To see Genesis 42 without my comments
click HERE.
It took a famine that came directly
from the Father to elevate Joseph to the position of Governor and
treasurer of Egypt. This once again put him in a position to see his
brothers which sold him into slavery. When Joseph's 10 Brothers came
to Egypt to buy corn they did not bring their youngest brother
Benjamin with them. This is because their father Jacob (Israel)
wanted Benjamin to stay with him while the others went to Egypt v.4.
Jacob (Israel) believed that something may happen to Benjamin along
the journey. I believe that it is because he didn't trust the other
sons to take care of him, probably knew that they did not have
anything but their own selfish desires to motivated them.
Joseph's Half Brothers had to talk to Joseph to buy corn.
For Jacob's brothers to get the corn,
they had to talk to Joseph. Joseph purposely made himself a stranger
to them so they would not be recognized by speaking through an
interpreter and of course he looked different being older and dressed
in traditional royal Egyptian clothes. Although Egypt did have food,
Egypt was fearful of Asiatic spies in which Joseph used this as a
pretense to imprison his brothers for 3 days. It's possible that 3
days could have been the same amount of time that Joseph spent in the
cistern before his brothers sold him into slavery.
Joseph in turn decided to test his
brothers to see if they were repentant for selling him into slavery
years earlier. Although his brothers were Hebrews they were not
following the laws of the Father when they sold Joseph into slavery.
Under Hebrew law kidnapping is punishable by death for those who
kidnap and sell people into slavery. This is also true for all of us
as we all have broken the Father's laws and do not deserve the
forgiving grace of the Lord. So at this point, the only thing keeping
his brothers alive legally and literally, is Joseph's whim.
During the 3 days Joseph had time to
think. Joseph told his brothers if they want to live and all to be
fine, then they will bring the corn to Jacob's household and bring
their youngest brother Benjamin with them when they return to Egypt
for more food. Joseph told his brothers to not come back to see him
for more food again unless Benjamin was with them Gen43:3. Benjamin was Joseph's only and full blooded brother and
he wanted him to be with him in Egypt.
As a pledge or hostage, Joseph decided
to hold Simeon in prison while the others brought food to Jacob and
for them to bring Benjamin from Canaan land. His decision to hold
Simeon is because according to legend Simeon was the cruelest of the
brothers and this idea can be readily supported by the fact that
Simeon and Levi slew all the males of the land of Shechem Gen34:25.
Joseph's Half Brothers Beg for mercy.
When Joseph's
brothers were released, Joseph had his brothers money put into their
sacks without them knowing, to carry back to Canaan land, so when
they opened their sacks they would be even more fearful of the
situation because they would look like thieves. He also knew that
they would have to return to see him or they would starve.
Undoubtedly
Joseph's brothers caravan had months worth of corn and other
provisions with them when they returned to Canaan land. This of
course can only mean that Simeon was going to spend months in prison
waiting for the others eventual return.
Joseph's brothers
told Jacob (Israel) that the Governor of Egypt was holding Simeon
hostage and that he personally wanted to see Benjamin to confirm that
they were not spies. Jacob of course was distraught because he lost
Simeon to prison and believed that Joseph was dead. Israel didn't
want Benjamin to go with them because Benjamin was the only surviving
son of the wife that he truly loved. Israel stated in v.38
that “...if mischief befall him by
the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs
with sorrow to the grave.”
Notice in the
statement above that Israel (the man), stated “to the grave” he
would go and he didn't say he would have sorrow until he flew off
into outer space into the heavens after he dies to see his son again
in heaven?
The concept of
Christians going to heaven I have posted about before and will not go
into here for the sake of brevity. If you wish to see the post I am
referring to then click HERE.
Despite whether people agree with me or not about Christians going to heaven, I pray for all to
read their Bible daily read the truth of God, and to follow his commandments! 1 John
2:4
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