But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” (42:38)
A lot happens in this chapter, and there is a lot of emotion. Jacob heard that there was grain for sale in Egypt and sent ten of his remaining eleven sons to go buy some. His sons were now all adults with their own families. However, he did not send Benjamin with them. It seems that because Joseph is “dead’ (as Jacob believes), he was that much more protective of Benjamin and claims that it would be the death of him if harm should happen to his youngest, who is the only other son of his beloved Rachel.
When the brothers went down to buy the grain, Joseph recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him. He is much older than the last time he saw them as a helpless youth. He now has confidence and authority. He is the governor of Egypt, dressed like an Egyptian, speaking like an Egyptian.
We don’t know if he “spoke roughly to them” (Genesis 42:7), accusing them of being spies, because he was seeking to pay them back for how they mistreated him, or whether it was all a plan to get information from them about their father and Benjamin. Regardless, he devised a plan that he figured would force them to bring his younger brother to him.
Simeon was to be bound and remain in prison until they brought their youngest brother to Egypt. This, Joseph told them, would confirm that they weren’t spies.
It has been many years since they did their evil deed of selling their brother as a slave. Yet, when this disaster happens to them—having to leave Simeon in prison—the brothers say: “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of this soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us” (Genesis 42:21).
No matter how hard we try to suppress it and justify wrongdoing, people have a conscience. I want to be open the conviction of God’s Holy Spirit, because there is freedom in acknowledging, confessing, and repenting from our sin. The resulting forgiveness and cleansing are life-giving!
Prayer: God, thank You that You have given me a conscience, and thank You that there is forgiveness with You, even of my worst sins. Please help me to be quick to acknowledge my sins, confessing them to You, that You might cleanse me because of what Jesus has done. (If there are things that come to mind from the past that you have never confessed to God, confess them now, knowing that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
