Gen 43.1-34 tells us that Jacob decides to let the brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin after Judah explains why Benjamin had to return with them; the brothers defend what they told the Egyptian leader; Jacob sends gifts to the Egyptian official; the brothers face Joseph again and they are invited to dinner; they explain the money issue to the steward and they are treated well; the dinner tables are segregated, but the seats for the brothers are arranged in birth order.
v 1…Now the famine was severe in the land (the time of Jacob’s trouble gets worse).
v 2…So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food (how could he say this knowing they were not to return without Benjamin).”
v 3…Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You shall not see my face until your brother is with you (eschatologically, Yehovah is going to require that Israel “confess” and bring “Benjamin” as evidence of their faith; the birth-pains will be severe and they will have to admit that they have “another brother”; Joseph, who is a picture of the suffering servant of Isa 40-66, and Benjamin, the son of the last days, must be together as a picture of the Messiah).’
v 4…If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.
v 5…But if you do not send him, we will not go down (what’s the point, there would be no likelihood of getting grain anyway); for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you (and if not, he will probably kill them as spies).’
v 6…Then Israel (when Israel is used there is a spiritual aspect to this) said (answering Judah), “Why did you treat me so badly (and causing me distress)by telling the man whether you still had another brother (you talked too much about things that had nothing to do with spying?”
v 7…But they said, “The man questioned particularly (literally “the man ask, asked” meaning was persistent) about us and our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down (during the birth-pains, will Israel admit they have “another brother”)?”
v 8…And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die (their lives depend on the word of the Egyptian and obeying it; this alludes to the believing remnant in the birth-pains who will bring Yeshua believing his word in the Scriptures), we as well as you and our little ones.
v 9…I myself will be a surety for him, you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever (Hebrew “kal ha yamim” or all the days; a sinner and under the ban for all time).
v 10…For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice (been back with Simeon and you would not have been so distressed).”
v 11…Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this; take some of the best products of our land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm, and a little honey, aromatic gum, and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
v 12…And take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.
v 13…Take (is plural in Hebrew, meaning all the brothers were responsible for Benjamin) your brother, also, and arise and return to the man;
v 14…and may God Almighty (El Shaddai; the God of Abraham is the only one who can help now) grant you compassion in the sight of the man, that he may release to you your other brother (didn’t say his name because Jacob may have been still upset with Simeon over the Shechem incident) and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved (submitting to God’s will; let it be as it will be).”
v 15…Now the men (not described as brothers, but determined men) took this present (as Jacob advised) and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
v 16…And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them (and was deeply moved), he said to his household steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon (this was a test to see how they treated Benjamin, and to lay the groundwork for the charge that they stole his goblet).”
v 17…So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house (this is unusual).
v 18…Now the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house (thinking this may lead to prison); and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek an occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us as slaves with our donkeys.”
v 19…So they came near to Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,
v 20…and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food,
v 21…and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand.
v 22…We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks (they said this to show they did not steal the money).
v 23…And he said, “Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure (literally “something hidden”) in your sacks (God caused it to happen). I had your money (it reached me, no one is accusing you of theft).” Then he brought Simeon out to them (reassuring them they had nothing to fear).
v 24…Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house (alluding to the believers being brought into the Father’s house) and gave them water, and they washed their feet and he gave their donkeys fodder.
v 25…So they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming (the word for coming is written full with an extra “vav” because he would be coming with his attendants, alluding to the second coming of the Messiah with his saints) at noon , for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there (alludes to the Marriage supper of the Lamb).
v 26…When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him (first time all of Joseph’s brothers bowed to him).
v 27…Then he asked them about their welfare (their peace literally), and said, “Is your old father well (at peace) of whom you spoke? Is he still alive (“he is still alive, is he not”-this reveals Joseph’s anxiety about him)?”
v 28…And they said, “Your servant our father is well (is at peace externally, but internally since he was fearful about Simeon and Benjamin); he is still alive.” And they bowed down in homage.
v 29…As he lifted his eyes and saw (he had seen him earlier, but now he is singled out) his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
v 30…And Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother and he sought a place to weep, and he entered his chamber and wept there (without being overheard).
v 31…Then he washed his face (to conceal his crying) and came out; and he controlled (fortified).” himself and said, “Serve the meal.”
v 32…So they served (placed) him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for this is loathsome to the Egyptians (they despised all foreigners not just the Hebrews).
v 33…Now they were seated before him, the first-born according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth (according to Joseph’s instructions), and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
v 34…And he took (sent) portions to them from his own table (after he divided the portions as master of the family); but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs (to see if they got jealous of Benjamin). So they feasted and drank freely (literally “drank to excess”; to be cheerful and in good spirits”; he did this to avert their attention from his goblet that was about to be removed) with him.
