Genesis Chapters 42-45
42:1-2 Jacob has to urge his sons to keep his extended family from starving. “The famine extended to Canaan, and Jacob became somewhat upset with his son’s lack of initiative; they just sat around looking at one another helplessly” (Davis p. 278). As in earlier days, Jacob is a man who doesn’t appreciate inaction or laziness (Genesis 29:7). “Their business was predominately cattle and sheep raising, rather than agriculture, but the drought had seriously damaged the entire economy. Furthermore, even though they still had great wealth, money could not buy grain if there was no grain to be bought” (Morris p. 593). During the last twenty years these men had been living with a guilty conscience. Guilt can seriously undermine our own personal motivation. In the life of David we will see how sin can make us inactive. After his adultery with Bathsheba, David is apparently unable to rebuke and punish a terrible sin committed by his own son (2 Samuel 13:21). 42:3-4 Benjamin is kept back, not because he was too young (he was more than twenty years old), but because he was Rachel’s only remaining child and in that respect had taken the place of Joseph in his father’s affections. It is clear that Jacob dearly missed both Rachel and Joseph. 42:5 “An Egyptian text reflects a similar situation: a frontier official reported that he admitted ‘the Bedouin tribes of Edom’ into the eastern Delta ‘to keep them alive and to keep their cattle alive’. The document also notes that such peoples were admitted only on specified days” (Davis p. 279). 42:6 Joseph apparently maintained close personal supervision over the stores of grain, realizing how critical they were to the survival of Egypt. He also appears to have been personally involved in selling grain to all outsiders. “It might well be that, under cloak of such a purchasing mission, outsiders might enter the land for subversive purposes. Foreign kings might covet Egypt’s wealth and desire to 1
infiltrate and sabotage and possibly invade and plunder the land. It was up to Joseph to carefully screen all such alien traders to be sure of their purposes” (Morris p. 595). 42:7-8 The reason that the brothers did not recognize Joseph is seen in the fact that they had not changed in appearance as much as he had. He had been 17 when they last saw him; now he was about 38. In addition, he was not dressed as a slave, but as a king. Evidently, Joseph had adopted the complete Egyptian “look” including clothing, hair style, and language. We are further told that he spoke through an interpreter (42:23). 42:9 At this point Joseph remembers the dreams which are recorded in chapter 37. Far from being vindictive, Joseph is wisely testing his brothers to see if they have changed. If the brothers had not changed, then Joseph might have feared that the brothers would descend into bitter quarreling over the inheritance of their father when he died, and thus be scattered from one another. In that case God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob) would be seriously hindered. If God’s will was going to be accomplished through his family, then his brothers must change drastically. 1. Carefully note that Joseph doesn’t have the attitude that people will naturally change if you just avoid any kind of negative confrontation. 2. Kidner notes, “Behind the harsh pose there was warm affection (42:24), and after the ordeal overwhelming kindness. Even the threats were tempered with mercy (42:16-19; 44:9,10), and the shocks that were administered took the form of embarrassments rather than blows. A vindictive Joseph could have dismayed his brothers with worthless sackloads, or tantalized them at his feast as they has tantalized him (37:24,25)” (p. 199). 3. Joseph realizes that forgiveness can be extended only upon the condition of humble repentance (Luke 17:3-4). He can only have a loving and warm relationship with his brothers, if they are willing to humble themselves. 42:10-13 At this point Joseph learns that his father is still alive, and that his brothers had not persecuted Benjamin as they had mistreated him. 42:14-23 For the first time the brothers manifest remorse about what they had done to Joseph. The three days in prison had been ample proof of Joseph’s power. In verse 21 we learn that Joseph had pleaded with his brothers when they had sold him, but they had ignored his earnest pleadings. “The victim’s cries, when he besought us, or ‘begged mercy of us’, are not heard in chapter 37, but only here, ringing again in the ears that had been closed to them before” (Kidner p. 199). Verse 23 informs us that Joseph heard this conversation. 2
