JACOB SENDS TEN SONS TO EGYPT

The dramatic incidents in the life of Joseph are beginning to unfold.

The pattern of God in using Joseph to preserve the race during the famine and the removal of Jacob and his sons to Egypt begins to emerge in clear detail.

When Joseph was back in that dungeon, he couldn’t see all of this. But he believed God. He is a man, who, because of his faith, was always enthusiastic and optimistic.

Frankly, I wish my faith would get down far enough into shoe leather so that regardless of what happened, and regardless of what the circumstances are, I could be optimistic.

I tell you, it doesn’t take much rain or many dark clouds to make me less optimistic than I should be. I’m sure that is true of many of us today.

Joseph is in a unique position. I think you could almost guess what is going to happen.

The famine is over all the earth, and all the earth is coming to Egypt to get grain. Guess who’s coming to dinner!

The famine forces Jacob to send his ten sons to Egypt to buy food.

Why only ten?

Why didn’t he send Benjamin?

It would have killed him to have lost Benjamin.

Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize Joseph.

Why not?

Well, there are several reasons.

  • First of all, they thought he was dead; so they were not looking for him at all. They never expected to see him again, but he did expect to see them.
  • Then, we must remember that many years had gone by.
  • He was seventeen when they sold him, and now he is thirty-seven years old, plus however many years the famine has been going on.

Let’s say it was one year; so they hadn’t seen him in twenty-one years. He’s almost forty and he is dressed like an Egyptian, speaks and acts like an Egyptian.

Genesis 42:1-22 KJV

[1] Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

[2] And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

[3] And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

[4] But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

[5] And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

[6] And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

[7] And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

[8] And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

[9] And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

[10] And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

[11] We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

[12] And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

[13] And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

[14] And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

[15] Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

[16] Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

[17] And he put them all together into ward three days.

[18] And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

[19] If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

[20] But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

[21] And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

[22] And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

Genesis 42:1 KJV

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

 

 

 

Genesis 42:2 KJV

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:3 KJV

And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:4 KJV

But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:5 KJV

And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:6 KJV

And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:7 KJV

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:8 KJV

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:9 KJV

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:10 KJV

And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:11 KJV

We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:12 KJV

And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:13 KJV

And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:14 KJV

And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

 

 

 

Genesis 42:15 KJV

Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:16 KJV

Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:17 KJV

And he put them all together into ward three days.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:18 KJV

And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

 

 

 

Genesis 42:19 KJV

If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

 

 

 

Genesis 42:20 KJV

But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:21 KJV

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

 

 

 

Genesis 42:22 KJV

And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

 

 

 

 

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