Gen 44.1-34 tells us about the final test; Joseph sends them away, but puts money into their sacks again, and a silver cup into Benjamin’s; a steward confronts the brothers and they claim to be innocent of theft; the cup is found in Benjamin’s sack and accused; they all return to Joseph; Judah and the brothers stick up for Benjamin, even if they become slaves; Judah recounts his previous conversation with Joseph.
v 1…Then he commanded his house steward, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.
v 2…And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph had told him.
v 3…As soon as it was light, then men were sent away (with an escort), they with their donkeys.
v 4…They had just gone out of the city, and were not afar off, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good (to put them on the defensive)?
v 5…Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and which he indeed uses for divination (literally “make trial” which he was doing). You have done wrong in doing this.’ ‘
v 6…So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.
v 7…And they said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.
v 8…Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan (where it would never have been discovered after so long). How then could we steal silver and gold from your lord’s house (this is an example of “light to heavy”; why would we bring it back, and then steal it again)?
v 9…With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves (convinced of their innocence).”
v 10…So he said, “Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave (the steward speaks on behalf of Joseph) and the rest of you shall be innocent.”
v 11…Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
v 12…And he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
v 13…Then they tore their clothes and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.
v 14…When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there (waiting for them), and they fell to the ground before him (Judah is mentioned because he specifically assumed responsibility for Benjamin).
v 15…And Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination (to make trial; to find out the person who took the cup)?
v 16…So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God (“ha Elohim”; this comes from the Lord) has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.”
v 17…But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave, but as for you, go up in peace to your father (Now Judah realizes it is not a divine punishment for their former sins or else all of them would have been enslaved; either the Egyptian is playing games with them, or Benjamin really did it; now he is going to try and save Benjamin).
v 18…Then Judah approached him and said (what Israel will do during the birth-pains-Ezek 39.22; Isa 9.6-7; he begins to explain what happened to Joseph, and if Benjamin does not return after losing Joseph it will kill their father), “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’ ears (may his words penetrate your ears), and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh (as important as Pharaoh).
v 19…My lord asked his servant, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’
v 20…And we said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little child of his old age (what Benjamin means, “son of the days”; they concealed nothing).’ Now his brother is dead (that’s what they thought, not having heard what happened to him since he was missing from the pit when they went back; they never knew what happened), so he alone is left of his mother and his father loves him.
v 21…Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
v 22…But we said to my lord, ‘the lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
v 23…You said to your servants, however, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again (face to face; an idiom for Yom Kippur).’
v 24…Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
v 25…And our father said, ‘Go back, and buy us a little food.’
v 26…But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face (face to face to buy food, etc) unless our youngest brother is with us.’
v 27…And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife (Rachel) bore me two sons,
v 28…and the one went out from me, and I said, ‘Surely he is torn in pieces (remember, Joseph thinks that his brothers sold him and didn’t even say goodbye, and he may have thought that his father had something to do with it since he was sent to them; now for the first time he hears that his father thinks he was torn by animals, and not involved with any attempt to drive Joseph out of the family),” and I have not seen him since.
v 29…And if you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow (he will mourn for them the rest of is life).’
v 30…Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life,
v 31…it will come about when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die (of grief). Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.
v 32…For your servant became a surety (a guarantee) for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’
v 33…So now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.
v 34…For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest I see the evil that would overtake my father (by his sorrow or dying of grief)?”
This bring us to the concept called “The Anatomy of a Problem” or “Conflict Resolution” found in this chapter. Resentment rises and people decide to resent. Then they act on that resentment and do damage and the problem gets worse and touched others, as we have seen in the story of Joseph so far. Joseph could have reacted to his brothers that way, thinking they drove him out of the family. The solution is always where the problem is. If it is a person, go to the person, like Joseph is doing. The solution to the problem will come when you discover God’s purposes in the problem, as Joseph will see in Gen 45.5-7, and solved problems produce great blessings.
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