GENESIS LESSON 59


     We will pick up in this lesson in chapter 42.
     This famine had spread even into the land of the Hebrews.

     Genesis 42:1 "Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt,
Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?"
     Genesis 42:2 "And 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."

     The fame of Egypt's great fortune had spread. Word had filtered
back even to Joseph's family, that there was food for sale in Egypt.
Suddenly nothing was important, except finding food to keep their
families alive. Now this family had not heard from Joseph in twenty
years. The brothers assumed that Joseph was dead by now. They had
forgotten that they sent Joseph to be sold into Egypt. Of course, the
father had been convinced that Joseph was dead.

     Genesis 42:3  "And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in
Egypt."
     Genesis 42:4 "But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with
his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him."
     Genesis 42:5 "And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] among
those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan."

     What a surprising turn of events. Here these, who sold him, were
coming for help. Note ten brethren.  "Ten" means world government.

     Jacob had lost his favorite son, Joseph. He was not about to risk
the life of his only other son, Benjamin, by his beloved Rachel. These
Hebrews would not have anything to do with Egyptians, if they had a
choice.

     Genesis 42:6 "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 came, and bowed down themselves before him [with] their faces
to the earth."

     Joseph's dream of the stars bowing to him had finally come
true. Dreams we have from God may not instantly occur, but they will
happen, if they are from God.

     Genesis 42:7 "And 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."

     You must remember, Joseph was just a lad of seventeen when his
brothers sold him. He, probably, had changed considerably. First of all,
he was he is not dressed as a Hebrew. He would have an Egyptian hair
style, as well. Just maturity changes one's looks from age seventeen
to thirty seven. He has every right to throw them in jail and the
authority to do so. He chose not to. Even if they thought they might
see him, they would not expect him to be a ruler.

     Genesis 42:8 "And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not
him."

     This was another shadow of Jesus. Jesus brethren rejected him and
cast him out, but when he comes again, every knee will bow. The Bible
says, this time He is coming as King of kings and Lord of lords. His
physical family will not recognize Him. Spiritual Israel will know Him

     Genesis 42:9 "And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed
of them, and said unto them, Ye [are] spies; to see the nakedness of
the land ye are come."
     Genesis 42:10 "And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy
food are thy servants come."
     Genesis 42:11 "We [are] all one man's sons; we [are] true [men],
thy servants are no spies."

     They deserved this rough treatment that Joseph was giving them.

     We can see shadows of Jesus in this situation.
     Jesus fed the multitude.
     Joseph was feeding the multitudes who did not have food.

     Genesis 42:12 "And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the
nakedness of the land ye are come."
     Genesis 42:13 "And they said, Thy servants [are] twelve brethren,
the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest
[is] this day with our father, and one [is] not."
     Genesis 42:14 "And Joseph said unto them, That [is it] that I
spake unto you, saying, Ye [are] spies:"
     Genesis 42:15 "Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh
ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come
hither."
     Genesis 42:16 "Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother,
and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether
[there be any] truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye
[are] spies."
     Genesis 42:17 "And he put them all together into ward three
days."

     Joseph was giving them a little taste of the suffering that
he had for so long. Somewhere along the line, they must repent of
their wicked ways, and ask Joseph to forgive them.

     Genesis 42:18 "And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do,
and live; [for] I fear God:"
     Genesis 42:19 "If ye [be] true [men], let one of your brethren be
bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of
your houses:"
     Genesis 42:20 "But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall
your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so."

     This may seem cruel, but we must remember what happened to him.
This was not vengeance, this was teaching them a lesson. Joseph was in
the dungeon approx. three years, so he allowed them to spend three
days. He still was concerned about their families, and sendt them corn.
They should have realized who he was, when he said "I fear God." They
were not expecting to see Joseph, so they didn't notice.

     Genesis 42:21  "And they said one to another, We [are] verily
guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul,
when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress
come upon us."

     They suddenly realized this was punishment for what they did to
Joseph. They still did not know that this was Joseph. The first step to
salvation is being convicted in our hearts of our sins. We must know
we have sinned, before we ask forgiveness.

     Genesis 42:22 "And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto
you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear?
therefore, behold, also his blood is required."
     Genesis 42:23 "And they knew not that Joseph understood [them];
for he spake unto them by an interpreter."

