Genesis 42 – Joseph's Brothers Sent to Egypt
Timeline: 1707 BC
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Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Twenty-one years have passed from the time Joseph was sold.The seven year drought had begun. Grain was stored in the cities and if one lived in a city, that person would go to the local storehouse to buy grain. Those who lived in the outlying areas traveled to the nearest city. Unlike Egypt, whose water supply comes from the Nile, Canaan depended on rain to water their crops. So when the rain stopped falling, there was severe famine in Canaan. Jacob's sons, by now, were grown and had families of their own. Benjamin would have been between 24 and 26 years old. However, they lived within close proximity to each other as a clan. 1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?" And he said, "Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die." Jacob, Joseph's father learned that Egypt had corn for sale. His sons complained to each other but did not know what to do. So Jacob stepped in with a plan. Go check it out and get us what we need to survive. He sent 10 sons because the grain was rationed and if one of them went, he might not have been able to get enough rations for the family. 3 So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "Lest some calamity befall him." And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. The trip of about 250 to 300 miles took six weeks to make the round trip. Jacob didn't trust his sons so he refused to let Benjamin go with them. The brothers joined a caravan that was heading toward Egypt to buy grain. Notice that the brother's are referred to as the sons of "Israel". Remember that when Jacob is referred to as Israel, it has a spiritual connotation. God's words or prophecies given through His servants are fulfilled according to His will. 6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. When the brothers came to Egypt, they bowed with respect to the Egyptian dignitary. The prophetic dream had come to fruition. The first dream was about the sheaves which represented his brothers. But the second dream included the sun, the moon and the eleven stars. Joseph knew the dreams were not yet fulfilled. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, "Where do you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food." So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!" Joseph's brothers were a little older but had not changed much. Joseph, on the other hand, now looked like an Egyptian, shaved, wearing a wig, and dressed in fine linen. He also wore a fake goatee made from horse hair which was lacqured to make it stiff on his chin. In addition, he spoke fluent Egyptian, using an interpreter and was referred to as Zaphnath-Paaneah, not Joseph.. Joseph had put asside his past and all that his brother's put him through. When he saw them, all the memories started flooding in, so he decided to test them. Joseph was hard upon his brothers, not from a spirit of revenge, but to bring them to repentance. The Egyptians might suspect the neighboring nations, being in distress and hearing of corn in Egypt, form a plan to take their corn by force.This might be the reason why they were brought before Joseph. 10 And they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. We are all one man's sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies." But he said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land." Joseph must have been saying inside "yeah right!" as they claimed to be honest. He was calling them out, not for this day, but for the past lies they told. He was not ready to let on that he knew them. But he had to know if they had learned anything from their past. 13 And they said, "Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more." Now Joseph knew the truth of what they have been telling everyone about him. They were claiming that he was dead. Joseph knew they were not being honest but he didn't let on. This also let Joseph know that his father was still alive. 14 But Joseph said to them, "It is as I spoke to you, saying, 'You are spies!' In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!" So he put them all together in prison three days. "By the life of Pharaoh" - Joseph is saying that if you are lying, it is as if you are putting Pharaoh's life in danger and will be treated accordingly. Remember what happened to the baker? So he put them all together in prison for three days where they discussed what was happening to them. We might assume that this is how long Joseph spent in the pit and we know that this is how long Jesus was in the tomb. 18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die." And they did so. Joseph said that he feared God in order to assure them that he would not do harm to the remaining brother while the others brought back Benjamin to prove their innocence. At first, he was going to send one of the brothers to retreve Benjamin but he overheard them speaking and felt compassion for their famishing households. 21 Then they said to one another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us." They confess to each other and begin to regret their actions. Just as they had intended to murder Joseph, they feared that one of their brothers would be killed if they did not return with Benjamin. And Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us." Joseph's intention was fulfilled. This may have been the first time they confessed their sin. They saw their current situation as Divine retribution. God was punishing them for what they had done to Joseph. When Joseph was sold, Reuben was not at the scene. Reuben tore his clothes when he saw that Joseph was not there and he saw the bloody coat. Now he says his "his blood is now required of us", indicating that they murdered Joseph.23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. Why did Joseph choose Simeon? In that culture, if you were to take a hostage, you would have taken the oldest, being the most important family member. Reuben would have been chosen but since Joseph heard what was said, so he chose Simeon, the next oldest, instead. 25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man's money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus he did for them. So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. So he said to his brothers, "My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!" Then their hearts failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, "What is this that God has done to us?" Joseph paid for the grain from his own pocket and gave their money back to them. When they discovered that money in their sack, they were terrified. They assumed this was more punishment from God. 29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: "The man who is lord of the land spoke "roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.' Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. And bring your youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'" Joseph was going to allow them to have access and freely do business anywhere in Egypt if only they would bring Benjamin to him. 35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father said to them, "You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me." In recounting the story, they do not mention that Simeon was put into prison nor the part of the harsh treatment they received for fear that Jacob would not send Benjamin back with them. Jacob feared they had provoked the Egyptians. He plainly distrusted his sons, not knowing the circumstances that happened with Joseph. He only saw this as losing another son and now they want him to risk losing Benjamin. 37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you." Reuben offered the slaying of his sons, the greatest and dearest offer that a son could make to a father, to assure Jacob that he would return with Simeon and Benjamin. This was rather foolish since it would mean that if he didn't return with his brothers that Jacob would lose not only his sons but his grandsons as well. How often are we quick to speak without thinking, while under stress. 38 But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave." Jacob assumes that Joseph is dead and Simeon is in danger. He could not bear to let anything happen to Benjamin, the only son left of Rachel. He would not be able to handle this, it would certainly be the death of him. Bible Study Questions 1. When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt what did he do?
2. Why didn't Jacob let Benjamin go with his brothers?
3. How many brothers went to Egypt?
4. Why didn't Joseph's brothers recognize him?
5. What did Joseph accuse
6. What did Joseph order them to do to prove their innocence?
7. Who did Joseph imprison when he released the others?
8. What did Joseph give a command to fill their sacks with?
9. When they opened their sacks, what did they find?
10. What did their father said to them when they told him what happened?
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