Genesis 43
As the brothers could not persuade old Jacob to let Benjamin go with them, they were obliged to stay in Canaan. Soon they had eaten up all their corn, and none grew in their fields, and what could they do for food?
Jacob saw how hungry they were, and at last he said, "Go again, buy us a little food.”
Then they said, "We cannot go without Benjamin, for the man who sold corn said we should not see him, unless we brought our youngest brother. If you will let Benjamin come' with us, then we will go.”
Jacob was very unhappy when he heard this, and he said, "Why did you tell the man you had a brother? It was behaving very unkindly to me to tell him.”
Then the brothers answered, "The man asked us so many questions. He said to us, 'Is your father alive? Have you another brother?' Could we think that he would say, Bring your youngest brother? '”
Still Jacob did not like to let Benjamin go.
One of the brothers (called Judah) said, I will take care of Benjamin, if you will let him go. I promise to bring him back to you; and if I do not, will take all the blame. For we and our little children will die, if you do not let him come.”
Jacob saw it was no use to refuse any more, or they would all die, and Benjamin, too. So he gave Benjamin into the care of Judah.
But Jacob was afraid of the man being unkind to them, and of his saying they had stolen the money. So he said to them, "Bring the man a present.”
What could they bring? They had gardens with fruit and flowers growing in them.
"Pick some nuts and almonds off your trees," said Jacob, “and take a little of that sweet stuff called balm and myrrh; and take some spices, and a little honey, and take them with you as a present to the man.”
The man was very rich, and did not want anything, but the present would show that they wished to please him.
"Besides," said Jacob, "take the money back that you found in your sacks; take more money in your hands to buy more corn, and take Benjamin, and go to the man.”
Jacob's heart was full of pain when he said this.
Then he began to pray to God. "May God give you mercy before the man, and send home Simeon and Benjamin.”
This was Jacob's prayer.
"Now," said he, if I must lose my children, I must lose them.”
When Jacob wished his dear Benjamin good-bye, he thought of how he once had parted with his Joseph, the day he sent him to look for his brothers, when he put on his pretty coat, but never returned.
Now, Jacob feared that he should never see Benjamin again.
The brothers took the present, the sweet present, with them, and they each took some money in their hands, and they took their asses, and their empty sacks; and Judah took care of Benjamin.
So they parted from their old father, and their wives, and their little children, and they set out on their journey.
They all felt very sad that day. The brothers were frightened. They were afraid they should be taken up as thieves when they got to Egypt.
At last they came to Egypt. They went to the place where Joseph was selling the corn, and he saw them. He looked to see whether Benjamin was with them. How pleased he was to see him Benjamin was a baby when Joseph had seen him last, yet Joseph knew that it was Benjamin.
As soon as he saw his brothers, he called his chief servant, who managed his house, and said to him, “Take those ten men to my house, and get a great dinner ready, for they must dine with me two-day.'
The brothers did not hear what Joseph said to the servant. The servant came to them, and told them to come with him. So they came, and he brought them to Joseph's own house—a fine, large house. Yet the brothers were not pleased, but very much frightened.
"Ah!" said they to each other, "we are going to be put in prison; and we shall be kept in Egypt to work hard, we and our asses.”
They thought of their poor father, and of what he would do.
When they got to the door of the house, they came up to the servant and said, "Oh, sir, we came here once before to buy a little food, and we paid money for it; but when we got home we opened our sacks, and found the money in them, and here we have brought it back; and we have brought more money to buy more corn. We cannot tell who put the money in our sacks.”
It was quite right of 'the brothers to bring back the money; but once they had stolen money. Now they were speaking truth, but once they had told lies.
The servant answered them very kindly, and said, "Fear not, God is your Father God gave you that money, and put the money in your sacks.”
You see the servant knew about God. Who could have taught him about God? The people in Egypt worshipped idols. It must have been Joseph who had taught his servant.
How happy the brothers were now! They soon found that they were not going to be put into a prison, but that they were to dine in a fine house. What could make the man grow so kind? They did not know the reason.
