And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother"s son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me?" And he said, "G.o.d be gracious unto thee, my son."
And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said, "Set on bread."
And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one with another. And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin"s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
=--27. Joseph"s Forgiveness= (Gen. 44; 45:1-15)
A. THE HARD TEST
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men"s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man"s money in his sack"s mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack"s mouth of the youngest, and his grain money."
And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their a.s.ses. And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, "Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, "Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.""
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words. And they said unto him, "Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? G.o.d forbid that thy servants should do such a thing. Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks" mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord"s house silver or gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord"s bondmen."
And he said, "Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless."
Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin"s sack. Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his a.s.s, and returned to the city. And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph"s house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
And Joseph said unto them, "What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I can indeed divine?"
And Judah said, "What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? G.o.d hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord"s bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found."
And he said, "G.o.d forbid that I should do so: the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father."
B. JUDAH"S n.o.bLE OFFER
Then Judah came near unto him, and said, "Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord"s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, "Have ye a father, or a brother?" And we said unto my lord, "We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him." And thou saidst unto thy servants, "Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him." And we said unto my lord, "The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die." And thou saidst unto thy servants, "Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more." And it came to pa.s.s when we came up unto my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, "Go again, buy us a little food." And we said, "We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man"s face, except our youngest brother be with us." And my father said unto us, "Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since: and if ye take this one also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave." Now therefore when I come to my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad"s life; it shall come to pa.s.s, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, "If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever." Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall come on my father."
C. THE FORGIVENESS
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me." And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, "I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?" And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, "Come near to me, I pray you." And they came near. And he said, "I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for G.o.d did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and there are yet five years, in the which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. And G.o.d sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but G.o.d: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, "Thus saith thy son Joseph, G.o.d hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children"s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: and there will I nourish thee; for there are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast." And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither."
And he fell upon his brother Benjamin"s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
=--28. Joseph and His Father= (Gen. 45:25-28; 46:28-30; 47:7-11)
And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father. And they told him, saying, "Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt."
And his heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: and Israel said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die."
And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to show the way before him unto Goshen; and they came unto the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen. And he presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
And Israel said unto Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou art yet alive."
And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, "How many are the days of the years of thy life?"
And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage."
And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land.
THE MEANING OF THE STORY
73. This a rather long chapter, but it is so full of interest that it would not be well to divide it. Recall the last chapter and tell what was the condition in Egypt and what was Joseph"s position.
74 (--25A). We turn back in our story to what persons? What was happening to them? What was this journey, who went, why did they go, who remained behind? Compare this with Abraham"s journey (--4).
75 (--25B). How did Joseph feel when he saw his brothers after so many years? How did he recognize them, while they did not know him? Notice how roughly he treats them. He is going to see whether they care for the youngest brother Benjamin. How does he do this? We saw in the life of Jacob how an old sin comes back. So it is here, as the brothers realize.
How does the interview end?
76 (--25C). What happened about the money? Describe the report that they made to Jacob.
77 (--26A). Why did they need to go to Egypt again? What did Judah say to his father? How did Jacob at last consent?
78 (--26B). Joseph is not yet ready to tell them of his forgiveness, because he wants them to be really repentant. He has a very good plan in his mind. What took place between the brothers and the steward?
79 (--26C). This description is very beautiful. What were Joseph"s feelings when he saw Benjamin? How was the feast arranged? Notice that Joseph ate apart as the Egyptian custom required. How surprised they were that they should be seated according to their ages!
80 (--27A). What was Joseph"s plan about the cup? Tell the story of the arrest. Notice the custom of expressing sorrow. The brothers find themselves in a hard case. Once, when they were guilty, they had been able to escape detection; now, when they are innocent, they cannot escape. What was Joseph"s harsh decision?
81 (--27B). The brothers had not cared that Joseph should be sold as a slave and Jacob should be heartbroken. But now when Benjamin is to be a slave they feel different. Why is this? Tell in your own words Judah"s n.o.ble speech. See how completely Joseph has brought his brothers to repentance.
82 (--27C). Notice (1) Joseph"s loving words, (2) his faith in G.o.d"s providence, (3) his message to his father, (4) his affection for his brothers. Have you ever known forgiveness to do any good?
83 (--28). How did Jacob receive the good news that Joseph was alive?
Goshen was a fertile part of Egypt in which the Hebrews were to live.
Describe the meeting of the father and son. Notice the formal presentation of Jacob to the king, and how stately is the old patriarch as he blesses the king.
WRITTEN REVIEW
Remember how happy Joseph was in forgiving his brethren. Read Rom.
12:20, 21. If anybody should annoy or anger you this week, try Joseph"s plan. Instead of getting even with your enemy, be kind to him. See if you do not feel happier about it. Write in your notebook your own idea of whether Joseph was right in his forgiveness.