Genesis Part 066

In Genesis 42:23 we read that Joseph’s brothers are in Egypt to buy grain and concerned that God is punishing them for their sins against Joseph. Joseph is in hearing distance of his brothers’ conversations, but has spoken Egyptian through a translator thus far, so his brothers don’t know that he understands what they are saying.  

Take a moment to imagine the heartache of this moment. For years, Joseph has felt the enormous grief of being betrayed, sold, and unwanted by his brothers. Joseph probably struggled with mixtures of anger and sadness over the years and even here in this moment. But then, listening to his brothers, he hears that they at least understand to some degree their guilt and learns that his oldest brother Reuben tried to talk them out of harming him. He turns away from them and weeps. 

After turning back around, Joseph then binds Simeon in front of all of them.  

Why Simeon? It is possible that this brother was the most cruel and hardhearted among them, and it appears from the affair of Shechem that he was a man of a fierce and bloody disposition. It has been speculated that it was Simeon who said to Levi, on sight of Joseph, behold this dreamer cometh, and that it was he who cast him into the pit, and advised killing him. Joseph might have chosen him as the hostage, not only because he had used him more evilly than the rest, but because he might observe he was less concerned, and not as humbled now for the evil he had done as the rest were. Joseph says that his only full brother, Benjamin, needs to come back with them, or Simeon will be held. 

Continuing the narrative, on their way back they stop at a place of lodging or an inn. One of the brothers opens their sack of grain to feed a donkey and realizes that they still have all their money. They are very afraid and fear that God has continued to punish them.  

After recounting the whole story to their father Jacob, they find that all of them still have their money, and again fear grips them all (verse 35). Never in their wildest dreams would they have thought that they would purposely be given their money back. 

We see in verse 36 that Jacob is greatly grieved by this whole series of events. He has already lost his son Joseph, he assumes he will never see Simeon again, and he greatly fears that if he allows Benjamin to go too, he will lose him as well. He feels everything is going against him. This is a great reminder to us that in our hardest and darkest moments, we don’t always remember how much God has been with us and intervened in our lives and the great plan He has for us. 

In verse 37, Reuben promises his father that he will bring Benjamin back and appears to offer the life of two of his four sons if he does not. For Jacob to lose his own son and to have two of his grandchildren slain would have been an increase of his sorrow and grief instead of being an alleviation of it. Reuben's intent was not that his children should be slain, but to indicate that he would be as careful and solicitous for the return of Benjamin as if the life of two sons of his lay at stake, and was so confident of it that he could risk the life of them upon it, who were as dear to him as Benjamin was to his father. 

Tomorrow, we will see what happens next.   

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships, and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.