Genesis 42 vs 1-13

Genesis Chapter 42 Verse 1

•They were looking at one another because Egypt was mentioned and they all know that most likely, that is where Joseph was ultimately sold as a slave…

Genesis Chapter 42 Verses 2 – 5

•Jacob won’t part with Benjamin…why? Because Benjamin was his last remaining son of Rachel. He had already lost Joseph, he had lost Rachel whom he loved, he couldn’t endure the thought of losing Benjamin too. It’s a very sweet sentimental action. Jacob loved Rachel. He mourns her still. And so his broken and incomplete heart is somehow comforted by Ben being around.

•But here’s the thing, Joseph lives! God has not forsaken Jacob and God has not forsaken Joseph, although outwardly, currently, circumstantially…it looks like that! Jacob is grief living, sorrow walking, fear filled…but we have the luxury of looking from the outside in and knowing that God has sent Joseph ahead to provide for his family and father during this time of famine. We know that God is working all of this behind the circumstantial scene and in just a chapter, everything and everyone will be alright…

•But at this moment, Jacob is harsh, scared, down-trodden and distressed…why? Because he doesn’t know what we know…he doesn’t know what God knows…Here’s the point. If Jacob only knew! If Jacob could only trust the hand of God that he could not see! Joseph being sold by his brother is not a good thing…but God can use it. Famine in the land is not a good thing. But God can use it! It is borderline impossible to hope beyond the undeniable present events and details…but what is not impossible is to trust God and know that He has not abandoned you and He has not stopped loving you!

Genesis Chapter 42 Verse 6

•The dream of Joseph is here partially fulfilled. Remember his dream that he told to his brothers and his father that made his brothers hate him even more? How he dreamt of him and his brothers binding sheathes of wheat in the field and his sheathe arose higher than the others and his brothers sheathes bowed to his…herein is the fulfillment.

•Now interesting and please notice this…the fulfillment of the dream is entirely different than the reasoning behind his brothers hating him for it. Them bowing to him, in their minds, was some sort of kingly superiority…and that stirred up their pride…but the reality is not like that and neither is true leadership or authority…in the fulfillment, they bow because Joseph is their savior…the one who has made provision for years in preparation to help them and save them from starving!

•You see we in our hearts want to be great and heralded and respected because of our greatness and superiority but the truth is that in the plan and economy of God…, (and it works like this with families and relationships of love), …respect is paid and honor is earned when one works, prepares and becomes like the Savior…sacrificing and serving for others. That is when…folks…respect is DUE and honor is owed!

•Also, check this out, with this we see the beginning of a very strong parallel, a clear type of Jesus once again through Joseph! We see that when his brothers first come to him, they do not recognize him…although he recognizes them…just like Jesus’ first coming…the Jews, specifically the religious leaders, teachers of the law (represented here by the 10 brothers), missed Him completely…but we’ll see in the next chapter (not tonight), they’ll recognize Him the second time…

Genesis Chapter 42 Verses 7 – 11

•Are they though? Are they honest men? The truth is that they most certainly are not! But the human mind has a way of slipping right into self deception…and later when Joseph reveals himself to them, they will recognize their sin. Here we have a dual parallel. The first harkens to the Jewish elite when Jesus was on the scene. “Our father is Abraham! We serve the living God!” These statements as they took up stones against Jesus…

•The second parallel to this is the gentile heart…us…in that we and the world all think and say, “Well, I’m basically a good person…” but the truth is that all have sinned…and even sin remains…but we write it off, justify it…and really anything other than the payment by Jesus is not justification at all!! My upbringing, my condition, my thing that I deal with, my wife…HA!…ok, that’s real…it’s a real thing…BUT…it is NOT justification for sin…and truly, those that have allowed the maturity of the Holy Spirit in their walks with the Lord…(learning and applying the Word of God!)…these are they that bear much fruit because you realize what you’ve been forgiven of…

•Luke 7:47, the high flyer verse, “To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Spoiler alert, no one is forgiven any more or less than anyone else…so why are some so loving and some so carnal…they miss Jesus…they lack understanding and ultimately, the lack is submission.

Genesis Chapter 42 Verses 12 – 18

•(Side note in Verse 17. As a day to the Lord is unto a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8), we are literally in the 3rd day as we are in the 3rd set of thousand years after the cross!)

•This must have tripped out the brothers. First, Joseph is speaking to them through an interpreter…they don’t think he can understand them when they are speaking to each other, but he can…they just can’t understand him (and there is a parallel there of the New Testament which was written in Greek and therefore it was rejected by the Jews)…but here, the word is Elohim…not Rah…

Genesis Chapter 42 Verses 19 – 21

•Whoa! There it is! They have gone from, “We are honest men,” to, “We are truly guilty!” Why? A little prison. A little hardship…a little wake-up call of consequence…as unpleasant as correction is, rebuke is, trial is…it has a purifying effect. Careful that we don’t protect ourselves by running away from every problem…careful that we don’t harm our kids by covering everyone of their mistakes with greasy grace…three days in the prison did not only the brothers some good but also Joseph…

•Their hearts were broken for what they’ve done…, “This prison must have been like what we put him through…, man I feel horrible,” …and then Joseph hears this and his heart is broken as he watches them deal with it and ultimately it’s going to bring them together! Let folks learn, man! I want to write the check for my kids and my friends and my church to have the easy life but I know that in that I will ruin it all!

•Ever heard this at home? “There’s NOTHING to eat!” When the pantry is overflowing with options! Ever seen a kid with 100 toys, they just want the one they don’t have…now, live a year in a home with no food…those green beans looking REAL good now! Watch a child that has a shaped stick as a doll…they carry it everywhere…but what do I want to do? Make everything go away, make everything easy…nope…that is the foolish thing to do and will ultimately drive my kids, my friends, my employees, my church, right away from me and what I truly desire for them. – Hearken to the Word of God!

Genesis Chapter 42 Verses 22 – 24

•Joseph wept over the broken state of his brothers just as Jesus wept over the broken state of the Jewish people. Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Genesis Chapter 42 Verses 25

•Notice, the provision cost them nothing…

Genesis Chapter 42 Verses 26 – 28

•Their hearts failed them because in the context of the story, they thought they would be accused of defrauding Pharaoh…and their brother would be trapped…they would be accused with reason of being dishonest men. BUT, in the context of the bigger picture, this is awesome, the 10 returned home and realized that the provision they now have, they were not permitted to pay for! And that freaks them out!

•Here’s the salvation parallel…we end up with sacks filled with grain…life restored…provision and provision abundant…and what does it cost? Good works, baptism, hail Mary’s, heavy weight of guilt the rest of our lives? NO! None of it! It costs us literally nothing! Salvation is by grace through faith and not of works (cost to men) lest anyone can say they’ve paid…and boast. Jesus paid it all, man!! And for those that want to earn their standing with God, this totally tweaks them out! And one way it manifests is criticality and condemnation of others…, “Pssh, they haven’t paid as much as me! Look how good I am!” HA! You’ve paid nothing! HA!!!!

Genesis Chapter 42 Verses 29 – 38

•Notice this, who had more calamity befall them, Jacob or Joseph? Definitely Joseph. Yet you never hear or see Joseph saying, “All things are against me.” This is the motto of too many Christians, and truly, one is too many. Have you yet begun to grasp what God has accomplished for you?