Buying Food and Bowing Down

 Read Genesis 42

Where do Hollywood writers go to learn plot twists and where to break the story so the reader or viewer can’t wait for the next episode?  The last few chapters of Genesis would be one place to learn this.

The chapter ends with Jacob—Israel—refusing to let his sons return to Egypt for food.  The lord of the land required that they bring their youngest brother with them.

That would mean that Jacob might lose both of his sons that came by his wife—the wife he so loved—Rachel. She was gone now too.  Might he lose everything?

I’m thinking this was sweeps week when they wrote this chapter.

How did we get to this point?

Israel’s family was out of food.  His sons had wives and children and they needed food.  So 10 brothers loaded up their donkeys with silver and headed to Egypt to buy food.  Word was out that Egypt had food.

Once they arrived, they appeared before the lord of the land.  That person was Joseph and his brothers bowed before him.

Joseph recognized them but they did not recognize him. Joseph declared that these men were spies. Joseph need not prove they were spies.  He was the top dog and if he said they were spies, then spies they were.

The burden of proof was on the brothers to prove otherwise.  Joseph questioned them about their family, including their father and youngest brother.  The whole time the brothers are oblivious to the fact that this was Joseph talking to them.

Joseph kept Simeon in prison while the 9 other brothers departed with their grain, and unbeknownst to them, the silver that they brought to pay for the grain.

Simeon would only be released when the brothers returned with their youngest brother. On the trip home, they discovered that silver had been placed in one of their grain bags.

When they arrived home, they discovered that the silver had been returned with all of the bags.  This couldn’t bode well for their relationship with the governor of Egypt.  Might he send soldiers to capture them?  Might they never see Simeon again?

They had food for the moment, but could they return for more?

In the midst of all of these things, the brothers had an epiphany.  This is all because of how we treated our brother, Joseph.  They did not recognize Joseph when they saw him in Egypt, but his memory and what they had done to him were gripping their minds now.

Reuben threw in an I told you so. As usual, that didn’t do anything to help the situation.

We end the chapter with Israel’s family out of food again.  He was unwilling to send Benjamin back with them.  So at this point, he has lost Joseph and Simeon will be lost to him as well.  For things to be otherwise, he must put Benjamin at risk.

He would not do that.  The Hollywood writers end the chapter here.

We know there is more to come.  You can’t have another episode if all the characters die of starvation. We know there is more to come, but what did we learn here?

Joseph was overwhelmed to see his family again.  He broke down in tears.  The brother didn’t see it, but there was joy in his heart at this reunion.

Joseph still remembered what his brothers did to him and he treated them harshly.  Do you remember us talking about the names of Joseph’s children and how that indicated that Joseph had put his past suffering behind him? Now that past stood before him.

The word karma comes to mind, but it is simply the plan of God to save the known world and bring Israel’s children into Egypt unfolding.

Joseph saw one of his visions manifested before him.  The brothers—at least 10 of them bowed before him.  That had to register at multiple levels.

Joseph experienced joy, anger, and fulfillment of what God had shown him in a dream all at once. Joseph wanted to see his entire family, especially his father and younger brother.  Joseph manipulated the situation.  He was the top dog and could do what he wanted and he wanted to see Benjamin.

He also wanted to feed his father’s family and make his brothers sweat.

What a fine place to end the chapter.  Now the previews of the next episode include a return to Egypt and a trip to Joseph’s own home for a meal.  But will this be a good thing or their last supper?

The brothers still must be wrestling with the thought that this somehow had something to do with how they treated—mistreated—Joseph.  What could it all mean?

Stayed tuned.

Amen.