Whatever inconveniences were placed upon the brothers in these chapters were nothing compared to what Joseph had endured. 42:24 I am impressed that despite all that Joseph has gone through, he is still a very sensitive man. A man without trust in God would have become bitter, cold and insensitive. It is a great accomplishment to go through many trials and still have a tender heart. “A hard man of hate is incapable to such tender emotion” (Davis p. 280). Joseph shows mercy to Reuben. “Joseph even selected the one who was to be detained. He passed by Reuben, who had revealed his concern for Joseph at the time he was banished as a slave in Egypt, and chosen Simeon, Jacob’s second son” (Aalders p. 223). 42:25-27 “Somewhere along the way, their extra provisions were used up, and one of them opened his sack to get grain…He was dismayed to find some money there on top of the grain” (Morris p. 601). 1. They clearly felt that God was punishing them (28). 2. Now the governor in Egypt would have all the proof he needed that they were dishonest men and hence spies! How could they ever return to Egypt under such suspicious circumstances? 3. There is wisdom in this test, for the brothers would be forced to make a choice. Would they leave Simeon in Egypt, as they had sold Joseph years previous, or would they make an unselfish choice to return? And how would they tell their father all of this? Would they tell Jacob the truth? 42:29-35 Give the brothers credit, they give Jacob all the facts that had happened. No lies this time. 42:36 Jacob is greatly upset by these events. “While Jacob can see no father than the trouble itself. His emphasis in verse 36 is understandably but instructively self-orientated: ‘Me have ye bereaved…..:upon or against me is all this’” (Kidner p. 200). 42:37 While Reuben’s offer represents a great sacrifice, it is also foolish, rash and short-sighted. “Exactly what satisfaction he thought his father could get out of killing two of his grandsons, after already losing his sons, is hardly clear. Reuben simply spoke without thinking. He perhaps was trying to appear noble to his father, who had long since been badly disappointed in this eldest son of his; but he only succeeded in looking still more foolish” (Morris p. 603). Reuben’s words here are a classic example of zeal without knowledge (Romans 10:1-2).
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42:38 At this point Jacob absolutely refuses to discuss the matter further, under no circumstances will Benjamin to allowed to go back with them. Imagine the intense pressure and stress upon the sons during this period of time. Eventually they either were going to starve or go back to Egypt, neither choice was not pleasant! But from difficult and seemingly impossible circumstances can come tremendous growth, courage, repentance and godliness (Romans 5:3-5; 1 Peter 1:6-8).
Chapter 43 43:1-7 Yet the famine does not let up, even for a little. Jacob realizes they need more food, but Judah reminds his father what the governor in Egypt (Joseph) had plainly stated. Jacob voices his frustration that his sons had volunteered all this information about their family (43:6). Judah reminds his father that the governor’s questions had been specific. “Israel’s….negative attitude is very true to life: his scolding was an escape from the decision he dreaded….But in clutching his advantage over those who had wronged him he was jeopardizing himself and them---including his beloved Benjamin, whom he must lose in order to save” (Kidner p. 203). Jacob was only fooling himself that the sons could go and buy “a little food” without taking Benjamin with them. In addition, Jacob doesn’t seem very concerned about the fact that one of his sons (Simeon) is still in Egypt! There is a good lesson here. Often we are tempted to get angry at others, when in fact we are actually trying to avoid making a tough decision. Note that the wrath of man doesn’t accomplish anything of a positive nature (James 1:19-20). 43:8-10 Judah finally manifests some courage and unselfishness. Instead of resenting Benjamin or his father’s favoritism, Judah is willing protect him with his life. “Interestingly Judah was the one who had come up with the plan to sell Joseph (37:26-27). Now, he had to negotiate with his father in order to get Benjamin to see Joseph” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 93). 43:11-14 Apparently some of these delicacies were not available in Egypt (or in very short supply). Yet, godly men, even in time of famine will manifest generosity, and will always realize what are the truly valuable things, that people are always more important than possessions. In verse 14 it appears that Jacob
