Genesis 46

Genesis 46

Genesis 46:1 So Israel started out with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and there slaughtered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

Genesis 46:2 And God spoke to Israel in visions at night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he responded, “Notice me.”

Genesis 46:3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, because there I will set you up as a large nation.

Genesis 46:4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”

Genesis 46:5 Then Jacob left from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

Genesis 46:6 They also took their cattle and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his seed with him,

Genesis 46:7 his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. He brought all his seed with him into Egypt.

Genesis 46:8 Here are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn,

Genesis 46:9 and the sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

Genesis 46:10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.

Genesis 46:11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Genesis 46:12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

Genesis 46:13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron.

Genesis 46:14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

Genesis 46:15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she gave birth to for Jacob in Paddan-Aram, together with his daughter Dinah; all the throats of his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

Genesis 46:16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

Genesis 46:17 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel.

Genesis 46:18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she gave birth to Jacob – sixteen throats.

Genesis 46:19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife were Joseph and Benjamin.

Genesis 46:20 And Manasseh and Ephraim were given birth to for Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, gave birth to for him.

Genesis 46:21 And the sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

Genesis 46:22 These are the sons of Rachel, who for Jacob were given birth to – fourteen throats in all.

Genesis 46:23 The sons of Dan were Hushim.

Genesis 46:24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

Genesis 46:25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban had given to Rachel his daughter, and these she gave birth to for Jacob- seven throats in all.

Genesis 46:26 All the throats coming from Jacob who came into Egypt, who came from his own body, not counting Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all.

Genesis 46:27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the throats of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

Genesis 46:28 He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen.

Genesis 46:29 Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck again.

Genesis 46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”

Genesis 46:31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

Genesis 46:32 And the men are shepherds, because they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that their possessions.’

Genesis 46:33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

Genesis 46:34 you will say, ‘Your slaves have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may live in the land of Goshen, because every shepherd is repulsive to the Egyptians.”

Genesis 46 quotes:

“But here is another principle. There will be no liberty to look forward to the new and different until we accept God’s own good news as valid and then act upon it. The good news was that Joseph was alive. Jacob had to believe that and act on it. At first this good news was traumatic. His heart fainted, but eventually Jacob accepted the good news. “…It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die” (Genesis 45:28).”

Kendall, R. T. God Meant It for Good. MorningStar Publications, 1988. p. 185.

“In this last in the series of special revelations that marked his pilgrim life, Jacob was reassured that the land of Canaan would be given to him and his descendants. Though Jacob now was leaving Canaan with all his family, God confirmed His promise and revealed to Jacob His plan for ultimately bringing his seed back to the promised land. God’s promise included the following elements: peace, “Fear not to go down into Egypt”; purpose, “for | will there make of thee a great nation”; presence, “| will go down with thee into Egypt”; power, “and | will also surely bring thee up again’; and protection, “And Joseph shall put his hands upon thine eyes” (Genesis 46:3,4). The promise that Joseph would close Jacob’s eyes was a prophecy that Jacob’s last rites would be performed by his own illustrious son.”

McQuay, Earl P. Joseph: Seeing God in the Worst of Times. Acćent Books, 1989. p. 99.

“After a long lifetime of blunders and shortcomings, attempts to change that never really succeeded, after over one hundred years we find frail old Jacob a truly transformed man. Although it took almost a whole lifetime, God was willing patiently to wait to fashion Jacob into the kind of person he ought to be. And if the Lord did that for Jacob, is he not willing and able to do it for you and me?”

Searle, David C. Joseph: “His Arms Were Made Strong.” Banner of Truth Trust, 2012. p. 121.

Genesis 46 links:

a joyous call
Attention, witnesses!
demonstrating his faithfulness
Joseph- grace and integrity
Spring up, Oh Well

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, January 28, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, January 28, 2021

GENESIS in Jeff’s library

Genesis 45

Genesis 45

Genesis 45:1 Then Joseph could no longer restrain himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Send everyone away from me.” So, no one remained with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

Genesis 45:2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the residents of Pharaoh’s household heard it.

Genesis 45:3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, because they were troubled by his presence.

Genesis 45:4 So Joseph told his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

Genesis 45:5 Now do not be troubled or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, because God sent me before you to preserve life.

Genesis 45:6 Because the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.

