Bible Study Online Article

In the last article we learned that Jacob's sons had finally returned home from buying grain down in Egypt. But this food supply trip wouldn't turn out to be as simple as it should have been.

Jacob's sons would run into Joseph, the brother that they had betrayed and sold into slavery some twenty years before.

But a lot had happen to Joseph since the last time they had saw him.

He wasn't that annoying seventeen year old boy that they envied and hated anymore.

Joseph is now thirty-seven years old and has grown into a very wise and powerful man.

Understand that the "Joseph" they once knew would be no more, and because of this transformation, they no longer recognized him. But make no mistake, Joseph knew who they were. Know that the "Joseph" that now stood before them, had become the second most powerful person in the entire land of Egypt. Joseph now holds the title and position of being "Zaphenath-Paneah the Revealer of Secrets" the Egyptian Prime Minister.

As Joseph struggles with the temptation when it comes to seeking revenge against his brothers (the men who had betrayed him) it's revealed to him that his younger brother Benjamin who didn't travel to Egypt with his brothers, was still alive. This little bit of information would turn out to be very valuable for both Joseph and his brothers.

Now the reason why I believe this information to be "valuable" when it came to Joseph's brothers, deals with the fact that after Joseph had learned that Benjamin was still alive, this would give him a very good reason to keep his brothers alive (regardless of how he felt about them), at least for awhile longer. And when one judges Joseph's response when it comes to the same information, one could easily pick up, that he might have thought that Benjamin had suffered the same fate that he, himself had suffered some twenty years before.

But now, Joseph knows that this wasn't the case. And needless-to-say, this would bring an unexpected joy to Joseph's heart. And of course after he had heard that the brother he'd loved dearly was still alive, Joseph wanted him to be brought immediately to Egypt. And because of this, Joseph allowed nine of his ten brothers (he would keep Simeon imprisoned) to return home so they could bring Benjamin to Egypt. But there will be one major, unforeseen obstacle when it came to Joseph's plans and it dealt with his father Jacob.

Now once Joseph's brothers had returned home, they told their father all that had happened to them while they were down in Egypt. However, Jacob would not be happy with what he had just heard. In fact, he was very angry and became fearful once he had also learnt, that although his sons had brought back the grain, they still had within their bags the money in which they were to purchase the grain with. And because of this, Jacob didn't know if his sons had stolen the grain or what.

Be that as it may, it would be at this moment that Jacob finally loses his composure and tells his sons his true feelings about the overall situation: "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more; and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!" -- Genesis 42:36

Now after hearing this, Jacob's oldest son Reuben would try to reassure his father when it came to Benjamin, by offering up his own two sons: "You my put both of my sons to death if I do not bring Benjamin back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back." -- Genesis 42:37

But Jacob would have none of that: "My son will not go down there with you; his brother Joseph is dead; and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow." -- Genesis 42:38

And know that Jacob's response would bring an end to that discussion for the moment. And so therefore, Jacob did not send his sons back down to Egypt and they stayed in the land of Canaan while Joseph kept Simeon imprisoned in Egypt.

Now sometime would pass and Jacob's household had ran out of the grain that his sons had brought back from Egypt. Now keep in mind that the "famine of seven years" was still very severe at this time and it was still causing havoc in those parts of the land. This would turn out to be very unfortunate for Jacob's household and if they were going to survive the "famine of seven years" they would have to go back down into Egypt to buy more grain.

Understand that this puts Jacob in a very tough situation, being that he now has to send his sons back to Egypt, but he still refuses to let Benjamin go back with them. But his son Judah would quickly remind their father that they can't go back to Egypt without Benjamin: "The man warned us solemnly: 'You will not see my face again unless your brother Benjamin is with you.'"

