My Reflections

Summary of Week 7 Bible study

Summary of Week 7 Bible study

Joseph's brothers have a conversation about regretting what they did to Joseph when he was young. They thought all of this was happening to them because of what they had done to Joseph. Rueben has the "I told you so" attitude towards his other brothers. As the brothers are having this conversation discussing their guilt, Joseph understood them, but they didn't know that. They had not recognized him yet and he hid his true identity and used an interpreter to communicate with them. Joseph had to hide his tears as he turned away and wept.

Joseph still gave them provision and even gave their money back to them. When they found it in their sacks, they were afraid. He had Simeon bound and taken away to the prison in front of them before they returned home. They wondered what God was doing to them because they had sinned. This goes to show us that our own conscience can torment us when we have done wrong.

Befell means something happened, usually bad. This word is used in verse 29 of the King James Version Bible in our text.

Jacob is also afraid when he sees all the money is still in their sacks. He gets upset with his sons because they told the Egyptians that he had a younger son still. He tells them that they are bereaving him of all his children. He had lost Joseph and now Simeon and they were going to cause him to lose Benjamin too. He basically told them that he felt like life was against him. Even the best of us can feel like life is working against us.

Rueben tries to offer him the life of his own 2 sons if he doesn't bring Benjamin back safely. However, Jacob isn't having any of it. He tells him that if he were to lose Benjamin too, he would die from grief. He didn't think he could bare it.

Joseph's brothers were in a bit of a predicament. Their father didn't want to let them take Benjamin anywhere. However, they were told not to come back to Egypt without him to prove they weren't spies. When the food began to run out again from their first trip, they feared death by going to Egypt again without their youngest brother and they feared death by starvation from not doing so.

Jacob tells them to go back to Egypt. Finally, Judah spoke up. He tells his father that they can't go back to Egypt without Benjamin. If he will send him with them then they would go. Otherwise, they would not. Judah told their father that he would be collateral for him. If he didn't bring Benjamin back safely, he would bear the shame and responsibility for it.

Jacob is bitter because they even told the Egyptians that they had a younger brother, but Judah explains that they had been asked directly about it. And how were they to know the Egyptians would require that of them?

So, Jacob relinquishes and allows them to take Benjamin back to Egypt with them. He tells them to take the money back that they had found in their sacks before along with a generous gift to find favor with the Egyptians because perhaps it had been an accidental oversight.

This is Jacob's response and final resolve to the situation in verse 14, "And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

When Joseph saw them returning with Benjamin, he commanded his servants to prepare a meal for them and to bring them all to his house. This frightened his brothers because they thought it was maybe because they had brought the money back and they were in trouble. However, Joseph reunited them with Simeon and told them not to fear that their God had given them money back in their sacks.

Joseph's brothers brought him the gift they had for him when he returned home. He saw his brother Benjamin and had to make his way to his chamber to weep. He washed his faced and regained his composure and had his servants begin the meal. He had their seats arranged from oldest to youngest and gave Benjamin 5 times the amount of his brothers. And the Bible says that they enjoyed the meal together.

Joseph continues to mess with his brothers' heads. He fills up their sacks with as much food as they can carry and gives their money back to them again. Then he has his personal silver cup hidden in Benjamin's sack. After they leave, but haven't gone too far, he sends his steward after them with the accusation of haven stolen his cup. So, it is agreed among all of them that whoever has stolen the cup will remain behind to be Joseph's servant, not knowing that Benjamin actually had the cup.