Genesis 45:7 So God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the land, and to keep alive for you many survivors.

Genesis 45:8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Genesis 45:9 Go up to my father quickly and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay.

Genesis 45:10 You will dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

Genesis 45:11 There I will provide for you, because there are yet five years of famine to come, or else you and your household, and all that you have, will be reduced to poverty.’

Genesis 45:12 And notice that your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.

Genesis 45:13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Quickly bring my father down here.”

Genesis 45:14 Then he embraced his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

Genesis 45:15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

Genesis 45:16 Then the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” and it delighted Pharaoh and his slaves.

Genesis 45:17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: load your donkeys and go back to the land of Canaan,

Genesis 45:18 and bring your father and your families, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat from the fat of the land.’

Genesis 45:19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

Genesis 45:20 Have no concern for your goods there, because the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'”

Genesis 45:21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, as Pharaoh commanded, and gave them provisions for the journey.

Genesis 45:22 To each and all of them he gave sets of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothing.

Genesis 45:23 To his father he sent these: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provisions for his father on the journey.

Genesis 45:24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they left, he said to them, “Do not be agitated on the way.”

Genesis 45:25 And they left Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob.

Genesis 45:26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart went numb, because he did not believe them.

Genesis 45:27 But when they told him all the words that Joseph said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the breath of their father Jacob revived.

Genesis 45:28 And Israel said, “This is too much; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Genesis 45 quotes:

“What was the first thing Joseph did9 After Judah finished his speech, Joseph cried, “…Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him…” (Genesis 45:1). When Joseph made himself known unto his brethren, it was secret. Why did Joseph do that? He did not want the Egyptians to know what his ten brothers had done to him. It was going to be a secret buried for ever and ever.”

Kendall, R. T. God Meant It for Good. MorningStar Publications, 1988. p. 153.

“God would save the family from extinction by the famine because He would one day fulfil the promise given to Abraham to make them into a great nation through whom He would accomplish his purpose in the world. That purpose is nothing less than the reconciliation of the world. “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). And we, through our own reconciliation are now instruments in furthering that work through our preaching and witness. For God “has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Williams, Peter. From Eden to Egypt: Exploring the Genesis Themes. DayOne, 2001. p. 39.

“The ending of this story brings tears to my eyes when I realize how much Joseph endured, how much he trusted, how long he waited, and how much God blessed him. He had been a slave boy on an auction block with no appreciable value, but now he said to the brothers who had sent him there, “Tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen” (Genesis 45:13).”

Isaacs, Bill. Embracing Destiny: Lessons from the Life of Joseph. Pathway Press, 2001. p. 171.

Genesis 45 links:

introducing the breath of God
Joseph- sent on a mission
seeing the mission
this is too much

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Monday, January 28, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, January 28, 2021

GENESIS in Jeff’s library

BE BRAVE

BE BRAVE

Esther 4:12-17 NET.

The stories in the Old Testament serve as lessons for us. They show the actions and behaviors that are expected of God’s people or reveal the opposite—the things believers should avoid. We need to pay close attention when reading because some Old Testament characters change their roles halfway through. They might start rebellious and then repent, or begin righteous and make a wrong turn or a terrible mistake. Therefore, reading these Old Testament narratives is not always easy.

We need to read the stories in the order we received them because that provides us with context. Context helps us understand what the characters are doing and why they are doing it. For example, today’s text is set during exile. This is the period when the Israelites are no longer in the land of Israel. They have been condemned by God for their lack of faithfulness and punished by exile. Exile is when people are taken from their land and brought to a new land by their conqueror.

Esther recounts the story of the Jews in Persia. The king had dismissed his queen, and he chose a new queen who happened to be Jewish. The villain of the story is an Agagite named Haman, who was violently anti-Semitic long before Hitler. Haman schemes to use the king’s power to eliminate the Jews.

Another key character in Esther is Mordecai, the cousin and guardian of Esther. Mordecai discovers a plot to destroy the Jews and appeals to Esther to intervene. When she learns of the plot, she wants to help save her people, but there is a problem. The protocol for appealing to the king is that he must first summon you. But Esther had not been called into the King’s presence in a month. Anyone who dares to enter the King’s presence without an invitation risks being executed. Esther understood the situation and chose to bravely enter the King’s presence to plead for her people’s lives.

