Jim Parker
Member
Read Genesis 42 to 44
This part of the story starts with Jacob having to get his sons off their butts to take action. There was a great famine and if they don't do something, they will starve. Jacob asked them, "Why are you standing around looking at one another? Go to Egypt and buy some food before we all starve!" These were grown men but they still needed papa to tell them what to do.
Here we find what took place between Joseph and his brothers when they went down to Egypt to buy grain because of the famine which God had previously revealed to Pharaoh. They did not recognize their brother whom they had not seen for over 10 years. (A year or so in Potiphar's house, 2+ years in prison, 7 years of plenty and some time into the 7 years of famine.) All they knew was that he was the most powerful man in that part of the world (after Pharaoh) and that he was being very unfriendly toward them. He made them grovel and beg before him just as he had been shown that they would bow before him in his dreams. (Chapter 37)
So Joseph gave them a very hard time. He immediately accused them as being spys. They feared for their lives because of the things Joseph did to them which made them appear to be thieves. Then they were tested to the limit when Joseph told them that he would keep Benjamin as a slave and not allow him to return to is father, Jacob. They feared that it would be more than their father could bear.
There is a lot of drama portrayed in these three chapters. It's almost like a soap opera in which Joseph gets his revenge on his brothers for what they did to him.
Judah was the one who convinced his brothers to spare Joseph's life by coming up with the idea to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites rather than to kill him. (Gen 37:26) And it is Judah again who steps up to prevent great distress to his father, Jacob, by offering himself as a slave rather than Benjamin. (Gen 44:33)
It is Judah who steps up to save lives and it is from the tribe of Judah the Jesus will come to save the lives of all mankind.
Questions:
What trick did Joseph play on his brothers to make them fear that Joseph would believe them to be thieves?
How did Jacob react when they told him that the next time they went to Egypt for food, they would have to bring Benjamin?
What trick did Joseph play to make it look as if Benjamin was a thief?
This part of the story starts with Jacob having to get his sons off their butts to take action. There was a great famine and if they don't do something, they will starve. Jacob asked them, "Why are you standing around looking at one another? Go to Egypt and buy some food before we all starve!" These were grown men but they still needed papa to tell them what to do.
Here we find what took place between Joseph and his brothers when they went down to Egypt to buy grain because of the famine which God had previously revealed to Pharaoh. They did not recognize their brother whom they had not seen for over 10 years. (A year or so in Potiphar's house, 2+ years in prison, 7 years of plenty and some time into the 7 years of famine.) All they knew was that he was the most powerful man in that part of the world (after Pharaoh) and that he was being very unfriendly toward them. He made them grovel and beg before him just as he had been shown that they would bow before him in his dreams. (Chapter 37)
So Joseph gave them a very hard time. He immediately accused them as being spys. They feared for their lives because of the things Joseph did to them which made them appear to be thieves. Then they were tested to the limit when Joseph told them that he would keep Benjamin as a slave and not allow him to return to is father, Jacob. They feared that it would be more than their father could bear.
There is a lot of drama portrayed in these three chapters. It's almost like a soap opera in which Joseph gets his revenge on his brothers for what they did to him.
Judah was the one who convinced his brothers to spare Joseph's life by coming up with the idea to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites rather than to kill him. (Gen 37:26) And it is Judah again who steps up to prevent great distress to his father, Jacob, by offering himself as a slave rather than Benjamin. (Gen 44:33)
It is Judah who steps up to save lives and it is from the tribe of Judah the Jesus will come to save the lives of all mankind.
Questions:
What trick did Joseph play on his brothers to make them fear that Joseph would believe them to be thieves?
How did Jacob react when they told him that the next time they went to Egypt for food, they would have to bring Benjamin?
What trick did Joseph play to make it look as if Benjamin was a thief?
