[Today: Genesis 42] When God Delivers Your Enemy into Your Hand. In Genesis 42, the famine predicted by Pharoah’s dream rages in Egypt and Canaan. Jacob sends Joseph’s brothers who had sold him to the Midianites to buy grain lest the family starve to death. This results in Joseph’s dream coming to pass and in Joseph being tested as to what he will do now that the tables are turned.
In this chapter, Jacob hears there is corn in Egypt. Gathering all the sons together, Jacob sends them to buy corn except for Benjamin, who stays behind. When they arrive to stand before Joseph, he puts them all in prison for three days and then releases them with a command to bring their remaining brother (Benjamin) before him as proof they are not spies. They return to Jacob and are horrified to find their money for corn is hidden in their sacks. Jacob reluctantly agrees to let Benjamin return with them to establish their innocence before Joseph, as yet unknown to them.
In v. 1, Jacob becomes aware there is corn to be had in Egypt and sends his sons to make a purchase that they may eat and live. The verse doesn’t say Jacob heard there was corn for sale in Egypt, but rather that he saw there was corn in Egypt. Perhaps in keeping his eyes on passers buy for any news of the famine being lifted, he sees that some of these sojourners once empty-handed are now coming by in their travels with bread corn in their possession.
There are eleven brothers in all, but Jacob (v. 3) doesn’t send Benjamin for fear something might befall him as happened to Joseph. Perhaps Jacob doesn’t trust his ten sons, suspecting them of involvement in Joseph’s disappearance years before. How old is Benjamin at this time? He is not a child. Joseph is 30 years old when he comes to power in Egypt, and at least 14 years of the time of the famine have passed, so that would make Benjamin approximately 45 years old when Jacob constrains him to stay behind. This also gives us a sense of how old the patriarchs are that are sent to buy in Egypt to relieve their hunger. The oldest of them, Rueben, would likely have been in his early 60’s at least.
The sons make their journey out of Canaan to Egypt and stand before Joseph. It is interesting that Joseph, being second only to Pharaoh in the kingdom, is watching over the distribution of grain so closely as to discover his brothers among the refugees from the famine. Upon seeing them, he further hides his identity and speaks harshly to them, demanding more information about their origination and the true purpose of their arrival in Egypt. For Joseph (v. 9), all that is happening before him is in fulfillment of the dream that he had years ago that his brothers would bow before him. In that context, we see to what lengths God will go to fulfill your dreams. The Father brought the known world and the might of Egypt to its knees in fulfillment of His promises to Joseph. What about you? Are you holding on to your dreams and the things that God has spoken to you? You may go through things for years as Joseph did, but know this that the promise of God is true, and no matter what has to happen to fulfill His promise, you will not be disappointed if you stay faithful to what God has made known to you. Too often, however, we give up in unbelief, listening to the worldly counsel of those around us or giving into what seems to be inevitable in the circumstances at hand.
Joseph questions his brothers surreptitiously to determine whether his father Jacob and his brother Benjamin are still alive, all the while accusing them of being spies. Feigning to prove they are not spying out the land, Joseph orders them to bring their youngest brother they have made mentioned of to stand before him. To convince them of how serious he is, they are placed in custody in prison for three days (no doubt the same prison that he himself languished in for many years).
After three days, Joseph brings the men out and releases them to bring Benjamin back to him. Originally the plan was for only one brother to go back and retrieve Benjamin, but now Joseph will allow them to purchase grain to relieve the famine among them back in Canaan. Speaking among themselves in Hebrew before Joseph (v. 21), the brothers wonder in their minds what could they possibly have been guilty of for this to befall them. They know that somehow, this is all about what happened to Joseph and that their sins are being visited upon them. Rueben reminds them that he tried to keep them from committing this sin against Joseph.
In v. 24, Joseph takes Simeon and binds him before the eyes of his brother as a surety that they will, in fact, return to him. He fills their sacks with grain (v. 25) and gives them provision for the journey back to Canaan. They must have wondered why Joseph was so helpful to them while at the same time horrifying them with his rough speech and throwing them in jail. Joseph is speaking to them all this time through an interpreter and hiding his eyes from them for the overwhelming emotions of being reunited with his family though they are entirely unaware of what is happening.
As the brothers make their journey back to their father Jacob, they discover to their dismay that their money given for the grain has been returned to their sacks. They don’t know what to make of this, but their consciences cause them to fear that all of this is befalling them because of the mistreatment of Joseph over 30 years before. They come before Jacob and relate to him all that has happened. Jacob is profoundly affected. He blames them not only for mentioning Benjamin to Joseph (though he did not know it was Joseph they are dealing with), but he also makes a vague accusation that somehow he knows they are responsible for Joseph’s loss as well. Rueben is resolute (v. 37) and tells Jacob to slay his own two sons if he does not deliver Benjamin safely back to Jacob after he stands before Joseph in order to obtain Simeon’s freedom. Jacob refuses to allow Benjamin to go with them and is apparently willing to suffer the loss of Simeon, commanding his sons to stay at home all the while the famine rages dictating that one day they will have to return to Joseph whether they want to or not.
What is happening here? I remember years ago when God put me in a place of advantage over a man who did me great harm. This man had been a dear brother, and I loved him greatly, but he had betrayed me. Then one day, a phone call came, and he needed my help and asked me to come to see him. As I was driving over the Father spoke to me saying, “I have delivered your enemy into your hand, what are you going to do with him?” I thought about that a moment. I could have acted in revenge, but I remembered the words of Jesus to love your enemy. Pulling into the man’s driveway, I told the Lord, “I’m going to love him…” to which the Lord answered, “just checking!”
What will you do on the day God turns the tables and delivers those who have hurt you into your hand? Will you conduct yourself like Joseph and be kind to them and seek restoration, or will you act otherwise?
Abner L Brubaker says:
Thanks Russ & Kitty. Great Bible study.