If we look a little further back, we can see that another layer is at play in the story of Esther. There is a broader background as well as a more immediate one. In Esther, the sovereign God is protecting the people of Israel, from whom the Messiah will eventually come. That is another aspect we should recognize in these Old Testament stories. All of them reveal something about our Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prepares the way for Christ’s first coming.

The book of Esther highlights one aspect of faith. It is a quality of biblical faith that isn’t often emphasized when we discuss what it means to have faith. In the New Testament book of Revelation, we find a list of all the people who will be excluded from eternal life and will be destroyed in the lake of fire. It states this: “But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

I find it interesting that the first item on the list of those who will be destroyed in hell is cowards. Of all the things that the Bible describes as bad or evil, why put cowardice first?

I think there is a very good reason for this. Remember that the New Testament also tells us that our adversary, the devil, is prowling around looking for someone to devour. It does not ask us to hide from him. It does not tell us to run from him. It does not ask us to aim our rifles at him while he is far away and shoot him. It says that we are to resist him. Resistance requires contact. We must put ourselves in harm’s way and trust that God will accomplish his will. There’s no guarantee that we will always win.

There is no bravery without an obstacle.

We learned from Queen Esther not to let obstacles prevent us from standing up against enemies’ attacks. The obstacle Esther faced was that she had to enter the King’s presence to appeal to him on behalf of her people, but doing so could have cost her life.

Other biblical characters face the same challenge. Doing what is right could very likely cost them their lives. Daniel faced the lions in the den, his three companions faced the fire in the furnace, David faced Goliath, and Paul went to his death in Rome because he knew God wanted him to share the gospel with the emperor. One of the signs of faith in the Bible is that the people of God bravely set their sights on doing God’s will even when doing so is dangerous.

Another lesson we learned from Esther is that God is at work in every conflict, but we still must be brave.

I used to enjoy playing certain computer games where you faced dangerous challenges. I especially liked playing those games in what we called God Mode. If you set your settings to God Mode, then the bullets wouldn’t hurt you. The game remained challenging, but you had all the time you needed, and you could make all the mistakes possible without dying. Some people think that Christian life is like playing a game in God Mode. They believe they can face any challenge and don’t need to worry because their faith will protect them from losing. But that’s not what the Christian life is about. Esther is an example to follow, not because she was immune to danger, but because she wasn’t. She truly risked her life to do what was right. The world is full of cowards who aren’t willing to do the same.

God says that if we acknowledge Him before people, He will acknowledge us in the presence of His angels. But cowards hide behind their ignorance. They proclaim themselves as agnostics because they don’t want to offend anyone by claiming that Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords. They think they are saving themselves through their cowardice. But the fact is that refusing to bow the knee to Christ is like what Haman did. He built gallows, intending to hang Mordecai on them. However, he ended up being hanged from the very gallows he built.

The book we are reading today is called Esther because Esther showed faith to stand up and be counted to save her people. Esther had faith, and that faith was brave. But this is not just a story of one person’s faith. Before Esther went into the King’s presence, she told Mordecai to gather all the Israelites praying and fasting for her.

Not every Christian will face the kind of challenges she did, but we should all be ready to support those who do.

The New Testament encourages us all to pray and fast, but not solely for our preservation. Note these specific times when the apostle Paul asked others to pray for him.

  • He asked the Roman Christians to pray that he might be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea (Romans 15:31).
  • He asked the Ephesian Christians to stay alert and persevere in prayer for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18).
  • He also asked them to pray that he would stay bold in proclaiming the gospel even though he was in chains (Ephesians 6:20).
  • He asked the Colossian Christians to pray that God would give him and his team an opportunity to speak the mystery of Christ (Colossians 4:3).
  • He asked the Thessalonians to pray that as he and his team traveled to other places, the word of the Lord would spread quickly and be honored just as it was with them (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

Biblical faith is courageous faith. One reason we can be brave is that we know an army of prayer warriors is backing us up.

Communion Meditation

John 10:18

“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I received this command from my father.”

We have discussed bravery as an aspect of faith. Esther demonstrated this bravery when she risked her life to save her people. She feared death, so she called for prayer and fasting on her behalf. Her bravery wasn’t the absence of fear; it was the courage to do what was right despite her fears.

Jesus is our example of that kind of courageous faith. He didn’t want to die, but he was brave enough to submit to God’s will and die in our place.

