Chapter. 25, Genesis 42. Joseph’s Brethren in Egypt.
THE famine was in the land of Canaan, as well as in Egypt. Jacob and his sons had no bread, and when Jacob heard there was corn to be had in Egypt, he told them to go down and buy some. The ten eldest sons went, but Benjamin stayed with his father, for Jacob dearly loved him, and feared that something might happen to him.
Joseph was, as we saw, governor over all the land, and he, it was, that sold corn to the people; and the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy corn of him. They bowed down themselves before him, with their faces to the earth, and Joseph saw them and knew them, although they did not know him, and he spoke roughly to them, saying: “Where do you come from?” They answered, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” Joseph said: “You are spies, and have come to see the nakedness of the land.” But they denied it and tried to convince him, saying: “We are true men, and not spies; we are twelve brothers: but one is not, and the youngest is with his father in the land of Canaan.” Nevertheless, Joseph appeared not to believe them and answered “Hereby you shall be proved: You shall not go from here unless your younger brother came hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and the rest of you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you.” And he put them all together in the ward three days. The third day Joseph said to them “This do, and live, for I fear God: If ye are true men, let one of you be bound in prison and let the rest go to carry corn to your houses, but bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know that your words are true, and you shall not die.”
At this the brothers turned to one another saying: “We are truly guilty concerning our brother. We cared not about the anguish of his soul; when he besought us, we would not hear. Therefore is this distress come upon us,” and now, “his blood is required of us.”
God was speaking to their conscience and they were afraid. They did not know that Joseph understood them, for he had spoken to them through an interpreter. But when he heard them, he turned from them that they might not see him weep. Then he had Simeon bound before their eyes.
Joseph, then commanded to have their sacks filled with corn and to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the way.
After they had started on their journey home, one of them, wanting to give his ass some food, opened his sack and espied his money at the sack’s mouth. He spoke of it to his brethren, and their hearts failed them, for they were afraid, and said to one another: “What is this that God has done unto us?”
For years these men had gone on hiding their guilt, and probably thinking that all was right. They had forgotten God’s all-seeing eye. But He sent these seven years of famine to bring them down and confess their sin. Oh! we may think that things done in secret cannot possibly be found out, but God has ALL means at His command and He will shape circumstances so as to bring it out, for He says: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Num. 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23). “The Lord . . . . will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” 1 Cor. 4:55Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5).
When Jacob’s sons had returned to him, they told him all that happened to them in Egypt. And when they emptied their sacks, every man’s money was at the mouth of it, and when they and their father saw it, they were afraid and Jacob said to them: “Ye have bereaved use of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin: all these things are against me.” Reuben said to his father “Slay my two sons, if I bring him not back; I will take care of him and bring him back to thee.” But Jacob said: “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If anything should happen to him, ye would bring my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.”
ML 08/01/1909