RUSSELL SANDERS
4-29-2021
THE LIFE OF JOSEPH – LESSON 10
GRAIN IN EGYPT
Genesis 42:1 through Genesis 47:12 tells one of the most touching stories of the Bible. It brings tears to my eyes each time I sit quietly and read it. It tells how Joseph was reunited with his family during the first two years of the great famine.
It starts in chapter 42. Jacob’s family in Canaan had run out of food. Crops had failed due to the severe drought. This also had dried up pastures for their herds. They were at risk of death to starvation. Even if they were to eat some of the animals of their herds, the herds would soon diminish to nothing with no food for them either.
News travels. Jacob heard from other sources that Egypt had food to sell. He told his sons to go there and buy food in 42:2 and said, “that we may live, and not die.” So, the ten older sons gathered their money and empty grain sacks and went with their asses (vs. 26) to Egypt to bring back “corn” (grains). Only Benjamin was held back by his father who refused to put the young man at risk. Benjamin was to him all that he had remaining from the legacy of his beloved late wife Rachel.
This was one year into the great famine. Joseph was the one in charge of selling the grains from storage. He was selling to people from many different countries and regions. They were coming from everywhere. The Egyptians were also buying grain from him which had come from their own fields the previous seven years.
When Reuben, Judah, Simeon, and the others arrived, they met Joseph but had no idea it was their brother. They only knew that he was the “Egyptian” who was the chief ruler of the country. He looked and dressed like an Egyptian and spoke the Egyptian language to them through a servant who interpreted. The brothers bowed down to him and made obeisance (worshipfulness) to him.
Joseph immediately knew who they were, but he did not reveal his identity to them. He chose instead to “play hardball” with them. He spoke very roughly and harshly to them as he accused them of being enemy spies. Tomorrow we will pursue that conversation.
Now the dreams that God had given teenage Joseph had come true as his brothers bowed and did obeisance. God’s fore-ordained plan was unfolding right before their eyes.
