v.1-24
Repeated phrases:
(1) A trip to buy grain (v.2, 5, 7, and 10) turned into an event leading to imprisonment for all 10 sons.
(2) No one ever forgot about Joseph being taken away:
a. Jacob had not forgotten Joseph
42:4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “What if some accident happens to him?”
b. The 10 brothers did not forget Joseph
When Joseph talked about the imprisonment v.14-20, they knew what would be ahead of them. All those years they knew they would be punished for what they had done. Now it was the time.
42:21 They said to one other, “Surely we’re being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!”
In chapter 37, we did not know that Joseph actually was distressed and cried out for mercy. He probably did that when he was thrown in the pit, or when he was sold as slave. They refused to listen.
c. Reuben did not forget
42:22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!”
As the oldest among the 10 brothers, Reuben called that incident as someone "shedding his (Joseph's) blood." How could those 10 murderers be restful for what they had done?
Reflection: Sins have consequences. The murderers would have their own consequences and so as other sinners. Do not be upset if others sin against us and there seems to be no consequence.
We might have sinned against others. Only through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ that we can put those down.
(2) The bowing down
v.6b Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground
42:9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!”
(NET) The point of the dream, of course, was not simply to get the family to bow to Joseph, but that Joseph would be placed in a position of rule and authority to save the family and the world (41:57).
All the emotions that went on between Joseph and his brothers were under a master plan of God. When he was a young boy God had already revealed His plan for the family. At that time no one believed the dream. God's words (dreams) would come true. He was sent ahead of them to Egypt and held a high position. At the end, he saved the whole family.
Reflection: Our lives may have many distresses that other people place on us. They have their own punishment. Maybe in the form that they could not forget about their sins. God has His plan for our lives (and may include distress) and everything He plans is meaningful.
Audrey
Repeated phrases:
(1) A trip to buy grain (v.2, 5, 7, and 10) turned into an event leading to imprisonment for all 10 sons.
(2) No one ever forgot about Joseph being taken away:
a. Jacob had not forgotten Joseph
42:4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “What if some accident happens to him?”
b. The 10 brothers did not forget Joseph
When Joseph talked about the imprisonment v.14-20, they knew what would be ahead of them. All those years they knew they would be punished for what they had done. Now it was the time.
42:21 They said to one other, “Surely we’re being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!”
In chapter 37, we did not know that Joseph actually was distressed and cried out for mercy. He probably did that when he was thrown in the pit, or when he was sold as slave. They refused to listen.
c. Reuben did not forget
42:22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!”
As the oldest among the 10 brothers, Reuben called that incident as someone "shedding his (Joseph's) blood." How could those 10 murderers be restful for what they had done?
Reflection: Sins have consequences. The murderers would have their own consequences and so as other sinners. Do not be upset if others sin against us and there seems to be no consequence.
We might have sinned against others. Only through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ that we can put those down.
(2) The bowing down
v.6b Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground
42:9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!”
(NET) The point of the dream, of course, was not simply to get the family to bow to Joseph, but that Joseph would be placed in a position of rule and authority to save the family and the world (41:57).
All the emotions that went on between Joseph and his brothers were under a master plan of God. When he was a young boy God had already revealed His plan for the family. At that time no one believed the dream. God's words (dreams) would come true. He was sent ahead of them to Egypt and held a high position. At the end, he saved the whole family.
Reflection: Our lives may have many distresses that other people place on us. They have their own punishment. Maybe in the form that they could not forget about their sins. God has His plan for our lives (and may include distress) and everything He plans is meaningful.
Audrey
2026
1. What Joseph remembered
v.6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the country...Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
v.7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger to them and spoke to them harshly...9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!”
2. What the 10 brothers remembered
21 They said to one another, “Surely we’re being punished because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!” 22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!”
Summary: What was in the dream was partially fulfilled. Benjamin (and their parents) were missing. Therefore, Joseph wanted them to bring in the rest of the family. He accused them as being the spies and asked them to bring Benjamin back. Subsequently he gave them a form of punishment that made them think about their sins against him. That was, one of them would confined in the prison while the rest would go back. If Benjamin did not come they would die v.15, 20. In other words, if they did not save Simeon they would die. They remembered how distressed was Joseph and their refusal to listen to him. Reuben remembered how he tried to stop them to sin against Joseph and how they shed his blood.
Reflection: Our guilt catch up on us when we put in similar situation. Things happened long time ago if left untouched would still affect us. Pray for God forgiveness on past unconfessed sins.
Question
1. famine
2. v.21-22, 28 God knew what they had done and their punishment came now
3. He put them in the same situation as what they had done. He put one of them in the prison and see if they would rescue him.
4. He went to bed with his father's concubine. He tried to saved Joseph's life.
5. Reuben could not save Joseph. Men's help is limited.
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