The Brothers Preparing to Return to Egypt
June 22, 2021
Commentary
The famine continued and Jacob’s family needed more grain. Jacob said to his sons “You must go to Egypt again and buy us some more food” (v. 2). His sons replied, “We cannot go unless you will let Benjamin go with us.” Jacob then scolded them (v. 6) for telling the man they had a brother. Their reply was: “The man asked us if we had any other brothers and we just told him the truth” (v. 7).
Judah, one of the brothers, said, “Let me be responsible for him and guarantee his safe return.” It is interesting to note that Judah was the one who had come up with the plan to sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt (Gen, 37:26-27). Now he had to negotiate with his father to get Benjamin to see Joseph. Reluctantly Jacob consented to let Benjamin go.
1. The Sanity of Judah’s pledge (vv. 1-8).
2. The Sincerity of Judah’s pledge (vv. 9-10).
3. The Success of Judah’s pledge (vv. 11-15)
Jacob suggested that they take some things to the man as a gift. They fixed up a parcel of honey, spices, and nuts. Apparently these delicacies were not available in Egypt. They also took double the amount of silver so they would be able to return what they had found in their money pouches before. Then they started again for Egypt (v. 15).
Application
When people have been involved in scheming and lying it is very difficult to trust them when they do tell the truth. I want to be a person whom people will trust because I have always been truthful.
Genesis 43:1– 15 (NET)
1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 When they finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Return, buy us a little more food.”
3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we won’t go down there because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israel said, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had one more brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us thoroughly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered him in this way. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will go immediately. Then we will live and not die—we and you and our little ones. 9 I myself pledge security for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10 But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back twice by now!”
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 take a gift down to the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you; you must take back the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks—perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother too, and go right away to the man. 14 May the Sovereign God grant you mercy before the man so that he may release your other brother and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.”
15 So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.