Training Grounds Part 5
Judah is like Dad; we need to take Benjamin with us in order to get more food. Jacob is like why you guys mouth so big that you have to tell all ya business! Well, at least we know that Joseph being a tattletale on his brothers runs in the family!
He kept asking questions about our family and us. How would we know that he would say bring your brother down to Egypt? To his point, none of it makes sense, any sense, honestly, but God uses the things that don’t make sense very often. Jacob finally agrees to send Ben, and also the best products of the land as gifts. Jo was probably so excited to see produce from his homeland, and it also looks like God was still providing for Jacob and his family during this famine. So why are they going to Egypt again? Talk about divine intervention! Jacob said, " Take double the amount that was put back in your sacks as it was probably someone’s mistake.” No, Jacob, that was all your younger son’s idea! What’s that saying, ‘the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree?’ All of Jacob’s children seemed to have inherited that trickster spirit, even though his name was changed.
Joseph sees his younger brother and lets his housekeeper know that they will eat with him today, verse 17- So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace. Marbs, I just thought it was cool that the bible mentions that Jo had a palace! While we’re over here admiring Jo’s palace, the brothers were terrified because they were being taken to Jo’s house! I am sorry, but we are at verse 18 of Genesis 43, and it is so funny to me! Almost like a comedy show! I guess because we are the live studio audience and know how this story is going to, it just reads very funny! However, these brothers were probably thinking, " This is it! God just handed us over on a silver platter.” I was wondering why they were so worried that their donkeys would be taken. You would think by their theory that becoming slaves would be more harmful, verse 18, latter section. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here. He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he still seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”
So they get to Joseph’s house and tell the butler that somehow the payment for the previous grain received didn’t go through, and they have no idea what happened. This time, they brought back double payment and gifts from their homeland. The butler is like what are you talking about? We got payment. God must have put the money back in their sacks. Okay, we will just leave that one alone. Marbs, I am telling you this chapter is hilarious! Marbs, even those donkeys are eating at Jo’s house! Simoen is also released to join in the festivities, verses 24 and 25. Listen, Joseph is a very interesting character, okay, he asks about Jacob, then asks if this was the youngest brother, they shared the same mother and father. Jo had to run out of the room because he was crying like a baby. Verse 31 says that after washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, bring out the food! Joseph sit his brothers according to their ages, oldest to youngest, and gave Ben five times more food than his other brothers.
Marbs, let’s do this. How about you tell me the training ground experiences in this chapter? How did you think Jo felt seeing how his brothers interacted with Benjamin, the baby of the family?
Romans 12:9 NLT- “Don’t just pretend to love others, Really love them. Hate what is wrong, Hold tightly to what is good.”
And that’s what the bible says, not TJ!
I know I have watch something similar to this on a sitcom tv series! From beginning to end this chapter is filled with confusion, drama, comedy, drama, jealousy and more drama!