Daily Scripture Reading Genesis 42:29 - 43:10
Most Christians understand that God knows the future and has promised to provide for us and protect us. We should trust God year after year, decade after decade, regarding every obstacle or setback we face in our lives. Today’s passage illustrates something to which all of us are susceptible. No matter how much God has done for us in the past, it is hard to continually have faith in every situation.
There was a famine in the land of Canaan, so Jacob sent his ten oldest sons to Egypt to buy food because Egypt stored an abundance of grain during the years of plenty that occurred before the famine. When the ten brothers arrived in Egypt, Joseph saw them and recognized who they were, but they did not recognize Joseph. Joseph accused them of being spies, asked about the make-up of their family, and demanded they bring Benjamin along on their next trip. Joseph imprisoned Simeon in order to force their return. Joseph instructed his servants to fill their sacks with grain and put their money back in their sacks. On the way home, one of the brothers found the money in his sack.
Gen. 42:29 ¶ Then they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
Gen. 42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us and took us for spies of the country.
Gen. 42:31 So we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.
Gen. 42:32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’
Gen. 42:33 Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go.
Gen. 42:34 But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’”
The brothers actually told their father the truth this time.
Gen. 42:35 ¶ Now it happened that they were emptying their sacks, and behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and they and their father saw their bundles of money, and they feared.
Look at the word “feared”. Since they had been accused of being spies, they may have feared that when they went back to Egypt, they would be accused of being thieves.
Gen. 42:36 And their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.”
Notice the phrase “all these things are against me”. At this point Jacob was having a pity party for himself.
When Jacob had left Laban, he gave the God of his fathers credit for being with him, providing for him, and making him wealthy. When Esau was approaching with four hundred men, Jacob thanked Yahweh for prospering him and asked Yahweh to protect him from Esau. When he met Esau he insisted Esau accept a large gift since Yahweh had been very gracious and generous with him.
The point is, Jacob had often relied on God and trusted Him. However, when it came to sending his sons to Egypt, he did not seem to trust that Yahweh would protect and provide.
This illustrates something to which all of us are susceptible. It is hard to trust God year after year, decade after decade, regarding every obstacle or setback we face in our lives. However, just as Yahweh protected Jacob against Laban and Esau, so too Yahweh was able to protect Jacob’s family when they went to Egypt. Likewise, just as God has protected us and provided for our needs in countless ways throughout our lives, so too he can provide and protect no matter what is happening to us now or will happen in the future.
Gen. 42:37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hand, and I will return him to you.”
Ponder Reuben’s offer. He was willing to allow his father to put his two sons to death if he did not successfully bring Benjamin back safely. First, it is odd that he would think Jacob would want to kill his own grandsons. Second, I am not sure if this indicates desperation on the part of Reuben or stupidity. They desperately needed food and knew they could not get food if Benjamin did not go along. On the other hand, after seeing Simeon jailed in Egypt, he should have thought about the possibility that the man in Egypt who accused them of spies would invent a pretext to jail their youngest brother.
Gen. 42:38 But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone remains. If harm should befall him on the journey on which you are going, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”
The reason the brothers originally hated Joseph and wanted to kill him was because their father openly loved Joseph more than the rest of them. It appears Jacob never learned his lesson from his favoritism. Now, he openly cared about the safety of Benjamin much more than he cared about the rest of his sons.
Gen. 43:1 ¶ Now the famine was heavy in the land.
Gen. 43:2 And it happened 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.”
Gen. 43:3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’
Gen. 43:4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.
Gen. 43:5 But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
Gen. 43:6 Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?”
Once again, Jacob was failing to trust God.
Gen. 43:7 But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our kin, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we told him concerning these things. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
Gen. 43:8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones.
Gen. 43:9 I myself will be the guarantee for him; from my hand you may require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then I shall bear the sin before you all my days.
Gen. 43:10 For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
It is hard to trust God year after year, decade after decade, regarding every obstacle or setback we face in our lives. However, just as Yahweh protected Jacob against Laban and Esau, so too Yahweh was able to protect Jacob’s family when they went to Egypt. Likewise, just as God has protected us and provided for our needs in countless ways throughout our lives, so too he can provide and protect no matter what is happening to us now or will happen in the future.
What has God done for you in the past that demonstrates His ability and willingness to supply all your needs and preserve you in every situation?
What are ways you are currently failing to rely on God to furnish your food, clothing, and shelter, and shield you from harm?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”