31 – Joseph’s Family Reunion

Genesis 42:1 – 46:34

Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, so he sent his ten oldest sons to go and buy food. He didn’t send Benjamin because he was afraid of losing him.
When they arrived in Egypt, they went before the governor of the land. They didn’t know it was Joseph. He recognized them, but pretended not to know them. He wanted to test them to see if they had changed.

“Where are you from?” When they answered, he glared at them. “You’re spies!”The brothers were shocked, “No, we’re honest men – all the sons of a man who lives in Canaan. One of our brothers stayed at home, and the other one is … uh … gone.”  
Joseph said, “Prove it to me. I’ll keep one of you here. The rest of you go home and bring back your younger brother. Then I’ll know if you’re telling the truth.”
He kept Simeon, and sent the others home with sacks of grain. Without them knowing, he had their money put into the grain sacks.
They told Jacob what happened. They said, “We need to take Benjamin back to Egypt in order to get Simeon out of prison.”
It was then they discovered the money in their sacks of grain. They were afraid, and Jacob said, “You’re not taking Benjamin away from me! Joseph is gone, and now Simeon is gone. Benjamin is all I have left! If I lose him, I’ll die with grief!”
In time their grain from Egypt was gone. Jacob told his sons to go back and buy more. Judah reminded him that they couldn’t go back unless they took Benjamin with them. He said, “Send him with me. I’ll guarantee his safety. Let us go. We need the food!”
Finally Jacob agreed, and the brothers returned to Egypt with Benjamin. They took double the money so they could return the money they found in their sacks.
When Joseph saw them, he told his servant to take them to his house for the noon meal. The brothers tried to return the money they had found, but the servants said they were not missing any payments.
The next morning, the brothers were sent back to Canaan with their sacks full of grain. Joseph had his servant put a silver cup in the sack belonging to Benjamin. When the men had gone a short way, the servants of Joseph caught up with them and said, “One of you has stolen our master’s silver cup!”
The brothers were shocked! “We wouldn’t do such a thing. If you find that any of us have it, that person will die and the rest of us will become slaves of your master.”
Each of the brothers opened his sack, and they found the cup in the one belonging to Benjamin. The brothers were horrified. They returned to the city with the guards, and fell down in front of Joseph. He asked, “Why have you done this?”
Judah replied, “How can we prove our innocence? All of us will now be your slaves.”
“No! Only the guilty one will be my slave. The rest of you can go home to your father.”
Judah said, “I promised our father that I’d guarantee Benjamin’s safety. So allow me to be your slave instead of him. I can’t bear to see my father’s grief when the boy doesn’t return to him.”
When Joseph heard this, he started to cry. He said to his brothers. “I’m Joseph!”
The men were terrified and weren’t able to answer him. He said, “Come! Come closer and see! I’m your brother, the one you sold into slavery! God sent me here to save your lives. There are still five years of famine left, and God brought me here to prepare a place for you!”
He then told them to go back and bring their father and their families to Egypt. Pharaoh heard this and told Joseph, “The best of Egypt will be theirs!”
Jacob was stunned when his sons told him what had happened. But his spirit revived when he heard what Joseph had said and done. Finally, he, his children, and all their children went to Egypt. There, Pharaoh provided for them because of Joseph.

Story Told
Story Telling and Questions by Mickie O’Donnell
Insights
Audio
Click map to expand