Sorry this one is long, I am doing 3 chapters!
My Summary
Ch. 42: Jacob sends his sons (except Benjamin) to Egypt to get food. Joseph was in charge of giving out the food. He recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Joseph accuses them of being spies. The brothers protest that they are just a family out to buy food. They have a father and younger brother at home. Joseph, after putting them in jail for 3 days, commands them to leave Simeon and return with Benjamin to prove their story. Joseph also puts their money back into their sacks with the food. The brothers return home where Jacob refuses to let them return with Benjamin. Ch. 43: When the food runs out Judah convinces his father that they have to take Benjamin with them to get food or they will all die. Jacob agrees and the brothers go back to Egypt. When they arrive Joseph invites them into his house for a feast. They try to return the money from before to Joseph's servant, but the servant refuses. Joseph is overcome by emotion when he comes in and sees Benjamin. At the feast Joseph seats the brothers by age, astonishing them. Ch. 44: Joseph instructs his servant to put Joseph's silver cup into Benjamin's bag and sends the brothers off. He then sends the servant to stop them and demand to know why they stole the cup. The brothers say they are innocent and offer death to the thief and slavery to the rest if it is found. The servant offers slavery to the thief and freedom for the rest. The cup is found in Benjamin's bag and the brothers return to Egypt. Judah pleads with Joseph to release Benjamin and even offers himself to serve in Benjamin's place.
Random Historical Things
1. The cultural taboo of Egyptians not sitting with foreigners at the dinner table (at the end of chapter 43) is attested to in other ancient histories of Egypt.
2. Early Christian commentators saw a image of Jesus in Joseph. The brothers tried to harm Joseph, but they very harm they tried to commit led to their salvation from starvation. In the same way, we crucified Jesus, but the cross led to our salvation from our sins.
3. Judah's speech to Joseph begging him to release Benjamin is the longest speech in Genesis.
And So What We Have Learned Applies to Our Lives Today...
1. One application we can continue from our past chapters is that the sovereign working of God to protect and bring together the elect family is in effect. The family that is supposed to produce the nation that will produce the king that will produce the Savior is separated and dying. We see God's provision for food for Jacob's family. We see God setting up the circumstances that will lead to the family being brought together in Egypt. This fulfills what God told Abraham in Gen. 15 about his descendants being in a foreign land before God bring them back to the Promised Land. We see that God always fulfills His plans even when it seems like things are going in the opposite direction!
2. One of the biggest things we see in these chapters is the consquence of sin. The brothers believe they are being punished for what they did to Joseph. Ironically, they are afraid of being sold into slavery, which is exactly what they did to Joseph. We see that Reuben is not able to convince Jacob to send Benjamin with them. Reuben has lost credibility because of sleeping with Jacob's concubine. Simeon, who slaughtered the people of Shechem, is kept in jail for a period of time. We see that God can, and does, still use us in spite of our sin. However, we suffer the consequences along the way. Let us take sin seriously and fight it! However, if we have fallen into sin, do not be discouraged! God's plan is still active!
3. We also see God's unbelievable ability to change lives! The brothers were jealous of Joseph's coat and special treatment. However, when Benjamin is given a special blessing (33:29) and a bigger portion (33:34) that jealousy is gone. When they are given an opportunity to save themselves and abandon Benjamin to slavery (as they did to Joseph), they choose to go with him. Judah even offers himself to save Benjamin! What a change God has wrought in these men! Once selfish, petty and scheming, they are now willing to put themselves on the line for their brother. Cain asked the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" The brother answer with a resounding, "Yes!" No matter how bad we start out, God is always changing us. His sanctification of us is always ongoing. Take heart, for God is shaping you into the person He wants you to be!
4. I know this has been long, but I have 1 more thought. Joseph was not even recongnizable to his brothers because he looked like an Egyptian. The Bible says that Joseph's silver cup was used for divination. This would have been done by mixing oil and water and trying to magically divine things. Egypt was rubbing of on Joseph. If his family had not come and been reunited with him, would it have been long before Joseph would have been worshipping the gods of the Egyptians? We have to always be careful not to become so much like the world that we would not be recognized as different.
"So, brothers and sisters in Christ, just as Judah and his brothers came to see that God was caring for them all the way along, so much we. God has always been, and still is, about the utter transformation of His people."
Kent Hughes in Preaching the Word: Genesis
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