1 - 14 The Second Journey to Egypt
1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.” 3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you do not send [him], we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had [another] brother?” 7 But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you [another] brother?’ So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. 9 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. 10 For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.” 11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If [it must be] so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double [the] money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; 14 and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
Joseph and Benjamin together are a picture of the Messiah. In Joseph we see the suffering servant of the LORD, rejected and in this time glorified. In Benjamin we see the Messiah Who will soon reign in power and majesty (Gen 49:27), the Son of the right hand of the Father (Gen 35:18). The orthodox Jews expect the Messiah today, but only as Benjamin. The brothers have rejected Joseph, but they love Benjamin.
The most terrible thing for Jacob is not famine, but that he has to give Benjamin away. Forced by the famine Jacob and the brothers now have to bring Benjamin to Joseph, that means to unite Benjamin and Joseph. Judah, who urged the rejection of Joseph (Gen 37:26-27), now shows himself as the one who seeks the interest of his father and Benjamin. There is a work of restoration going on in him and the brothers. Jacob finally admits. First he arranges everything again to appease “the man”. Only then does he give the matter into the hands of God, the Almighty. Here we see for a moment the old Jacob again.
Yet there is also the remembrance of the mercy of God, upon which he wants to trust. We can entrust ourselves to this in the way we have to go; there is no other way. Sometimes we have to be forced to experience that mercy. Jacob thinks he loses everything, but he gets back everything and that to a greater extent than he has lost it. Thus is God’s way to bless us.
15 - 23 Reception in Egypt
15 So the men took this present, and they took double [the] money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “[It is] because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.” 19 So they came near to Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, 21 and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. 22 We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He said, “Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
They are on their way, with Benjamin. But it remains to be proven whether they go only because of hunger and therefore take Benjamin with them, or whether there is real care for Benjamin. When Joseph sees that the brothers have Benjamin with them, his heart opens further for them. He wants them to come to his house and eat with him. Joseph desires to bless the brothers, but all the benefits only make the brothers more afraid and suspicious. They don’t trust it. Again they try to calm their consciences by giving all kinds of explanations and apologies.
Then they hear from the mouth of Joseph’s house steward: “Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks.” They already have been paid for what they want to buy, without knowing it. They are on their way to learn that no one’s own merit can provide for the need in which they are, but that everything is provided for by the grace of God. We must also learn that lesson and we must also repeat it at times.
24 - 34 Second Meeting with Joseph
24 Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. 25 So they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there. 26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. 27 Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” They bowed down in homage. 29 As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried [out] for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought [a place] to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.” 32 So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians. 33 Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34 He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
When they arrive at Joseph, they bow down before him for the second time. Joseph does not ask for their money, but acts according to his own heart. He cares for them. The brothers think they should bring a gift now that they will dine with the viceroy. However, Joseph does not seem to pay any attention to the gift. In the same way, we too do not need to come to God with gifts if we think that by doing so we will please Him.
Joseph has said: “The men are to dine with me at noon” (verse 16). Accepting this just like that goes too far for someone who is not convinced of his goodness. Even today it still applies to anyone who, out of false humility, refuses to accept the offer of the Lord Jesus: “Come; for everything is ready now” (Lk 14:16-17).
Joseph is not interested in their gifts, but in themselves. He asks about their welfare and how their old father is doing. With the question about their welfare, his father had sent him to the brothers more than twenty years ago (Gen 37:14). Their answer is that he is well. But is it true? In their answer they do not mention anything of the grief of their old father.
When Joseph sees Benjamin, he has to cry again. He secludes himself for this purpose. Sometimes it is good that others see our tears (Acts 20:19; 2Tim 1:4), but sometimes it is also good that others do not see our tears (cf. Jer 13:17; Lk 22:62). How much he would have liked to have made himself known! But the work in the brothers is not finished yet. In the same way the Lord Jesus deals with the woman at the well of Sychar in John 4. He does not reveal Himself directly to her either, but only after her conscience has come into the light (Jn 4:25-26).
Joseph controls himself. Although he has not yet made himself known, he shows through the arrangement at the table that he knows them and their history. This again impresses the brothers, who notice from this dealing that their high-ranked host possesses supernatural knowledge about their family relationships. They can only look at one another in astonishment. By giving Benjamin five times more than the brothers, Joseph tests their attitude toward Benjamin. Will they become jealous or will they grant it to him?
At the end of the chapter we read for the first time after all the sadness about cheerfulness. The brothers’ joy is not yet about Joseph himself, but only about what they receive from him.