     Joseph was aware of their repentant heart. He still had not
revealed himself to them.

     Genesis 42:24 "And he turned himself about from them, and wept;
and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them
Simeon, and bound him before their eyes."

     Joseph could not contain himself. His compassion was great, but
he had to continue to teach them a lesson. He would just go into
another room, and they could not see him crying for them.

     Genesis 42:25  "Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with
corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them
provision for the way: and thus did he unto them."
     Genesis 42:26 "And they laded their asses with the corn, and
departed thence."
     Genesis 42:27 "And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass
provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it [was] in
his sack's mouth."
     Genesis 42:28 "And he said unto his brethren, My money is
restored; and, lo, [it is] even in my sack: and their heart failed
[them], and they were afraid, saying one to another, What [is] this
[that] God hath done unto us?"

     They recognized the cause of all this. It is interesting that
salvation is a free gift. We cannot buy it. The salvation of these
brothers and their families was free, too.

     Don't you know they were frightened by all of this? There is no
way they could understand at this point. Look to the spiritual through
these brothers, and see the sinful and dying world. See through Joseph
how God had provided a way out. We also, must seek God to see the way
out of our situation. A repentant heart is the first step to
receiving help.

     Genesis 42:29  "And they came unto Jacob their father unto the
land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,"
     Genesis 42:30 "The man, [who is] the lord of the land, spake
roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country."
     Genesis 42:31 "And we said unto him, We [are] true [men]; we are
no spies:"
     Genesis 42:32 "We [be] twelve brethren, sons of our father; one
[is] not, and the youngest [is] this day with our father in the land
of Canaan."
     Genesis 42:33 "And the man, the lord of the country, said unto
us, Hereby shall I know that ye [are] true [men]; leave one of your
brethren [here] with me, and take [food for] the famine of your
households, and be gone:"
     Genesis 42:34 "And bring your youngest brother unto me: then
shall I know that ye [are] no spies, but [that] ye [are] true [men:
so] will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the
land."

     They reported to Jacob all that had happened.

     Genesis 42:35  "And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks,
that, behold, every man's bundle of money [was] in his sack: and when
[both] they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were
afraid."
     Genesis 42:36 "And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye
bereaved [of my children]: Joseph [is] not, and Simeon [is] not, and
ye will take Benjamin [away]: all these things are against me."

     The father did not know the how or why, but his statement above
shows he blamed the other sons with Jacob's apparent death.

     Genesis 42:37 "And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my
two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I
will bring him to thee again."
     Genesis 42:38 "And he said, My son shall not go down with you;
for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him
by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs
with sorrow to the grave."

     Jacob had been so deeply hurt for over twenty years at the loss
of Joseph. Now they were asking for the only other son of his beloved
Rachel. All of this had deeply hurt Jacob, and he would not do it.








                             Questions 59


1.  Why did Jacob send to Egypt for corn?
2.  Who did he send?
3.  Which one stayed home?
4.  What was the only important thing at this point?
5.  How long had it been since these brothers had seen Joseph?
6.  What position did Joseph hold in Egypt?
7.  What fulfillment of prophecy occurred when the brothers came
    before Joseph?
8.  Were they aware of who Joseph was?
9.  Why?
10. Joseph being rejected by his brethren and being made ruler of
    Egypt, was a type and shadow of whom?
13. Joseph told them they would not go forth until what happened?
14. How long did he imprison them?
15. Why did Joseph choose this amount of time?
16. What statement did Joseph make that should have revealed who he
    was?
17. When he released them, what did he require them to do?
18. If this was not vengeance on Joseph's part, what was it?
19. When do they suddenly realize their anguish is because of what
    they did to Joseph?
20. Why did they not know Joseph could understand what they said?
21. What emotional effect did this have on Joseph?
22. Besides the corn, what did Joseph restore?
23. When did they realize they had the second thing?
24. What is the first step to receiving forgiveness?
25. When they saw their father, what did they do?
26. When they emptied their sacks and found all the money, what did
    they feel?
27. What was Jacob's reaction when they asked to take Benjamin?
28. What did Reuben offer as security to prove he would bring Benjamin
    back?
29. Would Jacob let him go?