the exceed formal education. - Beth Moore.

One of the main points that Beth Moore makes in this portion of her study, The Patriarchs, is that God does not just put Christians into ministry within the church. He needs the light in the darkness, so He positions His people in places of authority within the corporate and political world, within the public school system, etc. Besides Joseph, we have the examples of Moses, Deborah, David, Esther, Nehemiah, and Daniel. Even Paul was also a tentmaker! We sometimes think that only the pastor can be used by God. However, whether it is in the board room or the family room, God can and does use His people wherever they will submit to His authority and call.

So, if you have been called to a place of greater authority at work or in public service, ask God to give you the intelligence you don’t have, and the discernment and wisdom He gave Joseph. Beth Moore defines discernment as “the ability to know something I couldn’t possibly know.” Only God can give us this!

Joseph was about to take over one of the most powerful jobs in the world. Pharaoh had recognized Joseph’s discernment and wisdom as being due to the presence of God in his life. (vs. 39) Do people see His presence in our lives? Does this distinguish us from others as it distinguished Joseph? We’ll see tomorrow how Joseph handles his new job!