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finally placed all his trust in God, and was prepared to accept a worse case scenario, if such was the will of God. 43:15 The trip into Egypt would cover about 250 miles (about three weeks). 43:16-22 To the credit of the brothers, they immediately seek to correct any misunderstanding. They want to make it clear that they aren’t thieves. 43:23 They are reassured by Joseph’s steward that God had given them that money. It looks like Joseph had not only taught his immediate family, but also his servants about the true God. “The steward was not confessing to have ‘planted’ the money, only assuring them that it had been safely received, and suggesting that the money which they found must have been from heaven” (Kidner p. 204). Apparently Simon had been imprisoned for less than two years (45:6). 43:24-31 This testing of his brothers, was also a great test upon Joseph. After not seeing Benjamin for more than 20 years, Joseph was so overcome with emotion that he had to leave the room. “So copiously (abundantly) did the tears of happiness and emotion flow that he had to wash his face before he could reenter the room. He was finally able to keep his feelings under control, and gave instructions to begin the meal” (Morris p. 609). 43:32 Here we have a master touch of detail. “The prejudice against eating together was probably not social…but cultic, since foreigners would technically defile the food” (Kidner p. 204). “This discrimination toward the Hebrews is another reason to associate Joseph with a native Egyptian pharaoh, for it seems inconceivable that a Hyksos king would have demanded such discrimination” (Davis p. 281). 43:33-34 The brothers were amazed when they were seated in the exact order of their births. “One can easily show (merely by multiplying together all the numbers from one through eleven) that there are no less than 39,917,000 different orders in which eleven individuals could have been seated! “ (Morris p. 610) The end of verse 34 reveals that this feast was a period of joy and great celebration. Joseph deliberately honored Benjamin with a portion five times the size of his brothers. This might have been done to see if the other brothers would manifest any resentment, but they didn’t. “They all ate and drank merrily together throughout the meal, with no suggestion of jealousy or other unpleasantness” (Morris p. 610) 5
Chapter 44 When we study the tests that Joseph put his brothers through, we need to realize all of them may have been the result of divine inspiration. The brothers had already shown a guilty conscience, sorrow, courage, honesty, and a lack of jealousy. Yet what would they do if they had to make a choice between their own personal welfare and that of Benjamin and the emotional welfare of their father? Twenty years previous they had sacrificed the welfare of Joseph and the emotional welfare of their father for their own selfish ends. Had they really changed? 44:1-5 “The shock of seeing all this suddenly change for the bad again, and into apparently a hopeless situation, must have struck them with double force, following their time of relief and self-congratulation” (Morris p. 611). Yet such a turn of events had also happened to Joseph himself, and more than once. “The fact that the cup was in use for drinking would point to the folly of expecting the theft to be unnoticed” (Kidner p. 205). The statement that Joseph used this cup for divination, is probably simply added color to give this test an air of authentication. The idea is, “this is no ordinary cup”, it is a personal and intimate part of the governor’s life, and its theft is a personal insult against him. Clearly, Joseph believed in God and didn’t conform himself to the superstitions of the Egyptians. In ancient times a divination cup was filled with water and then oil was poured on the water. The future was then predicted on the basis of the forms and shapes that the oil took on the surface of the water” (Aalders pp. 235-236). Yet, Joseph knew that only God could foretell the future (41:16), and Joseph didn’t knew any help from a cup (44:15). 44:6-12 “The search was systematic, starting from the oldest and moving down to the youngest. One can imagine the tension that built up as the search continued. And then, when the search came to the last man, there was the crushing revelation as the silver cup was discovered in Benjamin’s sack. In speechless horror the brothers tore their clothes….They obviously gave no thought to the freedom they had been offered to return to Palestine” (Aalders pp. 236-237). Clearly, these brothers have changed since the day that they had ruthlessly sold Joseph. Instead of abandoning Benjamin, they stand behind him.
