20251123_IWillNotLeaveThee

[0:00] Good morning. As we're turning to Genesis chapter 42. So the brothers, how many brothers of Joseph went to Egypt this first time?

[0:19] ! Ten. Who did not go? Benjamin and Joseph, because Joseph was already there.!

[0:30] Now, did they know Joseph? Why not? It's been a long time. Do you think you'd know one of your kin if you hadn't seen him for 15 years?

[0:48] Yeah, that depends. Well, I've noticed that all the people I used to know, let's say from high school days in 69, 70, how much they've changed.

[1:09] Yeah, I don't know what happened to them. No, well, yeah, it's been a while, but that's not all of it, is it?

[1:21] No, I think that he did. And he was up there by the youth. Right. So I'm giving you two people. So what are the people?

[1:32] Alright. So, he didn't dress like a Hebrew anymore. He wasn't dressed in the robes and stuff. He dressed like the Egyptians. And?

[1:44] I don't think they did dress like a Hebrew. They saw him completely out of any kind of context they expected.

[1:54] Right. Right. He made himself strange. He intended not to be recognized.

[2:09] But the in their culture, these men weren't weren't shaving. They weren't they were dressing in robes and so forth.

[2:23] He's not looking like that. The Egyptians shaved the hair. And they they did not they had a different mode of dress.

[2:36] And there's one other thing. Well, we don't know that. But yeah, that's that's entirely possible.

[2:48] But he spoke to them through an interpreter. He didn't let on that he could understand them. And he acted like he couldn't speak to them.

[2:59] So he's intending that they don't recognize him. That's true. Now so in this first visit he accuses them of being spies and they protest and they protest by telling him about what?

[3:29] About his family or about their family. And they say, you know, we're we're brothers we're all sons of one man.

[3:41] He's doing okay. He's healthy. He's he's alive. We have one younger brother at home and one who is not is the way it it is written.

[3:52] Which means yeah maybe he's dead maybe he's alive. I I take it. They don't really know for sure. But they certainly do not expect him to be prime minister.

[4:07] That's that's pretty certain. Okay. Now what does he what does Joseph do in order to scare them or he he tells them to prove that what they say is true.

[4:25] How does he do that? Yeah and how are they going to do how's he he's going to hold somebody's surety.

[4:37] Now originally he tells them what? All but one of you are going to go and he'll go back and fetch back the younger brother that you claim to have.

[4:51] So he puts him in jail for three days. Then he goes down and he says okay I've changed my mind. I know I'm paraphrasing pretty liberally.

[5:07] I fear God. I'll tell you what you all pack up your your grain my steward will pack your grain up you take the grain but one of you isn't going.

[5:22] Who had to stay back? Simeon okay Simeon had to stay until they make the return trip and he said don't come back unless you bring that younger brother.

[5:41] You're never going to see me again until you bring him. Okay now why do the brothers think they are in this straight?

[6:07] Yeah they say this happened to us because we're surely guilty of Joseph. Okay well yeah they were surely guilty of Joseph.

[6:24] Now Reuben of course said hey I told you so told you not to do it but here we are so they go back and how many head for home?

[6:55] Nine okay nine of them head for home ten of them came to Egypt nine of them are returning at their lodging place one of them we're not told which one makes a discovery what does he discover?

[7:11] his money is in his grain sack now we're in a panic how'd this happen?

[7:24] well let's jump ahead in our minds how did it happen? who put it there?

[7:37] Joseph ordered his steward to do it and but they don't know that so they're at the lodging place en route to home one of them discovers his money now they think oh no not only does he think we're spies now he's going to say we're thieving spies well it's not recorded specifically that they went and said or that

[8:38] Joseph told his steward take their money and this but since he told his steward to put their money back I think it's safe to assume that they did purchase it I don't think we're stretching at the context at all to say they did purchase it because he specifically told his steward to put stash the money within the grain so one of them discovers it they go on home now now what do they tell we're at verse 29 in case you're looking around for it what did Israel's sons tell him about the trip you know when I get home when I used to travel without Sherry once in a while for operation rebirth

[9:40] I would tell her about what the trip was like or belabor her about what the trip anyway I tell her about the trip when if she when she had to go to my mother in law's in Florida and she got back I asked her about the trip she told me about what the trip was like so that's not unusual what do they say about their trip yeah yeah yeah the the ruler the lord of the land was rough with us okay what did he called us spies and we keep going what did they say to him but we we said no no no we're true we're true we're honest men okay we're we are we are of 12 brothers that is we are all 12 brothers and one's with back home with our father one is no more or one is not and we 10 came to buy grain but what did he say they're still talking to

