Joseph Reunion with His Brothers
This lesson finds Joseph now reunited with his brothers. Just like Joseph was never abandoned by the LORD we will never be abandoned either. We are never alone. Everything that happens to us is for a reason. Genesis 42:1- 38; Genesis 43:1-34; Genesis 44:1-34
We are going to leave Joseph for a moment and check in on Jacob and the brothers. When Jacob, Israel, saw that there was corn in Egypt he sent his sons to Egypt to buy corn so they would live. So the ten brothers went down to Egypt. The only son, Benjamin, that did not go was the youngest son and brother of Joseph by Rachael.
There was a great famine in the land of Canaan where the brothers lived so they had great hope that they could buy corn form the governor over the land of Egypt.
Joseph was the governor over the land of Egypt, and he was the one that did all the selling to all the people of the land. The ten brothers came and bowed down before Joseph but they did not recognize their brother. Joseph did recognize his brothers.
Do you remember the dreams that Joseph had before he was sold to slavery? Joseph remembered the dreams and accused his brothers of being spies. They had to prove they were not spies by having them bring back their youngest brother to Egypt. One was to go fetch Benjamin and the rest would stay in prison until they returned.
Joseph put them all together in prison for three days. Then Joseph felt bad and started fearing the LORD God. Only Simeon stayed in prison and the rest he allowed returning to Canaan. Joseph gave them the bags of corn and returned their money back to them without them knowing it.
Then they came to their land of Canaan and told their father all that had happen. That in order to prove they were not spies they had to bring Benjamin back to Egypt so the other brother could get out of the prison. They also told their father that when they emptied their sacks they saw that every man had their money back. This made them afraid.
Jacob, Israel, refused to allow the brothers to take Benjamin away. The famine was really bad in the land. Once all the corn was eaten up he changed this mind and told the son to go buy more food. Judah said unto Israel that Benjamin had to go with them or they would all die.
Finally Israel gave his approval and also sent with them their best fruits in the land as a present a little balm, and honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds. He also told his sons to take double money in case it was an oversight.
Again the brothers went before Joseph with the extra money, gifts and bowed themselves to Joseph. Joseph asked of their welfare and if their father was well. Joseph had ordered Simeon to be released, they to be feed, and their feet washed and even their animals cared for.
Joseph cried when he saw his youngest brother because he was so happy. Then he commanded the steward of his house to fill the men’s sacks with food and give their money back. Then put the silver up in the sack of the youngest and his corn money.
The brothers were sent away home as soon as the morning was light. Once they were gone out of the city Joseph told his steward to follow the brothers and then accused them of stealing silver and gold out of the house of his lord. He told the brothers that he was going to search the sacks and whoever stole the silver and gold would die.
When the steward searched the sack of Benjamin he found the cup. The brother rent, or tore their clothes. Judah and his brother came to the house of Joseph and fell before him on the ground.
Joseph said that Benjamin would be his servant and the rest could go in peace back to their father. Judah went to Joseph and told him that Benjamin was all that was left of the favorite of their fathers wives. The other brother had died if this son died then their father would also die because he loved him so much.
What Can This Story Teach Us?
Joseph was a dreamer and would tell his brothers the dreams he had. One dream was they were binding sheaves in the field and Josephs sheaves arose, and stood upright; and their sheaves stood around and they were made to bow down to his sheaf. Joseph had another dream about the sun and the moon and the eleven stars were made to bow down to Joseph.
It was this dream that caused Joseph’s brother to envy him and even hate him. They sold him into slavery. Joseph could have felt sorry for him-self and just stopped trying to grow the way the LORD wanted him to grow. Even while in prison Joseph listened to the LORD and made the best of a bad deal.
Everything that happens to us is for a reason. Either it is to help us to grow toward the LORD or it is because we did not listen to our parents or the teachings of Jesus. Mistakes we make in our lives can be used as a teaching tool. We need to learn from our mistakes and move forward doing better just like Joseph did.
Joseph became a powerful man in Egypt and controlled who would and would not get the stored grains during the famine. When his brothers showed up to buy grain Joseph remembered that it was them who had sold him into slavery because of his dreams. I am sure all the memories of the hard times Joseph had in prison came flooding back to him when he saw his brothers bowing down to him. I am also sure there were moments when he thought of being really mean to them and he even wanted to punish them for his hard times.
We adults call this having a hardened heart. When someone is mean to us we want to be mean back. Look what Joseph did he had a softened heart and he sent the brothers back to his father with all the grain they could carry and the money they had given him. Joseph wanted to see his brother Benjamin and he found a way to do it. Later he found a way to keep his brother with him and maybe even get to be reunited with his father.
When we wait for the timing of the Lord then we are well rewarded with what it is that we are really seeking. Just like the wait of Joseph gave him his family when we wait we will gain what we really need and that is the salvation, rescue, or even recovery. Just like Joseph was never abandoned by the LORD we will never be abandoned either. We are never alone.
“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” (Lamentation 3:25-26 ).
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Joseph Reunion with His Brothers:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1861,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “Joseph Reunion with His Brothers:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1861,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Joseph Reunion with His Brothers:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1861, (accessed).