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44:14-34 Judah is also a changed man. Years earlier he was a man governed by anger and lust. His plea to Joseph was in marked contrast to his earlier heartlessness (37:26,27). Judah offered to sacrifice his own freedom and happiness and was willing to take the place of Benjamin as a slave (44:17,33). It must have been very difficult for Joseph to control himself during this speech as he saw the love that his brothers had for his younger brother and for his father. “He spoke very respectfully, but very earnestly and intensely. In this remarkable plea, Judah clearly demonstrated that, whatever may have been his earlier weaknesses….he now was a strong man of godly character and compassion…He was pleading, therefore, not only for Benjamin but also for his father’s life” (Morris p. 617).
Chapter 45 45:1-2 Far from being an angry man, far from lecturing his brothers, he is ready to embrace them with open arms, but remember, such openness was made available only through their humility and repentance. Unfortunately, many people want the type of forgiveness and reconciliation which Joseph was so eager to extend to his brothers---without repenting first! Joseph valued honestly, godliness, courage and integrity, and that is exactly what he now saw in his brothers. “He was sobbing and crying out so loudly that those whom he had dismissed from the room could not help but overhear, and they in turn soon carried the news to Pharaoh’s house” (Morris p. 619). 45:3-4 “In this passage strong feeling and sound spiritual argument complete the work of reconciliation” (Kidner p. 206). 45:5 “For God sent me before you to preserve life”: A classic statement indicting God’s Providential workings. 1. Joseph could have hindered the will of God had his attitude been selfish. God’s providential activity will only benefit us if we have godly attitudes and if we are willing to act (Esther 4:14). 2. It is hard to remain bitter, envious, selfish or resentful—even over past wrongs when your mind in on the big picture. 3. Joseph realized that the purposes of God were more important than his own momentary comfort. “If suffering on my behalf means that the will of God is being furthered---then so be it!” But how many people are unwilling to place their needs second so that God’s purposes can be achieved through them or in their life? And how many people actually hold a grudge against God for allowing something bad to happen in their lives? Oh,
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how we refuse to see the overall picture, and how much good can come through our momentary suffering. 45:6 This verse reveals that all the events in chapters 42-44 had happened in the first two years of the famine. 45:8 This verse isn’t sweeping their sin under the rug, but in light of the brothers repentance, such a statement can be made. In view of their repentance they could forgive themselves (45:5). Joseph kept emphasizing as strongly as he could that this had all been used by God to further His purposes. “That they might understand with greater appreciation how God was working on their behalf in order that He might fulfill His great promises to their fathers. So far from being an insignificant family in the land of Canaan “ (Morris p. 621) They were the family through whom God was working His eternal purpose. 45:9 As always Joseph gives all the glory and credit to God. 45:10-15 Joseph again stressed the fact that there were five years of famine remaining, and without being close to Joseph, his brothers and their families might either starve or face certain financial ruin. “God had providentially arranged for Joseph to be lord of all Egypt just at the time when Israel and his sons would be facing this otherwise desolate future” (Morris p. 622). We are told that the land of Goshen was fertile (47:6) and near to Joseph at court, suggesting that it was in the eastern part of the Nile delta. 45:16-23 Joseph was a great hero in Egypt, and upon hearing the news that Joseph had found his long lost family, Pharaoh commands the entire family to come into Egypt and accept the best that Egypt could offer them. “Pharaoh’s approval of Joseph’s proposed residence for his family is no surprise since Joseph had endeared himself to the king, probably rescuing him from a great embarrassment during the famine years” (Davis p. 285). Far from being bitter, Joseph is generous to his brothers and shares with them the wealth that he had acquired (22). 45:24 “Joseph’s parting shot was realistic, for the ancient crime (the brothers selling him into bondage) was now bound to come to light before their father, and mutual accusations were likely to proliferate” (Kidner p. 208). 45:26 You and I would be equally as stunned. “No comment is made on what his sons must have told him (Jacob) about how Joseph got to Egypt in the first 8
place. He knew they had repented and Joseph had forgiven them, and that was enough for now. Neither did he comment on Joseph’s wealth or high position in Egypt. One thing, and one thing only, concerned him. He would be able to see Joseph again. That was enough!� (Morris p. 626).
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