Genesis 44

Genesis 44:9

With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

A very strong statement, and one I would not have made without major hesitation. After all, they have already had one surprise about the contents of their sacks. After their previous visit, when they were heading home, they found that their sacks contained their payments, each man's money in his own sack.

Now, they're on their way home, and the boss's servant catches up to them and asks why they have taken his cup. While it's true that none of them had stolen it, they didn't steal back their money last time, but it got there anyhow. So now you say that if something once again shows up unexpectedly, that you're willing to accept punishment? Somehow, what pops into my mind is the phrase "Once bitten, twice shy." Unless I'd already checked my sack before he caught up tome, I wouldn't be making that oath.

Genesis 43

Genesis 43:18

Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys."

Interesting how their thoughts parallel so closely what they did to Joseph. Do they see this as possibly being some type of revenge by God? They sold their brother to slavery in Egypt, so now they have to go to Egypt and will be taken as slaves there? Honestly, reading this verse, what comes to mind is Threepio from Star Wars moaning "We're doomed..."

Is it possible that Joseph planned all this out, to garner this reaction from them? We know that he knew they were afraid and saw what happened to them before as some sort of payback for what they'd done to their brother. While at first reading it appears that Joseph saw his brothers and found an excuse to eat with them, I wonder if there was a little malice aforethought regarding the details of what happened. We know he didn't speak to them before the meal, so this was their first contact since returning.

So, the question is: were the brothers that pessimistic, or was Joseph that sneaky, or are both true?

Genesis 42

Genesis 42:24

He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

Here we see both Joseph's soft and hard sides. He still loves his brothers, and has to withdraw from them to keep from breaking down in tears when they express remorse for what they did to him. However, he then recovers and proceeds to bind Simeon, probably in much the same way he was bound for sale into slavery.

Now, I have to ask the obvious question here: why did Joseph choose Simeon to imprison? I have a theory, but it's not provable.

When Joseph was taken by his brothers and sold into slavery, Reuben was not there; he came later, and was distressed by what had happened. With Reuben absent, Simeon was the oldest brother. That would have made it his responsibility to protect Joseph from the others' evil intent, and he did not do so. Also, being in that position, it's possible that Joseph thought that it was Simeon's idea to sell him; he probably had no idea it was Judah's scheme. I have to wonder, if he'd known it was Judah, if Joseph would have imprisoned him instead.

Genesis 41

Genesis 41:32

Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.

This meaning of the double dream was something I didn't remember from before. It reminds me of something that Dr. Graff used to say about prophecy. He said that all prophecies happen twice; once near the time that they are made, and once later in a more complete fulfillment. Here, instead of a direct prophecy, Pharaoh receives a dream twice to show that it is serious and imminent.

Most people don't believe me, but I occasionally have dreams of my own future. However, I've never had anything close to what I would call prophecy, and certainly never dreamed the same dream of my future twice. Frankly, if I did dream something of this magnitude, I don't know whether I'd react with awe and terror. I only pray that I will never find myself in that position; there are some spiritual gifts that I don't really want.