| Subject: Gen 43 vss 1-14 post 199 |
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Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 19:28:38 05/12/12 Sat
CHAPTER 43
Genesis 43:1-14 And the famine was sore in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. 3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? 8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: 10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. 11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: 12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
Never say never. Jacob has taken a stand that he will not let his son Benjamin go down to Egypt with his brothers. Often we say something to the effect that under no circumstances will will we do something.. This is a stand that we should be careful of. When Jacob made the statement that he would not let Benjamin go down to Egypt the food sacks were full. Jacob possibly thought surely the drought would be over before the food ran out. What Jacob could not know was that the drought could not end until he and his family were in Egypt. God had told Abraham in the early days of his pilgrimage that they surely would be in a land that was not theirs for 400 yrs. Genesis 15:13-14 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
God sent the drought and worked through all parties to bring this thing to pass as He had told Abraham so many years earlier. God many times has used weather to bring about His purpose. It started with the flood. Abraham's life prophesied this even with Jacob. Unknowingly Abraham played out this scenario of going to Egypt during a drought when he took Sarah and his servants and families to Egypt in Gen. 12:10.
The food sacks were empty now and Jacob is facing the prospect again of his family being in danger of starving. We are also again reminded of the drought's affect being mainly on the crops of grain. There were certain fruits and nuts still available to Abraham and his family because this was among the things Abraham told his sons to take as a gift to the man in charge in Egypt. (a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:) (vs. 111). As I stated earlier these probably grew along waterways and in valleys with streams near by. The spices would have probably been traded for.. It is not a contradiction as while you could survive on these if the quantity were sufficient you could not take care of all the family of nearly seventy (Gen. 46:27) which were in Egypt.
An argument ensues over going back to Egypt without Benjamin and we then are treated to a contrast between the character of Judah and the character of Reuben. Reuben had said: kill my sons if I don't return with the boy. Judah says entrust the boy with me and let the consequences fall on my head if I don't return with him. This is a great difference. Judah says I will bear the blame and consequences and Reuben says I may bear the blame but let the punishment fall on my two sons.
As Jacob is faced with little choice in the matter he relents at Judah's argument and approves of the journey back to Egypt. His instruction is to take the money that was returned and also enough for the next purchase along with the gifts mentioned earlier. After all a little "greasing of the palm" goes along way with many in the world of trade and commerce.
In closing the passage we see that Jacob resigns himself to "que sera, sera" with the caveat that what ever will be will be in the Lord's hands. This is were his faith should have been from the beginning. "And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
It is interesting to me that Abraham makes such distinction between Benjamin and "your other brother". Why would he not say "my son Simeon and my son Benjamin". Bother were sons but we can readily see the favoritism that Jacob is showing to Benjamin. He had shown the same favoritism to Joseph and this is what initially brought on the jealousy between Joseph and his other brothers. There is a great lesson here for fathers and mothers. God gives you all of your children and there should be no partiality shown in raising your children. Jealousy and envy are very destructive emotions. Just ask Cain.
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