[11:23] Israel they're still talking to dad because what's dad's obvious question yeah where's Simeon where's Simeon where's Simeon I mean when your family goes home if somebody somebody's going to notice eventually where's Gabe you know yeah where's Jesus and that was in a big crowd so that's not an odd question where's Simeon and they say okay well he he had to stick around okay now leave Simeon here with me now he didn't call him by name but leave him here I'm going to hold him in prison until you return with what your youngest brother here we don't know exactly how this is a while because we'll get to that in just a moment because the next verses really show that don't they but so he says if you bring your brother back and you prove your worth then what you can trade in the land you can stick around you can do business now by the way they are using money even though it wasn't coined like we coin it it would have been weighed but they're using money the same way we use money and that is it's kind of hard to carry vast tonnages of stuff one place to another to trade it and not many doctors anymore take the chicken in exchange for service but what you do is you trade your effort you get money and that transports more easily in fact under the law where they were supposed to go under the mosaic law

[14:11] Israel was supposed to go several times a year for specific sacrifices to Jerusalem well to the temple or the tabernacle before the temple and the law specifically allowed that if it's too far and you can't bring a bull and two cattle or two sheep and a goat if you can't bring everything you can exchange it for money carry that over and buy what you need for the sacrifice when you get there and in fact that's one of the things that the Lord Jesus attacked the temple dealers with for was that they were making they were trying to profit unreasonably off of the temple trade they were using the sacrifices for their own money and attacked by the way is a fair word what did he do he used a whip and beat them turned their tables over okay but back to here so now they we're at 42 now verse 35 at least what happens when the rest of them empty their sacks of grain they all find it now we have now we know that everybody's money's back not just one now they're all back what's their response to that they're they're pretty scared how this happened what does

[16:07] Israel say yeah what does he say specifically yeah you've taken two of them and now you're asking for Benjamin so what's going to happen says Israel okay well he he says you're all everything's against me it's all if I had if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all everything's going badly sometimes it will feel that way I'm sure where it seems like everything in life is going badly but

[17:15] God hasn't revealed the whole plan he hasn't revealed what's going to happen so when I'm walking as it were blindly it's easy for me to to say and sing walk by faith and not by sight but I'd like to see a little more sometimes but that's not what the Lord tells me now that specifically refers to salvation but it extrapolates fairly well to other areas of life as well but so Israel everything's against me Reuben suggests something isn't it here

[18:26] I'll give I'll give you two grandsons you can kill them if I don't bring Benjamin back now I don't get the thinking but there have been a few things in through mankind that I didn't get the thinking on maybe possibly and I don't I don't know how to answer that because my thinking doesn't run the same I don't even conceive of that part but just think back when the angels came to Lot I didn't conceive of when the men of

[19:28] Sodom surrounded the house I didn't conceive of that either that was that was a statement by Lot that I don't even get so there's lots of things that I don't understand but nevertheless Reuben says here's the deal dad you can kill my sons and I kind of you can kill my sons if I don't bring Benjamin back of course if he doesn't bring Benjamin back he's probably not coming back either is he we're Israel's thinking the family is dropping so what's Israel's answer it's not going to happen Benjamin is not going all right now we come to this time lapse business because now we see that this has taken a while so you're ready to start with 43 right chapter 43 okay as we read through there the famine is hard it's not letting up at all what does

[20:55] Israel say to his sons go go back buy us some food okay now Judah speaks up what does he say yeah look the lord of the land told us you surely will not see my face unless you bring that boy here now now if Benjamin doesn't go none of us are going all right now what does Jacob say why did you tell him about us if you hadn't you know the implication is had you not mentioned Benjamin he wouldn't have asked for

[21:56] Benjamin what's the response what do his sons answer I'm sorry right so they wanted to answer truthfully for once at least they wanted to answer truthfully because apparently they feared if he gets a hint I'm reading into it now be careful with this part if he if this ruler gets a hint that we're not telling the truth if he senses that we're hedging it's not going to go well otherwise they haven't they haven't had a lot of quorum about lying before have they so yes well that's exactly what they say to dad how do we know we answered him truthfully we had no way of knowing that he demanded to see him right they were and they actually did come clean on that portion or at least partially clean they didn't exactly say we sold one of the brothers away they didn't exactly tell him that they just said he is no more all right yeah that well they did okay well he how do they word it to

[23:55] Israel here they asked he asked us particularly about us and our relatives now they haven't caught see we who have read the whole picture and have the the advantage over them we get all of the revelation we know or we can see Joseph laid a hint before them that we can see that they didn't he said how's your dad is he alive is he well now if I was if you were being a spy or if he really thought they were spies I can see but you see I have an advantage I get to read the whole thing and look back

[24:59] I wasn't standing before the ruler of the nation with my knees shaken about what he could do to me all right in any event why'd you tell him he asked us straight away about our kindred now we know that this took some time don't we Sophie as you mentioned how do we know that all right what does Judas say to his father right I'll be surety and then he finishes with what yeah yeah if we hadn't been lingering about we could have gone and returned twice that's basically what he says you know we could have gone and been back twice two times but we fooled around so we know that this has taken some time all right so what happens then what does

[26:25] Israel say he finally breaks his resolve because they're hungry and the little ones yeah he breaks his resolve because it hasn't let up um no that's I'll leave that so yes I would have thought so!

