Genesis 41 ends with famine throughout the land, and 42, begins with Jacob’s response to that famine. Fearing starvation, Jacob sends his sons—except for Benjamin—to Egypt for grain. When Joseph who is in charge of all the grain sees his brothers coming to him for food, he recalls the dream that he told them as a teen. He also realizes that his brother, Benjamin is missing from the group of brothers. Joseph then put the brothers (who don’t recognize him) in prison for three days, releases them all except for Simeon, and tells them that Simeon will only be released when the last brother, Benjamin, is brought before Joseph.

When I read this text, I couldn’t help but think about how Joseph must have felt at seeing his brothers—deep-felt hurt mixed with longing to once again know the family life that was taken away from him—a family life that he tried to forget. Seeing his brothers had to have brought a flood of memories back to Joseph, some of which it seemed he wanted to forget as written in Genesis 41:51-52 (Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” He named the second Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”).

But Joseph wasn’t the only one hurting. Jacob was devastated by the loss of Joseph, then Simeon—and he didn’t want to also lose Benjamin. Even when Reuben offered his two sons to Jacob in an effort to ensure Benjamin’s safety, Jacob refused the offer.

With nothing left to eat in the land of Canaan, the tribe is in desperate need of food, and so Judah pleads with Jacob to let Benjamin go with him to Egypt. This time, however, Jacob accepts the offer—but why? Judah doesn’t offer his children to Jacob as Reuben did, but instead offers himself and tells Jacob, “I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.” (Genesis 43:9) If you remember, it was Judah that said, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. (Genesis 37:26-27) But why did Judah offer his life for the brother that he suggested selling to the Ishmaelites? At first I was really confused by Judah’s actions. But then when I read the text back in Genesis 37 again I realized that Joseph’s brothers had originally plotted to kill him–Judah’s suggestion spared his life. And while it may not seem like the best outcome for Joseph, it did fulfill God’s plan for him.

I guess the thing that grabs me the most about this story is the raw emotions of it. Joseph, when he saw his brothers was overcome with emotion. Jacob, too, is overcome with grief at the loss of first Joseph and then Simeon–and to think that he was asked to let go of Benjamin was almost too much to bear. Then there’s Judah that responds to the pleas of his father by offering himself and accepting full responsibility willing to “bear the blame” for the rest of his life–he was willing to bear his father’s grief and sorrow for the rest of his life. And then at the end of Genesis 43, Benjamin is brought before Joseph. Here again, Joseph is raw with emotions as he gives the brothers food from his table. Joseph gives Benjamin five times what he gives the others displaying his love for his younger brother in the only way he could at the time.

My heart breaks for this family that’s been through such pain, sorrow and loss–and yet there’s such hope–hope in God’s promise fulfilled through Israel (Jacob) and his descendants. Repeatedly in the text leading up to these chapters, it’s stated how God was with Joseph–and everyone around him recognized the presence of God. Having said that though, it was not necessarily the most comfortable place to be. When we look back at this story, Joseph was a slave and then in prison first (before his high position in Egypt) where he must have struggled for his most basic needs to be met–but God was with him. Then when he was put in a position of authority over Egypt and while his physical needs were certainly met, he experienced deep pain and sorrow.

Thinking about this in this way, it reminded me of Paul in the New Testament who after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus, was forever changed and lived his life completely for Christ. There was no other option for him. Paul had experienced the Living God. Paul described his life in 2 Corinthians 11 this way…

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.
27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Paul, in a somewhat similar way to Joseph, did not live a comfortable life after encountering God. When I read these verses describing Paul’s hardships, I not only read about his basic survival challenges, but I also read how he kind of says on top of all of that, the biggest thing he faced was concern for the churches–those people that were learning or needed to know more about Jesus.

When we embark on this spiritual journey towards Jesus, it’s not necessarily an easy life. I would even venture to say that the further we go on this journey and the closer we get to God, the more intense our life will become. When we experience joy, it will be intense joy; and when we experience pain it will be equally intense. Also, I think the further we go, the more we will see how it’s not necessarily the physical comforts/needs that get all our attention—but instead what becomes the ‘biggest things’ for us are in the spiritual realm…those things that are important to God.

© 2005 Ginny Rogers