Verses 1-2 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.
It is not God’s will that members of families be estranged. He created the family unit back in the Garden of Eden when He created Adam and Eve and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. It is sin entering into the hearts and minds of people that causes friction and division, and Joseph’s family situation is a fine example of what can occur when envy, jealously, greed, deception, and parental favoritism become part of the family structure. The famine in the land was the tool that God used to reunite Joseph and his brethren. Jacob’s sons had no choice but to seek life sustaining food in Egypt and to deal with the man in charge, Joseph.
Application: Another similarity between Joseph and the LORD Jesus Christ is that Joseph was the only man in the land that people could go to for life sustaining assistance and Jesus is the only one people can go to for eternal life. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Pharaoh put Joseph in charge. No one could go to Pharaoh for their needs. God put his son, Jesus, in charge. If eternal life in Heaven after physical death is the goal, no one can get there without first going to Jesus. Those religious groups that teach there is more than one way to God are completely wrong according to the Scripture that God has authored. Case closed and no argument can change what He has penned in His Word. The bread of life was in Egypt under Joseph’s control. His brethren went seeking it. We have to seek Jesus. “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35
Verses 3-4 And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
Being as Joseph and his brother Benjamin were the only sons of Rachel who Jacob loved above his other wives, fear of losing Benjamin prevented Jacob from sending him with his brothers. Jacob, throughout all the years Joseph was in exile, was deliberately left to believe that Joseph was dead. His sons who were responsible for selling Joseph into slavery were cruel and selfish and allowed their father to mourn for his son for years rather than tell him the truth about what they had done to their brother.
Application: Often believers try to shield loved ones or friends from painful truth believing that they are helping the person. Scripture commands the followers of Jesus Christ to tell the truth and confess their faults to each other. The sincere desire to withhold painful truth in order to protect a person never works. It is always easier to deal with and live with the truth than to live with a lie. This applies to children as well. This writer had a parakeet as a child which disappeared from its cage one day. It had died. To protect me from the loss of this beloved bird, this writer’s mother said the bird got out of its cage and flew away free. She thought that this would be a happier scenario than reporting the bird’s death. This writer worried for years about the safety of the bird and imagined all kinds of terrible outcomes such as it being caught by a cat or struck by a car. Twenty plus years later when this writer discovered the truth, there was immediate relief in knowing that the parakeet was in Heaven and that it didn’t get lost or hurt. Tell the truth. It always has a better outcome.
Verses 5-6 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
Here was the beginning of the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams about the eleven stars bowing down to him and the sheaves of grain bowing to his sheaf as recorded in chapter 37.
Verses 7-8 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
People change over time. Joseph was just a teenager the last time his brothers saw him and so they did not recognize him as an adult and as an Egyptian ruler.
Application: Joseph knew his brethren but they knew him not. Jesus knows all of His people and He knows all who will become His brethren. Unfortunately, there are so many people who know not Jesus. Believers need to pray that the blinders will be removed from people’s eyes so that they can see Jesus and come to Him before it is too late.
Verses 9-13 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 11 We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. 12 And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
Joseph would have been taken by surprise at the appearance of his brothers. It can be imagined that all the hurtful emotions of the past flashed through Joseph’s mind and perhaps he was so surprised he really did not know how to deal with the situation. In any case, by accusing them of being spies, he was able to extract information about them and about his father and brother. He now knew Jacob and Benjamin were alive and well.
Verses 14-16 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: 15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
Remember that deception was a family trait for Jacob and his children. Joseph wanted to test them. He already knew that truth had not been in them years ago when he had been living with them. Perhaps they had changed. He also wanted to see his younger brother and this was a way to accomplish this goal. There was no other source of food available and so, if they wanted to live, the brothers would have to comply with his commands.
Application: Joseph proved his brothers. Jesus proves believers. Will we be obedient? Will we love Him no matter the circumstances in our lives?
Verses 17-20 And he put them all together into ward three days. 18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: 19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: 20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
Application: Why were the ten sons of Jacob only kept in jail for three days and then released? Because again can be seen the divine relationship between Joseph and the life of Jesus. The brothers were buried in the dungeon of the prison for three full days and then bodily released to freedom. Jesus was in the dungeon of the tomb for three full days and then bodily released.
Verses 21-22 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
Here is seen the human tendency for attributing life’s problems to past sins. Some problems are a direct result of poor judgement, poor decisions and actions, or sins against God. But some are for a time of testing so that the person can mature and toughen up in this life. Many problems can occur without the individual doing anything wrong. This is a sinful world in which mankind lives, and there are enemies in the form of fallen angels or devils that try to torment the people God created and loves.
Application: Jesus suffered anguish of His soul when dying on the cross. When people refuse to hear His Word, they are guilty of minimizing the anguish Jesus suffered for them. The believer who refuses to hear all of the Words of the LORD is also guilty. The believer cannot pick and chose what Bible verses to accept and then reject others. Think about it.
Application: Reuben warned his brothers to not sin, but they would not hear. There is a difference between listening and hearing. Listening goes on all the time but hearing is the understanding and hearkening to what is being listened to. Believers are warned not to sin, but often they choose not to hear, and God’s judgement will follow.
Verses 23-26 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes. 25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. 26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
The Hebrew word for “corn” is “bar” and it can mean grain other than actual corn. Simeon’s name means “heard”. After approximately 30 years, Joseph finally heard from his family and they, though unknowingly, heard from him. Why was Simeon chosen by Joseph to stay behind in prison? Not sure, but remember that in chapter 34 of Genesis is recorded how Simeon and his brother Levi slaughtered Hamor and his son, Shechem, and all the men of the city near where they were dwelling with their father, Jacob. Perhaps it was time for Simeon to experience fear in his life and to reflect on his past behavior. Just a thought.
Application: Here Joseph was overcome with emotion upon hearing his brothers admit their sin against him. Remember that Joseph is a type and a shadow of the LORD Jesus Christ. The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35. “Jesus wept.” Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because His people had refused to accept Him as their Messiah and He knew what the future held for both them and for the city. This writer believes that Jesus weeps still for all the hardhearted people that today refuse to accept Him as their sacrifice for sin, death and Hell.
Verses 27-28 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth. 28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?
Fear of Joseph and what he could do to them if accused of stealing was very real. They had already tasted of the comforts of an Egyptian prison. Notice that they attribute this new dilemma to God.
Verses 29-34 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, 30 The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: 32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. 33 And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: 34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.
In this particular situation, the sons of Jacob had to tell their father the whole truth since Simeon had been left back in Egypt.
Verses 35-36 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.
Jacob’s sorrow increased and it is interesting that it appears Jacob did not seek the LORD in this very difficult time.
Verses 37-38 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. 38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Reuben offered to go back to Egypt and take Benjamin with him and try to straighten out the situation which showed courage on his part.