CHAPTER 42

1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

The famine included God's chosen people!
No, my friend, just because you are a Christian you are not exempt from world problems.
In fact, you are to DO something about them!

Jacob found out Egypt had corn, and decided to send his sons to purchase some of the corn.
Keep in mind, Jacob was a VERY rich man!
Once, Jesus said, "It is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through a needle's eye!"
(See Matthew 19:14)

Jesus did NOT say it was impossible! Because "with God ALL things are possible!" (See Matthew 19:26)

Entering the Kingdom of Heaven is EASY!
It's as simple as confessing sin, begging Christ to forgive that sin, and asking Him to become Lord of our lives.
God does not make it harder for a RICH man!
The RICH man makes it harder!
(See Matthew 19:23) SOME rich men DO enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and become FRUITFUL in their lives on this earth.
(See Matthew 27:57-60)

Jacob sent 10 of Joseph's brothers to buy corn, but he did NOT send the 11th (Benjamin).
Joseph and Benjamin were the only two sons of Rachel.
Jacob felt he had already lost Joseph, and he did NOT want to lose Benjamin too.

5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

Joseph had grown up, and the brothers didn't recognize him.
He was only a young lad when they had sold him into slavery.

Joseph knew THEM though!
And he remembered the "dreams" he had of them when he was at home.
He remembered the one dream that got him sold into slavery!
He had prophesied that he would become ruler over his brothers because of that dream.
And his brothers got RID OF him!

So, Joseph spoke "roughly" to these men.

9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.
12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.
13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

Joseph accused them of being "spies!"
He said they only came to see the "nakedness" of the land, which meant they only wanted to see if they could overtake it.

He told them to send ONE brother to fetch the youngest brother.
This would prove that they weren't spies, and truly intended only to purchase corn.

17 And he put them all together into ward three days.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

Joseph was compassionate though.
He placed ALL the brothers under arrest, and confined them to quarters for 3 days.
During this time, he changed his proposal to them.

They could carry the corn to their family at home with 9 brothers.
But ONE must remain behind to ensure they would return with the youngest brother.

The brothers didn't realize Joseph understood their language because he had been using an interpreter to speak to them.
Reuben reminded the brothers they had sold Joseph into slavery, and this was the consequence they must pay for their sin.

24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

Joseph could not bear the heart pain!
He turned away from them so he could weep.
Though they had treated him so badly, he truly loved them!

Finally, he took Simeon and bound him.
Then, he told the other 9 to go home and take the corn, then come back with their younger brother.

25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.
26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.
28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

After loading up the donkeys with corn, Joseph placed the money back in each brother's "sack" of belongings.
His compassion was showing.
When we are saved and we know it, we can't help but being compassionate to even those who abuse us!
(See Luke 6:27-31)

But the brothers thought it punishment from God!
They knew if they were caught with the money AND the corn, they would be imprisoned.
But no one stopped them.
Instead of it being punishment from God, it was COMPASSION from God!

29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,
30 The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:
32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.
33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:
34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.
35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.
36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

When they returned home, they recounted the whole story to Jacob.
Jacob was severely disappointed!

First, the sons had all returned WITH their money - which counted them as THIEVES!
Second, Simeon was left behind, arrested and bound.
Third, they wanted now to take Benjamin into this place where their name was as bad as DIRT!

What do you do when all trust in your family is GONE?!
Jacob didn't want to do ANYTHING!

37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.
38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: 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.

FINALLY, Reuben stood up for right!
He offered his father Jacob his OWN two sons as collateral for bringing Benjamin back.

Yet Jacob was adamant about not allowing Benjamin to go!

Soon, when the corn the sons had brought ran out, Jacob would face this decision again!
Though we lose all trust in men, we must not lose faith in God!

CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW!
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