“Genesis 43:16-25”

Sunday, April 12, 2020

“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.’ So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 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.’ So they came near to Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, and said, ‘Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, 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. We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.’ 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. 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. So they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“When Joseph saw Benjamin with them…” (verse 16) Even though Benjamin was very young the last time Joseph had seen him over two decades earlier, he still recognized his only full brother when he laid eyes on him. He informed the servant who managed his house to make preparations for a feast large enough to feed a party of twelve, as all of Israel’s sons would be sitting down to a meal together for the first time in a very long time. Of course, Joseph’s brothers were unaware that they were being brought to his palace for a meal and they were filled with dread when the steward “brought the men to Joseph’s house” (verse 17).

“Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house…” (verse 18) “Because they alone, of all the buyers of grain, are singled out for this treatment. The brothers are probably aware of the fact that high Egyptian officials maintained private dungeons in their homes…” (Nahum Sarna) “The fear of the brothers is understandable enough. Joseph, the Chief Deputy of the all-powerful Pharaoh was supreme in Egypt, no doubt living in a place befitting his rank and authority. That these travelers from the land of Canaan were invited into such a place was no doubt an occasion for the most dreadful apprehension and fear. Supposing that the money in their sacks after the first journey might be an occasion for their seizure, they sought to put that matter at rest in advance by returning the money to the steward. His answers must have confounded and confused them even more.” (James Burton Coffman)

“Each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand.” (verse 21) The brothers immediately pled the case for their innocence to the chief steward in attempts to stave off any retribution that Joseph may have had in store for them. “We do not know who put our money in our sacks…” (verse 22) They chose their words carefully so as not to appear to be accusing any Egyptian official of any sort of shenanigans and thereby compounding their trouble. But Joseph’s steward tried to alleviate their fears by saying, “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.” (verse 23) Joseph had made his most trusted steward privy to and participant in this whole affair, and he was wise enough to attribute any act of benevolence to the God of heaven. “It appears, from what he said, that by his good master he was brought to the knowledge of the true God, the God of the Hebrews. Religious servants should take all fit occasions to speak of God and his providence, with reverence and seriousness.” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary)

“Then he brought Simeon out to them.” (verse 23) When they saw their brother freed from his fetters and looking fit as a fiddle, their fears must have been allayed further still. “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.” (verse 24).” “He then conducted them into Joseph's house, and received them in Oriental fashion as the guests of his lord.” (Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament) All of this royal treatment must have seemed way too good to be true to the minds these guilt-laden brothers who had expected and feared the very worst. “So they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.” (verse 25) It appeared that everything was going to work out in their favor after all, but the intrigue was not quite over yet. Joseph was still emotionally torn about how best to deal with these beloved brothers who had mistreated and scarred him so terribly.

Please read Genesis 43:26-34 for tomorrow.

Have a wonderful Lord’s Day!

-Louie Taylor

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