Genesis 42-45
God Rebuilds the Family of Israel
Psalm 8:4-9 Praising the God Who Cares For Us
4.what is man that You think of him? What is the son of man, that You care for him?”5.For You have made him a little lower than God, and crowned him with glory and honor.6.You make him ruler over the works of Your hands. You have put all things under his feet:7.All sheep and cattle, yes, and the animals of the field,8.The birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and whatever passes through the paths of the seas.9.Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"Observation
8:4-9.The second half of the psalm magnifies God's glory for His blessing of man. Although made lower than his creator, God crowned man with glory and honor (Genesis 1:26-28) and put all animals under his dominion, reflecting God's dominion. The “Son of Man” was the Messiah's favorite title for Himself, reflecting Daniel 7:13-14, but it would also be appropriate to see an element of the Messiah's dominion in this verse. Hebrews 2:6-9 applies this to the exaltation of the Messiah, which isn't yet seen.
Application
God's glory is reflected in His general creation and specific care of man, for which we should praise Him.
Prayer
God, I praise You for creating me, taking a careful interest in me, and providing me with all I need; may I never turn to anyone or trust anything except You for my well-being. Amen.
Proverbs 3:5-8 How Do You Acknowledge God?
5."Trust in YAHWEH with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.6.In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct/make your paths smooth and straight.7.Don't be wise in your own eyes. Fear YAHWEH, and depart from evil.8.It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones."Observations
3:5-6.Since God sees better than we do, trust His perspective rather than your own.
The heart is the spot where Old Testament folks made their decisions. WWGWMTD (What would God want me to do?)
3:7-8.
There's that fear thing again. Note the consequences of it.
Application
What are you trusting God for? How are you acknowledging Him as LORD/Boss in all your pursuits?
Prayer
Whatever You want, God, I'll do it. You are Trustworthy. Amen.
Genesis 42–45 God Rebuilds the Family of Israel.
The story could have ended seven verses into chapter 42 with “It's me, Joe! Go get Dad, and let's party.” Instead there is a rather elaborate plan to bring his brothers to an awareness of, confession of, and forsaking of their selfish sin, in demonstrating self-sacrificial, unity-building behavior. (Helpful for making a nation.) It's not about Joseph.
Genesis 42 Vision Vindicated
1."Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”2.“Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die.”4.But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”6.Joseph was the governor over the land...Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.7.Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them...9.Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies!13.They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers...the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”20.Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.”21.They said one to another, “We are certainly GUILTY concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”24.He...took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
25.Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way.26.They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.27.As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money.28.“My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”29.They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened...36.Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”37.Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”38.He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”
Observations
42:6.So God planned this all along (but then you knew that). Now Joseph has plans for dealing with his brothers, but we're left guessing about what's the strategy and how it will play out. It's like that with God and us sometimes. When we're not sure how God's plan for us will unfold, we need to reaffirm His clear revelation, check that we're doing what He said, and trust Him to bring it to completion.
42:21.
Talionic justice (Note the repetition of “distress.”) led to confession of guilt.
42:24.
Why Simeon? Reuben wasn't there when they plotted to kill Joseph (Genesis 37:21). As the next eldest, Simeon would have borne the leadership and responsibility. Note the causes of Jacob's pain, and that he isn't called Israel in this chapter.
Application
We have to own guilt before we can get rid of it.
1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we haven't sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thanks that you provide the means of both recognizing and dealing with our guilt. Amen.
Genesis 43 Israel and Judah Sacrifice Their Self-Interests
1."The famine was severe in the land.2.It happened, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.”3.Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you....’8.Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.9.I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever11.Israel, said to them...12.and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.13.Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man.14.May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”15.The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
20.“Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food.21.When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand.22.We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.”
23.He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them.27.He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”28.They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.
32.They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians, that ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.33.They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another.34.He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him."
Observations
43:9.Self-centered Judah (Genesis 38) gets other-centered “religion”
43:14.
Jacob now trusts God with what is most dear to him, for the sake of the family (cf Abe offering Isaac).
43:32.
Egypt was a good place to grow a nation without fear or contamination. If the Israelites in Canaan grew too numerous, the surrounding nations would band together to destroy them. God was moving them to Egypt to form them into a nation which would go back and judge the pagans as God prophesied to Abe in Genesis 15.
Application
Living for the benefit of others is the best way to benefit ourselves.
Prayer
God of pleasures forevermore, open my eyes to how I may be living for my temporary security, significance and pleasure. Help me repent before the distress volume gets too high. Amen.
Genesis 44 The Trap is Sprung
1."He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth.2.Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.”4.When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?'"...8.Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house?9.With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondservants.”12.The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.15.Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?”
16.Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found...”27.Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons:28.and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces”; and I haven’t seen him since.29.If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’30.Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life;31.it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.32.For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’33.Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, a bond servant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.34.For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”
Observations
44:16.Judah recognizes the hand of God in exposing their sin.
44:33.
Judah becomes self-sacrificial as he realizes the consequences of his sin on others
Genesis 45 Physical and Spiritual Deliverance
1."Then Joseph couldn’t control himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried, “Cause everyone to go out from me!” No one else stood with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.2.He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.3.Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Does my father still live?”His brothers couldn’t answer him; for they were terrified at his presence.4.Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.”They came near. “He said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.5.Now don’t be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.6.For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.7.God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.8.So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.9.Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t wait.10.You shall dwell in the land of Goshen...11.There I will nourish you; for there are yet five years of famine...13.You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father down here.”15.He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them.
16.The report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.17.Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this. Load your animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan.18.Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’19.Now you are commanded: do this.24.So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way.”25.They went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.26.They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them.27.They told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them. When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived.28.Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Observations
45:7.The deliverance or salvation of the family wasn't just in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual. What started out as a fractured, self-centered, guilty group, eking out an existence in Canaan, ends up as a unified self-sacrificial family enjoying the finest earth had to offer.
45:19.
The incredible grace of God not only redeemed the family from near extinction, but God has Pharaoh command even more blessings upon them.
45:26.
Through a descendant of Abe, all the known earth was blessed. (But wait, there's more...)
Application
God has purposes that go beyond our immediate needs and interests. If we humbly and submissively obey, as did Joseph, a tsunami of blessing could ensue.
Prayer
God, in Whose presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore, may I never be satisfied with mere comfortable existence. Use me for Your glory. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God is concerned with blessing us on every level, physical, emotional and spiritual, and has a plan to do that, which can occur if we faithfully obey. He brings difficulties into our lives to bring us into a place where He can bless us. His sovereign rules are that obedience is blessed (Joseph) and disobedience is cursed until we repent (brothers).
Us in a nutshell: Usually we deserve the difficulties we reap. When we repent, God relents and restores us to a blessable condition. If we don't repent, He can't bless us.