| Subject: Genesis 42 vss 23-35 Post 197 |
Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 21:14:01 05/04/12 Fri
Genesis 42:23-35 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. 27 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? 29 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. 35 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.
"What is this that God hath done unto us?" Guilty consciences are working overtime. Reuben had reminded them of the pleading of Joseph when they sold him and now they were sure that God was requiring his blood at their hands. As believers in God and knowing the history of how God requires and exacts justice they were in great fear. As wine in the press they are being squeezed and all they can think of is that God is surely punishing them. Can you imagine the fear that came on them as they discovered that one of them still had his money? Why they did not check the rest of their sacks I don't know but they felt extreme danger because of the money in just one sack. They knew if they were unjustly branded as spies their fate would be sealed if they now were branded as thieves.
What about Simeon? He was bound in the prison. Would this ruler in Egypt kill him when it was found out the money didn't total to the correct amount for the food? Simeon, if he was in the same frame of mind as his other brothers would also be thinking of the shame he brought through the murder of the men of Shechem for defiling of his sister Dinah. He and Levi took matters into their own hands and slew innocent men as well as the guilty man.
In verse 25 we see the compassion of Joseph in all this. If ever men were justified in what they received it was Joseph's brothers. They stand before him mulling and speaking of their predicament and Joseph is understanding every word. It is almost more than he can bear and the steps out of their presence and weeps. This is a picture of the compassion of Jesus for his "brethren" the Jews as well as all humanity.
As Jesus was entering Jerusalem before His crucifixion He was overcome with sorrow. Luke 19:41-42 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. The things that were to come were hidden from the eyes of the Jews just as the things that were to come were hidden from the eyes of Joseph's brothers. Joseph knew they were in anguish and fear. Jesus knew of the anguish and fear that would come to Israel. Joseph knew that he would deliver and forgive his brothers regardless of what they had done to him just as Jesus knew there was pardon and deliverance ahead for Israel after their period of trouble and anguish was over.
While Joseph's brothers were troubled there still was no true repentance for what they had done. That would come but only after Joseph revealed himself to them. Israel has not repented for what she has done to Jesus but that also will come but as with Joseph it will only come after Jesus reveals Himself to them.
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As do I