Today’s communion text tells us that God commanded both Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The father told the son to do it, and Jesus bravely did it. His one active obedience demonstrated both his compassion for us and his obedience to his father.

Genesis 44

Genesis 44

Genesis 44:1 Then he commanded the one over of his house, and this is what he said “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack,

Genesis 44:2 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph commanded him.

Genesis 44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys.

Genesis 44:4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Then Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?

Genesis 44:5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil by doing this.'”

Genesis 44:6 When he caught up with them, he said these words to them.

Genesis 44:7 They answered him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your slaves to do such a thing!

Genesis 44:8 See, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?

Genesis 44:9 Whoever of your slaves is found with it will die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

Genesis 44:10 He said, “It will be as you say: he who is found with it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be innocent.”

Genesis 44:11 Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

Genesis 44:12 And he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

Genesis 44:13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

Genesis 44:14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground.

Genesis 44:15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?”

Genesis 44:16 And Judah said, “What will we say to my lord? What will we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has discovered the guilt of your slaves; notice, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.”

Genesis 44:17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found will be my slave. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Genesis 44:18 Then Judah went up to him and said, “O my lord, please let your slave speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your slave, because you are like Pharaoh himself.

Genesis 44:19 My lord asked his slaves, and this is what he said, ‘Do you have a father, or another brother?’

Genesis 44:20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a younger brother, the child of his old age. His other brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’

Genesis 44:21 Then you said to your slaves, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

Genesis 44:22 But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, because if he ever left his father, his father would die.’

Genesis 44:23 Then you said to your slaves, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’

Genesis 44:24 “When we went back to your slave my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Genesis 44:25 Then when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’

Genesis 44:26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we can go down. Because we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

Genesis 44:27 Then your slave my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave birth to two sons for me.

Genesis 44:28 One left me, and I said, he must have been torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since.

Genesis 44:29 If you take this one also from me, and injury happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs by hardship to Sheol.’

Genesis 44:30 “So now, as soon as I come to your slave my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his throat is bound up in the boy’s throat,

Genesis 44:31 as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your slaves will bring down the grey hairs of your slave our father grieving to Sheol.

Genesis 44:32 Because your slave has become a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, and this is what I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will absorb the failure before my father all the days.’

Genesis 44:33 So Now, please let your slave remain instead of the boy as a slave to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.

Genesis 44:34 Because how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? Or else I could not look on the evil that would find my father.”

Genesis 44 quotes:

“Judah knew what it would mean if they had to go back to Canaan and face their father without Benjamin. The thought of that was something none of them could bear. Judah stepped forward. He made the most tearful plea you could ever imagine. The first thing he sought to do was turn Joseph’s wrath away from Benjamin. “Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh” (Genesis 44:18, italics mine). Judah’s aim was to persuade the governor not to be angry with Benjamin. He said in effect, “Turn to me, blame me.””

Kendall, R. T. God Meant It for Good. MorningStar Publications, 1988. p. 142.

“Reference to Joseph’s divining cup may seem strange, but we do not know that he actually used it for that purpose, and mention of it was probably part of his strategy to convince the brothers of his Egyptian identity.”

Williams, Peter. From Eden to Egypt: Exploring the Genesis Themes. DayOne, 2001. p. 36.

“As we pick up his story, we come to what seems to be a rather uneventful incident. In fact, Martin Luther had trouble with Genesis 44 and once wondered why the Spirit of God took the time to preserve such a trivial thirty-four verses.” Why indeed. The truth of the matter is that it is in the trivial and mundane details of life that our attitude is tested the most. Most of life is not “super-fantastic”! Much of life is just a cut above toothpaste — just plain, garden-variety, ordinary stuff, not that much to write home about.”

Swindoll, Charles R. Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness: Profiles in Character. Thomas Nelson, 1998. p. 136.

Genesis 44 links:

a pledge of safety
Excursus- Sheol- The Old Testament Consensus
Joseph- a test for his brothers
only those who love the Father
Sheol in the Bible- The Old Testament Consensus

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Friday, January 25, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, January 26, 2023
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Wednesday, January 27, 2021

GENESIS in Jeff’s library

GENESIS in Jeff’s library

Genesis 43

Genesis 43

Genesis 43:1 Now the famine was heavy in the land.

