Scripture: Now the famine was severe in the land. And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'” Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
Genesis 43:1-14 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, with the widespread famine, Jacob directs his sons to travel to Egypt and buy grain but keeps Benjamin by his side for fear of losing him. When they arrive, Joseph recognizes them, but they do not recognize him. To test their hearts, Joseph carries on a ruse that they are spies. So they tell their story. Hearing that Benjamin is alive, Joseph demands that one of them return with the youngest brother to prove their innocence.
Meanwhile, he imprisons all of them for three days. He then announces he will retain one (Simeon) while the others must return to him with their youngest brother to prove their innocence. Next, Joseph orders his servants to fill their sacks with grain and the money they brought and send them on their way. When the brothers arrive home, they tell Jacob everything that transpired and explain they must return with Benjamin to prove their innocence. Overwhelmed, Jacob laments his loss of Joseph and Simeon and questions why he should release Benjamin to them. So, Reuben speaks up and bargains for the lives of his two sons if he fails to return with Benjamin. Still, Jacob refuses, saying that if he were to lose the last of Rachel’s sons, he would die in sorrow.
Today’s reading continues the story of the dilemma of Jacob’s conflicting concerns. Having run out of food, Jacob orders his sons to return to Egypt and buy grain. But Judah reminds his father that it will not go well if they fail to bring Benjamin as evidence that they are not spies. As expected, Jacob initially rebukes his sons and refuses to release Benjamin. Keen to resolve the crisis and establish good standing with the governor (i.e., Joseph), Judah pledges himself, bearing the blame forever if he fails to return Benjamin safely to his father.
Jacob accepts that food is a pressing need and sets aside his fear of losing Benjamin. He directs his sons to take Benjamin with gifts of fruit, balm, honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds from their scarce supply and double the money they took from the first journey. Lastly, offering a blessing for the journey and prayer for Bemjamin’s return, Jacob resigns the outcome to God—even if it entails bereavement.
Observation: As the story of Joseph’s interactions with his brothers unfolds, the imagery steadily reverberates 1800 years ahead to the pinnacle of time when our beloved Brother embarked on his mission. Indeed, the Son (a descendant of Judah) pledged himself to the Father to ensure our safe return. And if he failed, he too would bear the blame forever. But unlike Judah, Jesus paid a ransom in sacrificing his very life to ensure that no one could snatch us, his brothers and sisters, from his or his Father’s hands for the remainder of our lives here on earth (John 10:28-29).
Our takeaway? There are two. First, this kind of godly, sacrificial love permeates our biblical narrative. It was Judah’s and Jesus’ calling, and it is ours as followers of Christ, for it is a mandate and a privilege that we might pledge our lives to ensure that our loved ones return safely to the Father (Matthew 28:18-20). Second, like Jacob, when we release our loved ones to follow God’s direction, we lighten our burdens of regret and despair by entrusting the outcome to God. So, whether the sender or the sent, when we align with God’s will, we make room in our hearts to receive his joy that overcomes our fears. Indeed, as the author of Hebrews tells us, for the joy set before Christ, he endured his cross, scorned its shame, and ascended to the right hand of authority with the Father in the heavenly realm (Hebrews 12:2).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who pledged his life to set us free, and for your Holy Spirit, who securely guides us to your heavenly home. Please help us do our part and pledge our loved ones and ourselves to you so that we might discover the joy of co-laboring with your Son and your Holy Spirit to release the captives and facilitate their safe return to you. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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