[27:31] I think that they were they were they were like what I still that you watch right interrogate questions would be a stressful event and so maybe they are not necessarily thinking through their expected questions about things right it just hasn't been revealed the point that we're supposed to read has been revealed and the other stuff hasn't that's true nevertheless taken on its face value taken we're by the way we're we're not asking about whatever show she's been watching so yeah well that's his intention isn't it you bring my brother here but that's not all that's going to happen we we already know that but

[29:08] I think I will reserve it until it comes up in the scripture but Joseph's intention is coming because he's already given a hint about it if you bring him here you're true men you can come and trade in the land you can do business here so he's he's sliding them over bit by bit here anyway but he's not going to let them off easy he's not going he doesn't come right out in the beginning and say by the way I'm Joseph's brother and you're free to come on up he's he's going to drag him out a little bit hey I was in prison I've been a slave you know okay right and he's testing to see okay what kind of men am I dealing with now has it changed or not and if my right did they do to

[30:35] Benjamin what they did to me or did they go ahead and kill him that's not that's not a real stretch of course so his reserve is broken he tells his sons okay take a gift and take some of this stuff you give that as a gift remember Jacob coming to Esau gift gift gift smoothing the way you grease the skids here a little bit boys you give a gift now apparently by the way a little a little bribe for favorable answers isn't an unusual thing in this culture and it's not like they're bribing him to forego justice

[31:36] I don't calling it a bribe is a little stretch in that respect because it's not for a perversion of justice it's just for friendly terms alright so take this take the money that you found in your sacks take more money for grain you get all this ready and then what else are you going to take take your brother apparently some of it is and the bees haven't all died because they have honey a little yeah

[32:41] I I really don't under we're not given that much information about whatever you know what all died well they were they they we don't know we simply we simply know that they have some stuff to take that's all I do know for sure and and some of it's going to be spices so some things they did have but as far as much food they don't so they're going they're going back they're taking Benjamin with them and he says if I'm this is Israel speaking if I am what if I'm bereaved of my children then then

[33:43] I'm bereaved if they die they die he's this is a basically for him it's a desperate move this is not the move he wanted to make he resisted for a long time but now I can't resist any longer if it happens it happens take him go so they're going to make the second trip right so how many go ten ten so who doesn't go this time Simeon and Joseph are already there so now ten are going all right so ten guys go what did

[34:46] Joseph say to his steward when Joseph saw Benjamin with them they come before Joseph with Benjamin yeah yeah yeah let's have a he he tells his steward go get the get the stock ready I want yeah yeah we're gonna they're going to eat with me today right okay now they are brought into Joseph's house what's their reaction right they're scared why and what do they think is gonna happen well he's bringing us here for a party because he's seeking something else against us yeah he's seeking an occasion against us he's gonna enslave all of us and take all our stuff that's what they're thinking or they're scared of now they don't they're afraid but they seek some counsel and an alliance with whom do they seek it

[36:22] Joseph Stewart what do they say to him yeah we brought it all back plus what we want to buy now alright so they explain to the steward hey we don't know how this happened but we brought it back and you know we don't want to defraud we want to make we want to make sure that we're square yes so we don't even know who did this what's the steward say and then what does he do yeah right yeah right so the steward says don't worry don't worry

[37:48] I'm the one that had your money I had it I'm the one that did that and your God and the God of your father has given you this and then he brings out Simeon so um Joseph then after they settled their beasts and they had washed up they got their present for Joseph ready now what was that present a little balm a little honey now the balm is from a tree it's an aromatic balm honey some spices some myrrh which is a fragrant some nuts some almonds all right we brought a little gift it they they went down to trophy in tip city and they got one of those trays with all so they brought him a fruit basket they brought him a gift now what happens okay so they give him the gift when he comes home they give him the gift and they bow again this is the second time it's recorded this is number two so

[39:42] Joseph asked him a couple of questions what's he ask him yeah and he asked him about their welfare how are you doing have you been how's your dad all right now they answer what right and now number three they bowed down and did obeisance so they humbled themselves before Joseph and this is the third record of it and I think we better hold here well let's do one more question what does

[40:44] Joseph say to Benjamin now he's still talking through the interpreter I think but go ahead yeah God be gracious to you my son so that's going to be a little interesting keep that in the back of your mind because when they sit down to dinner I'll just give a hint about one of the questions when they sit down to get dinner they're kind of amazed at the seating arrangements they wonder at the seating arrangements just keep that in mind yes sir right yes but saying your servant would been a very common sign of obese since then because often times people would say you're sir

[42:03] I'm your servant to to signify that they're giving honor to the higher authority but you're right that is and it will be coming up okay have a great week thank you do