Gen. 42:1-81Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. 3And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. 5And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. (Genesis 42:1‑8)
“Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons,... Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.” vv. 1-3.
It had been approximately twenty years since Joseph’s brethren sold him into slavery. In those years they had sustained themselves, had raised families and represented quite a company of people living off the land. Their father Jacob was about 130 years of age at this time. No doubt most of the brothers, if not all, their consciences hardened through their sin, had long since sought to dismiss Joseph from their memory; at least they must have considered that he and his dreams were well out of their lives. But “God requires that which is past” and their days of self-reliance came to an end when the famine involved their lives.
It was perhaps humiliating to these men, who had been so self-reliant, to have to turn elsewhere for help, but there was no choice in the matter. The pinch of want had fallen on Jacob and his sons, and if they and their families were to survive they must go down to Egypt, the only place where food was available. Little could they anticipate the consequences of the journey bore them as they bade farewell to their families, their father and the youngest brother Benjamin.
“And the sons of Israel came to buy corn... And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren and came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren and he knew them, but made himself self strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them:... but they knew not him.” vv. 5-8.
The sight of his brethren bowing down before him must have brought no small emotion to Joseph as he remembered his early dreams. Had revenge been his purpose, he might have cast them into prison or condemned them to death. Or, had pride ruled his heart, he might have revealed himself to them immediately, drawing attention to the fulfillment of his dreams. Surely this would have been the just deserts of these men who in their jealousy and hatred had once challenged him with the words, “Shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?”
But these were not Joseph’s ways. He had no room for either vengeance or pride in his heart which was full of love for his brethren, in spite of what they had previously done to him. His object was to win them to himself and to do them good. How like the Saviour this was! “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).
ML 07/02/1967