Now the famine was still rampant in the land. So, when Jacob's family had eaten all the grain brought back from Egypt earlier, Jacob said to his sons, "Go back and buy us a little more food." Again he was reminded by his sons, "We cannot go back without Benjamin! The man warned us solemnly, "You will not see my face again if your brother is not with you." Jacob/Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble upon me by telling the man you had another brother?"
They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. "Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?" We simply answered his questions!" Then Judah said to his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice."
"If it must be, then do this," Israel said, "Put some of your best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift-- a little balm, and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."
So off they went, hurrying down to Egypt to present themselves. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner.. They are to eat with me at noon."
The men were frightened when the steward took them to Joseph's house, as they expected Joseph to attack them, and seize them as slaves, even take their donkeys, because of the missing silver from their bags that they could not explain. So they went up to Joseph's steward and said, "Please, sir. We came down here the first time to buy food. But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver--the exact weight--in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't
know who put our silver in our sacks."
The steward replied, "It's all right; don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them.
When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house and they bowed down before him to the ground. He asked them how they were, and then he said, " How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?" "Your servant is still alive and well," they answered, and again bowed to pay Joseph honor. Joseph looked about him, and saw his own brother, Benjamin, his mother's son, and asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he added, "God be gracious to you, my son." Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep, and afterward washed his face.
Later, in control, Joseph said, "Serve the food." They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, including Simeon who had been jailed, and the servers ate by themselves, as well. The portions were served from Joseph's table and delivered to the brothers who were seated according to their ages, from the firstborn to the last. They feasted and drank freely with him.
Now, Joseph had given his steward instructions as to how to fill their sacks. "Give them as much food as the sacks will hold, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. Then, put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack." And the steward did as he was directed.
As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. Soon afterward, Joseph told his steward, "Go after them at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, "Why have you repaid good with evil? Where is the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing that you have done!"
But they answered, "Why does my Lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! We even brought back to you the silver we found inside the sacks we took home from our last trip! How can you accuse us again, when we were not guilty the first time? If any of us is found to have it, he will die, and the rest of us will become my Lord's slaves."
"Very well, then!" the steward said. "Let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will be my slave. The rest of you will be free from blame."
And , of course, the cup was found in the mouth of Benjamin's sack!! At this, the brothers tore their clothes in sorrow, loaded up their donkeys, and returned to the city.
Joseph was still in his house when they returned. The brothers threw themselves on the ground before him. Joseph said, "What is this that you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can discover things through divination?"
Their answer, most sincere, was this, "What can we say to my Lord? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my Lord's slaves--we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup." But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become by slave. The rest of you go back to your father in peace."
But Judah went up to Joseph and pleaded his case before him. "Please, my Lord, let your servant speak a word to my Lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, "Do you have a father or a brother?" And we answered, "We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father deeply loves him."
Judah continued pleading, "Our father said to us. "Go back and buy a little more food." But we said, 'We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us. Judah went on, "So, if the boy is not with us when I go back to our father your servant, whose life is closely bound with the boy's life, if he sees that the boy does not return with his brothers, he will die. And I will bear the blame before him, my father, all my life."
And still Judah continues, "Now, then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father!!"
Then Joseph could no longer control his emotions. Before all of his attendants, he cried out to them, "Have everyone leave my presence!" And all left him except for his brothers. He cried so loudly that even Pharaoh's household heard about his weeping.
Between sobs he said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Come close to me." They were terrified, but dutifully drew close and when they had done so, he said to them, "Yes, I am the one you sold into Egypt, and now do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.."
"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, "This is what your son Joseph says, "God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me-you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute."
"You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly."
Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept and Benjamin embraced him, weeping also. And he kissed all is brothers and wept over them.
And the sons of Israel did as they were told. And God came to Jacob/Israel and told him not to be afraid to go to Egypt. So that is what they did, and they lived many years under the care of Joseph who loved and forgave them. (End of Joseph's story)
I love happy endings, don't you? Even though this one took a long time in coming, it did end happily. Like so many things in life that take time, happy endings do happen when God's in charge!
Lovingly,
Jo INMN
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