Genesis 43:1-15
The first time the brothers went to Egypt, they were sold grain and were allowed to return to Canaan, but they had to leave Simeon as a hostage. They were told that if they came back with their youngest brother, then that would be proof that they were not spies.
Jacob, believing that Joseph had died years ago, and now with Simeon in a prison in Egypt, was not willing to risk Benjamin, the only remaining son of the beloved Rachel. But now that they were running out of food, he knew that the only way to save his family was to let Benjamin travel to Egypt with his brothers.
Starting at verse 16, the passage tells us that when Joseph saw Benjamin, he decided to have a banquet with the brothers at his house at noon. The brothers were perplexed and afraid that they would be summoned to Joseph’s house. When the meal started, the brothers were amazed, since their seats were arranged in order of age. They also noticed that Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as theirs.
The story continues into Genesis 44. Joseph orders that the brothers’ sacks be filled with as much food as they can carry, along with the money they used to pay for the food. Further, he ordered that his personal silver cup be placed in Benjamin’s sack.
Once the brothers leave, Joseph has his steward chase after them and accuse them of stealing his silver cup. The brothers, believing that they are innocent, propose that the one they find with the silver cup should be executed, and the rest would become Joseph’s slaves. The Egyptian counter-proposes that the one who is found with the silver cup would become a slave, and the rest can go home. When the sacks were searched, the silver cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Once back at Joseph’s house, Judah tells him that they will all become Joseph’s slaves. Joseph insists that only Benjamin needs to stay, and the rest can go in peace to their father. Judah then explains that their father will die of sorrow if they return without Benjamin. Judah begs that Benjamin be allowed to return to his father, and that he would stay as Joseph’s slave.
Even though these two chapters, along with Genesis 43, move the Joseph narrative to the climax in Genesis 45, where Joseph will finally stop playing games and reveals his identity to his brothers, there is something we can learn from this morning’s passage.
If we look at Genesis 43:13-14, we can see the condition of Jacob’s faith in God. He knows that God has the power to make things turn out OK, but it could very well turn out not so well. It is a balancing act between hope and resignation. It is not about losing faith in God, but it is an acknowledgement about God’s sovereignty and his lack of knowledge about the details of God’s plans.
This reminds me of Daniel, when he and his two friends are about to be executed in a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a statue. He declared to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”
Daniel believes that God has the power to save them. He also understands that God may choose not to save them. Daniel is resigned to the fact that should God choose not to intervene; he and his friends will die. But either way, Daniel will continue to believe and worship God and will not compromise his faith.
We find a similar situation with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane where He is praying to the Father. Jesus knows that God has the power to release Him from being arrested, tortured and crucified. But Jesus also understands that the Father has a plan, and resigned to the fact that death on the cross is the Father’s will for Him.
We will at times in our lives face situations that we need help from God. It might be that we or someone we care for is in a crisis. In those times, we have the knowledge that God is powerful and that He could make things come out well for us. Our hope is embedded in that belief. We are also aware of the possibility that God’s plan is different than what we hope for.
I was reminded of Joni Eareckson Tada’s life story. When she was seventeen, she became a quadriplegic after diving into Chesapeake Bay and fracturing her spine. She knew that God had the power to cure her and prayed fervently for healing, which never came. But God was able to help her become an acclaimed painter, singer and an advocate for special-needs families worldwide. She looks back on her life and realized that had God healed her, she would not have had the large impact she now has, and the opportunity to do God’s work in such a way.
Jacob wants to protect Benjamin. Yet, they were running out of food. He realizes that the only way to save the rest of the family would be to let Benjamin go to Egypt. He knows that God has the power to keep Benjamin safe. Yet he also is resigned to the fact that he had already lost Rachel and Joseph, and so there is a possibility that Benjamin would become a slave in Egypt and that he will never see him again. Jacob knows that God had promised a great nation to come out of his descendants, so he knows that God’s plan is being played out, even though it may not go the way Jacob wants. So, he lets go of Benjamin.
We also need to keep in mind that God’s plans are being worked out in this world. We know that in the end, there is going to be a glorious future for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But until then, there could be some hardships and sadness along the way. Jesus even told us that for those of us who follow Him, there will be some trouble.
Like Jacob, we need to acknowledge that our hope for good outcomes can only come from God. At the same time, we need to acknowledge that God is sovereign and that His plans are being carried out. And regardless of what costs might be requested of us, like our Lord prayed in the garden, we need to pray, “nevertheless, Thy will be done.”
(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on January 14, 2024.)
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