Ben to Canaan

Genesis 42

The famine is going strong and Jacob hears of grain in Egypt. He curtly tells his sons to go buy some. They all go, but leave Bennie behind- Jacob was afraid that some harm would come to him.

Once again I'm struck by the blatant favoritism shown by Jacob. Many of his kids seem to be bad news, but I wonder how much of that is because they know they aren't loved as much as the spawn of Rachel.

When they arrive in Egypt, Joseph sees them and recognizes them. He pretends to be a stranger and even speaks with an interpreter which ends up enabling him to eavesdrop on their conversation. What's the motivation of Joseph here? Is this revenge rearing it's ugly head? Is he just making the reconciliation dramatic? At some point does he see it as a means to reunite with his full-brother Bennie? Is it a combination of all of these things?

They bow down to him (Joseph remembers his dream) and ask to buy food. Joseph accuses them of being spies and tells them they can't leave until the youngest brother comes to Egypt- an event that would verify the claim of who they are. He says they can send one brother back to get him.

He apparently reconsiders, maybe like his dad fearing for Bennie's safety, or maybe just being compassionate, because he lets them all go except Simeon. Why does he pick out Simeon? Is he especially resentful toward him? Does he like him best and this will give him an opportunity to be around him while the travel occurs?

So the nine brothers return home with grain intending to return with Benjamin. They come to realize though that the silver they used to purchase the grain has all been returned in their baggage. Having already been suspected as spies, this scares them. Will the Egyptians think they are theives? What will happen to Simeon when the silver is discovered missing?

Jacob is at wits end- first Joseph is gone, then Simeon, and now Benjamin is to leave? The world is against me. Reuben swears to him on the lives of his children that he will bring Bennie back to him. Jacob wants none of it- not gonna happen my friend.

Seems odd that Reuben would offer the lives of his own children on a proposition as shaky as this. Why would he be willing to risk this? Does he have an inflated view of his ability to keep Benjamin safe? After all, he did so well protecting Joseph and Simeon. Does he suspect that something is amiss with the Egyptian situation? Does he have amazing faith in Yahweh?

And what kind of grandfather would be satisfied after losing his son by killing his grandchildren. Not this grandfather apparently- because he says no.

Big lesson for me. Jacob thinks all is lost- Joseph, Simeon and soon to be Bennie- all things he assumes will be forever gone. But he's wrong- his woe, his stress, his paranoia are all unwarranted. How much stress do we bring on ourselves assuming the worst, forgetting that God's with us and keeping us safe. Our worries usually don't fall into the death of child category, but maybe we worry about the stress of the job, or selling the house, or losing some weight, or even dealing with our sinful natures- and then we get a raise, or the house sells, or the weight drops or we receive peace that passes all understanding and we wonder what all the stress was about in the first place.