Genesis 43:2 And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, purchase us a little food.”

Genesis 43:3 But Judah said to him, “The man gravely warned us, saying, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

Genesis 43:4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and purchase food for you.

Genesis 43:5 But if you do not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'”

Genesis 43:6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so poorly as to tell the man that you had another brother?”

Genesis 43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us suspiciously about ourselves and our kin, and this is what he said, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we said to him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

Genesis 43:8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will get up and go, so that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.

Genesis 43:9 I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you will require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me absorb the failure all the days.

Genesis 43:10 If we had not postponed going, we would have come back twice now.”

Genesis 43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be this way, then do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your bags, and carry a gift down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

Genesis 43:12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Maybe it was an oversight.

Genesis 43:13 Take also your brother, and get up, go again to the man.

Genesis 43:14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as far as I am concerned, if I am to become childless, I will be childless.”

Genesis 43:15 So the men took this gift, and they took twice the money with them, and Benjamin. They got up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Genesis 43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and prepare it, because the men are to dine with me at noon.”

Genesis 43:17 The man did what Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

Genesis 43:18 But the men were afraid because they had been brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which had been replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are being brought in, so that he may attack us and fall upon us to make us slaves and seize our donkeys.”

Genesis 43:19 So they approached the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house,

Genesis 43:20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to purchase food.

Genesis 43:21 But when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks and noticed each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full measure. So, we have brought it again with us,

Genesis 43:22 and we have brought other money down with us to purchase food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

Genesis 43:23 He replied, “Peace be to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

Genesis 43:24 And after the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and after he had given their donkeys fodder,

Genesis 43:25 they prepared the gift for Joseph’s coming at noon, because they heard that they would eat their meal there.

Genesis 43:26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the gift that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.

Genesis 43:27 And he asked about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

Genesis 43:28 They said, “Your slave our father is alright; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.

Genesis 43:29 And he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God favor you, my son!”

Genesis 43:30 Then Joseph hurried out, because his emotion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to cry. And he entered his chamber and cried there.

Genesis 43:31 Then he washed his face and came out. And after controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.”

Genesis 43:32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, because that is repulsive[1] to the Egyptians.

Genesis 43:33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in shock.

Genesis 43:34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were cheerful with him.

[1] תּוֹעֵבָה = repulsive. Genesis 43:32; 46:34.

Genesis 43 quotes:

“The ten came to dinner. What was their reaction to all this? “And the men were afraid…” (Genesis 43:18). Often one’s initial reaction to any work of God is fear. When good things are happening to us, or strange coincidences, are we afraid? We may say to ourselves, “There’s an unseen, higher power at work here.” The fear of God makes us reflect on our lives.”

Kendall, R. T. God Meant It for Good. MorningStar Publications, 1988. p. 126.

“As a final test, when his brothers are ready to leave, Joseph again has money put into the grain sacks, and his own silver cup put into Benjamin’s sack. After the brothers leave, Joseph sends his steward to catch up with them, search them, and accuse them of theft. The steward is ordered to say that Joseph’s sil¬ ver cup is missing, and sure enough, the evi¬ dence is discovered in Benjamin’s sack. Judah makes an eloquent plea to be punished and de¬ tained instead of Benjamin. Joseph can’t bear to hide his identity any longer and finally re¬ veals himself to his brothers in a heart-wrench¬ ing scene.”

McFarland, Alex. Stand: Seeking the Way of God. Tyndale House, 2009. p. 13.

“Before sending his sons on another trip to Egypt Jacob prayed that God Almighty (El Shaddai) would keep them and supply every need (Genesis 43:14). This is the Name by which Isaac blessed Jacob (Genesis 28:3) and the Name whereby God _ identified Himself when He appeared to Jacob and blessed him (Genesis 35:11). Its root, the Hebrew word for “breast,” Shaddai means allsufficient nourisher or bountiful provider. This name assures us that God is “more than enough” in our times of need.”

McQuay, Earl P. Joseph: Seeing God in the Worst of Times. Acćent Books, 1989. p. 89.

Genesis 43 links:

awful choices
facing challenging moments
family love
Joseph- a feast for his brothers
nothing good

Maranatha Daily Devotional – Friday, January 25, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, January 26, 2023
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Wednesday, January 27, 2021

GENESIS in Jeff’s library