| Subject: Gen 43 vss 27-34 post 201 |
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Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 16:46:03 05/27/12 Sun
Genesis 43:27-34 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? 28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. 29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. 30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. 32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
The brothers of Joseph have made their way back to Egypt with gifts and purchase money. They have been met by the steward of Joseph's house and have been ushered into his house. They are to dine with him during the noon meal. Joseph arrives and the questioning starts. Is your father alive and well. They bow before him again and inform him their father is indeed alive and well. All the time Joseph's eyes are darting around the room and he espies Benjamin his younger brother. Although Joseph knew and recognized Benjamin he still asked the question. "Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me?" Without waiting for their reply Joseph says: "God be gracious unto thee, my son." Benjamin was not the son of Joseph so Joseph is speaking figuratively. "Don't worry about anything, I will be with you and take care of you". This is the position that Joseph took not only toward his full brother Benjamin but to his half brothers also. Their lives were in his power and they knew it but he would be as a father to them.
The picture we are given is one of Joseph wanting to make his brothers "sweat" but a greater picture of great love and kinship is emerging. Joseph is weeping on the inside and will soon not be able to contain it and will show it outwardly. We are reminded of Jesus approaching Jerusalem just before his crucifixion. 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.
They didn't know who was standing before them just as Jerusalem did not know the man who was about to enter it's gates.
Joseph can contain himself no longer as he gazes on Benjamin. He rushes from the room into "his chamber" which probably was his bed chamber. There he breaks down and weeps as Jesus did for Lazarus. Here was his brother, lost to him, and as good as dead, for years and now he is standing before him alive. Oh how Joseph wanted to rush upon him and embrace him and shower him with all the love a brother could muster for his sibling. Instead he washes his face to rid himself of the evidence of crying and re-enters the rood with the command to feed the guests.
What takes place next was a scene of great. wonder to the Hebrew brothers that were so graciously treated by this "Egyptian". He has them seated according to their ages and birthright. Reuben first and Benjamin last. While they are seated in the correct manner he is seated apart from the Egyptians and his brothers. because the Egyptians considered eating with a Hebrew and abomination.
The eleven brothers took note of what had happened and marvelled. It was not lost on them how their seating and being served was according to their births. They marvelled. How could he know and why is he not sitting with the other Egyptians?
"And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him." We are again come face to face with numerical mysteries in God's Word. Benjamin's food was "five times" as much as his brothers. Jumping ahead in scriptures we see in Chapter 45 and verse 22 "To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment." In Bible numerology five appears to be a number with two related meanings. Five is the number of death and specifically the death that brought grace. Benjamin's mother died giving life to Benjamin. Rachel named Benjamin "Benoni " which means "son of my sorrow". Jacob changed his name to Benjamin which means "son of my right hand". Jesus was a "man of sorrows" yet he ascended to the right hand of His Father. In death Jesus had five wounds in His body. One in each hand and one in each foot. The fifth was the spear wound in his side which confirmed his death.
In His death he left five pieces of clothing. John 19:23-24 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. Four pieces of raiment. One to each of the four soldiers and His coat which was not parted making 5 pieces of clothing. The death of Jesus brought grace to the world. Unmerited favor. The righteous for the unrighteous.
Finally notice the meal that was served. Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Joseph and his brothers had a wonderful time as they "were merry" with each other. Gone was any fear of this man at this time and with Joseph gone was the feeling of separation with his family. There was one more "tease" in Joseph and then there was to be a great reunion where each would know as he was known. Joseph would reveal himself to his brothers just as Jesus is to reveal himself to his "kinsmen" according to the flesh. What a marvellous day that will be.
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