After hearing what Judah had to say, Jacob responds by saying: "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had a brother?" Jacob sons answered their father by saying: "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family: 'Is your father still living?" he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know that he would say: 'Bring your brother down here'?" -- Genesis 43:6,7

Then Judah would put forth his own condition along with some very good sound reasoning when it came to Benjamin and their overall situation: "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice." -- Genesis 43:8-10

Know that, what Judah had said to his father was very sound in reason and wise. And obviously this created a "reality check" for Jacob: "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die." With this statement alone, Judah had reminded his father that there was more at stake than just Benjamin's safety.

For it would seem that Jacob had made the mistake of placing his hope and faith, when it came to the future of his household, squarely on Benjamin. Remember that this was the same mistake that his father Isaac had made before him, when he tried to do the same thing with Jacob's brother Esau.

Jacob had become so focused on not letting his late wife Rachel down, that he was determined to make sure that her children would play very important roles when it came to the future of Israel. Little did he know, Joseph and Benjamin would eventually play very important roles when it came to the future of Israel. And what Jacob failed to realize, is that Joseph was doing his part at that very moment. Jacob also failed to see, that it would be God Almighty - that decided when, and if those important roles for Joseph and Benjamin will happen... not Jacob.

However, in the meantime, it would be Jacob's job to be a good steward over everything that God had given him and that included all of his children and not just a selected few. Judah had reminded his father of this responsibility, and because of this, Jacob couldn't honestly say, or think that his other children didn't hold some type of value, or purpose, when it came to the future of Israel?

Reuben... Simeon... Levi... Judah... Dan... Naphtali... Gad... Asher... Issachar... Zebulun... Dinah...

Could Jacob honestly say that they had no value? Not Hardly... for they will all play some kind of important role when it comes to the future of the great nation that will be known as Israel.

Understand that all of Jacob's kids and their own households, all held some type of purpose and value - and shame on Jacob for thinking otherwise. But Jacob would not be alone when it comes to these types of mental traps and snares? For we also tend to make the same mistakes when we place certain people, or the things that we think are valuable to us, ahead of everything else as well. Therefore severely limiting our potential when it comes to reaping the good harvest that God has laid out for us, to just a few things, or a selected few.

You know, often times we fail to realize that everything that God brings into our lives holds some type of value, and purpose. This is why we must remember, it's crucial that we keep our eyes on the Lord at all times and not the world. And by learning how to make a good practice when it comes to this approach, will help, to keep us from falling into the worldly mental traps and snares - that are designed to limit God to the inner-workings of our "finite minds" and "natural narrow perceptions."

This is why we must also learn from Jacob's mistake and not follow down the same path, when it comes to what we think is of importance and value. And although Jacob did not like what he had heard from his sons - he knew Judah had put forth a good point:

"If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them to the man as a gift -- a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of sliver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back in the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake? Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. And may God almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your brother Simeon and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved." -- Genesis 43:11-14

So Jacob gives in and allows Benjamin to go along with his brothers as they head back to Egypt to buy some more grain and hopefully be able to retrieve Simeon in the process. But some time has gone by, and one must wonder if this will affect how Joseph will treat them? Also, will Joseph allow Simeon to be freed? What about Benjamin, what will happen to him? Will he be allowed to leave Egypt?

The Introduction of Abraham

The Birth of Isaac

The Birth of Esau & Jacob

Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty

Jacob - Wrestles with God

Joseph the Favorite Son

**YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE**

83) Pharaoh's Dark Dreams

84) Joseph's Dark Dreams Interpretation

85) Joseph the Overseer of Egypt

86) Joseph the Revealer of Secrets

87) The Unveiling of Pharaoh

88) The Seven Years of Abundance

89) The Famine of Seven Years

90) Joseph the Egyptian Prime Minister

91) Joseph the Temptation of Revenge

92) Joseph's Tipping Point

93) The Confessions of the Ten Tribes

94) The Returning Nine Tribes

95) Jacob the Bereaved

96) <-CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE PAGE->

97) Joseph's Secret Delight

98) Joseph the Great Host

99) Judah Pleads For Benjamin

100) The Unveiling of Joseph