While they were waiting, the servant went and brought poor Simeon out of prison. He had been shut up a long while. I hope when he was in prison that he had thought of his having once put Joseph in the pit.
The servant told them that dinner would not be ready till twelve o'clock; and while they were waiting, he brought them water to wash their feet, and he gave some food to their poor tired and hungry asses.
The brothers said, "Let us get our present ready, while we are waiting for the lord to come in.”
So they went out, and got ready the balm and spices, the honey, and nuts, and almonds.
At last, Joseph came in from selling the corn, and the brothers came into the house, and brought the present in their hand, and they bowed down upon the ground. The eleven brothers bowed down, as the eleven sheaves had done in the dream.
This time Joseph spoke very kindly to them. He asked them how they were; but most of all he wanted to know how his dear father was.
"Is your father well?" he asked. "You said you had an old father. Is he yet alive?”
They said, "Yes, our father is alive, and he is well"; and as they spoke, they bowed down their heads to the ground.
Then Joseph looked for Benjamin, and when he saw him, he longed to throw his arms round his neck, and kiss him, but he would not do it yet. He only said, "Is this your, younger brother that you told me of?”
And then he made this little prayer, "God be gracious to thee, my son.”
When Joseph had said this, he felt the tears coming into his eyes, and he could not help crying; so he went quickly out of the room, and shut himself up in his own room, and there he cried by himself. He was a very tender-hearted man, and he loved this young brother very much.
One reason why he loved him was, that Benjamin was the son of his own mother, Rachel, while all the others had another mother, Leah; for Jacob, you know, had two wives.
Now the dinner was ready, so Joseph would not stay in his room; but first he washed his face, that no one might see that he had been crying, and then he tried to look cheerful, and he said to his servants, "Put the dinner on the table.”
In the room where they were to dine, there were three tables. One was for Joseph's servants, another was for Joseph himself (for he always dined at a table by himself), and the other table was for the eleven brothers.
Joseph told them where to sit; he made the eldest sit first, and then the second, just according to their age, and he made Benjamin sit last. The brothers were surprised at Joseph's knowing which was eldest, and which was second, for it is hard to tell how old a grown-up man is; but Joseph knew them better than they thought he did.
Now they all sat down to dinner. It was long since they had eaten such a dinner, and they had made a great journey, and were tired and hungry and thirsty. Joseph sent them nice things from his table; but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others.
Were the brothers envious of Benjamin, because Joseph sent him the most? No, they were not. Once they had been envious of Joseph—but now they were not envious. They ate and drank, and they were merry.
Joseph could see them all—and it was a pleasant sight to him. Once they had eaten their dinner, while he lay in the pit, and they had given him none. Yet he would not treat them so, but would return good for evil.
You remember how kindly. Jesus behaved to people who were unkind to Him. God is kind to us, though we do many things to offend Him. If a child is unkind to you, should you be unkind, too? If your brother has a cake, and will not give you any—if you afterward have a cake, should you give him some, or should you not? Oh! you should do as Joseph did, and be kind to those who have been unkind to you.
Hymn 15
Ah I what has caused this sudden change
In him who lately seemed so strange
And on his brothers frowned?
And how their very beasts are fed,
For them a princely table’s spread,
With sumptuous dainties crowned.
Young Benjamin is with them now,
And Joseph has unbent his brow,
And on his brothers smiled:
For much he hopes that envious rage
No more those brothers’ hearts engage
Against a favorite child.
What tenderness fills Joseph’s breast I
He sees the babe whom he caressed,
His own dear mother's son:
His lips with blessings overflow,
And larger messes help to show
Which is the favored one.
But while he this distinction makes,
No hateful jealousy awakes,
But all the gladness share.
A little more will Joseph prove
The strength and fervor of their love,
And then his own declare.
Child
Can I another bear to see
Preferred and honored above me,
And feel no inward pain?
Then in my heart will Jesus dwell,
For these kind feelings please Him well,
And shall His love obtain
But no such flowers by nature grow
Within the human heart below,
Since Adam's shameful fall.
Then, if I would my Savior please,
I must upon my bended knees
For His sweet Spirit call.