The Brothers Return Home to Jacob

A church leader once stated this about the importance of the church in a person’s life and how he discovered that truth: “Occasionally, I would drop in to church out of guilt, but always walked away feeling as if I’d just wasted an hour with an ex-girlfriend ... … More

Guilt

After three  days Joseph told his brothers that he was going to keep one of them in prison and let the others go to carry food to their families (vv. 18-20). This experience caused the brothers to discuss their guilt concerning Joseph (verses 21-22), not realizing that he could understand them because he had been speaking to them through an interpreter (v. 23). They concurred that this was a punishment for the way they had treated Joseph. Hearing their conversation he turned from them and wept (v. 24). He then kept Simeon as a hostage and told them to bring back their younger brother Benjamin and then Simeon would be released. 

After this Joseph had his servants fill all of their sacks with grain and he put their money back in the sacks with the grain (v. 25) He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. They each loaded the grain on their donkeys and left (v. 26). On the way they stopped for the night and one of the brothers found the money in his sack; and they were afraid (vv. 27-28). When the brothers told their father what had happened and how they had to leave Simeon in prison he grieved because he thought another son was dead (vv. 29-34). When they told him that they couldn’t go again for food or to get Simeon released unless Benjamin went with them, Jacob said,” I cannot let Benjamin go. Joseph is gone and if anything happens to Benjamin, I shall die (vv. 35-38).”

Application

It is evident that Jacob and his family were going through severe trials because of previous wrongs committed and not made right. Is there anything in my life that needs to be made right with anyone?

Genesis 42:18-38 (English Standard Version)


Warning: MagpieRSS: Failed to parse RSS file. (Space required at line 39, column 24) in /var/www/html/familytimes/includes/magpie6-1/rss_fetch.inc on line 230

Warning: array_slice() expects parameter 1 to be array, null given in /var/www/html/familytimes/includes/rss/esvLookup.php on line 15

View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »