January 29 Daily Devotional

Genesis 43

The food which Jacob’s sons had brought him from Egypt did not last very long, for the family was large and there were many servants that wanted to eat. The famine continued. When the food that had been brought from Egypt was nearly used up, Jacob said to his sons, Go down into Egypt and buy some more food for us. But Judah answered, We cannot go unless we take Benjamin. The man in Egypt said, “Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.” Jacob said, Wherefore did ye tell the man that ye had yet a brother? One of his sons answered, “The man asked us straitly … saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother?” Could we in any wise know that he would say, “Bring your brother down?”

Now Judah said, “Send the lad with me, and we will rise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him … if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.” Finally the father consented. He suggested they should take a present for the man in Egypt, as balm, honey, nuts and almonds. They should take double money and the money that they found in their sacks. He said, “And God Almighty give you mercy before the man … If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

So the ten brothers rose up and went down to Egypt. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house and make ready, for they shall eat with me at noon. And they were afraid and said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks.” They will say that we have stolen; they will take us for bondmen. They told the steward that they had brought back the money. But the steward spoke kindly to them and said, “Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.”

Meanwhile they met Simeon and when Joseph came home, they brought him the present and bowed down to him. And he asked about their welfare and enquired about their father. When his eyes fell on Benjamin, he said, “Is this your younger brother? … God be gracious unto thee, my son.” Tears began to roll down his cheeks, and he hurried into his chamber and wept there. When he had washed his face he came in again and ordered the table to be set for dinner. The brothers were seated according to their age.

This surprised them, for they could not understand that the ruler in Egypt should know the order of their ages. Dishes of food were sent, but Benjamin received five times as much as the others.