WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday September 27, 2020

 

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REVEALED LOVE

(Jacob’s sons return to Egypt)

(Genesis 43 and 45:1-15)

 

   After Jacob’s flat out refusal to allow his youngest son, Benjamin, to go to Egypt (Genesis 42:38), even if it would save the life of another one of his son’s, Simeon, the famine continued to ravage on in the land of Canaan. It had been quite some time since the famine began, and still there was no relief in sight. And so, when the grain that they had previously purchased was almost gone, Jacob went to his sons again, and told them to go to Egypt to purchase more.

    However, Judah then reminded his father that the man in Egypt (Joseph) was serious when he said that they could not return to Egypt to purchase grain, unless their younger brother, Benjamin, was with them (Vs.3-4). And after some further scolding of his older sons, whom, Jacob blamed for such a demand from the leader in Egypt (v.6), he finally conceded that they must take the risk of sending Benjamin there, lest the whole family, including him, and the livestock, die from starvation. 

    And so Judah had succeeded where his older brother Reuben had Failed (Genesis 42:37), and now, Jacob realized that he must release Benjamin to go to Egypt for the sake of the whole family and its survival. In addition to bringing Benjamin along, Jacob instructed his sons to take gifts, and a double portion of money, to make up for the grain that they had gotten earlier and had not paid for. Little did they know that Joseph had tricked them, by returning their money to their sacks (Vs.11-14).

    The brothers then took Benjamin, the gifts, and the double portion of money, and they returned to Egypt where they presented themselves before Joseph. When Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them, he told his household manager that he was inviting all of the brothers to have lunch with him in his palace. The brothers were a bit leery and suspicious of Joseph’s kindness toward them. They thought among themselves that maybe Joseph was seeking to lure them into the palace to do harm to them, because of the money he thought they had stolen. Then too, they thought perhaps Joseph was planning on enslaving them, and seizing all the possessions that they had brought with them.

 

A FEAST AT JOSEPH’S PALACE

Genesis 43:19-34

   When the frightened brothers arrived at the entrance of Joseph’s palace, they informed the steward about the silver that they had found in their sacks when they made camp the first night, when they were returning home from Egypt the last time. The steward assured them that they did not have to worry, because it was the LORD their GOD, WHO put the money in their sacks.

    When the brothers arrived at lunch, Simeon was returned to them from his prison cell to join in the meal with them and Joseph. But first they were given water to wash their feet, and food to feed their donkeys. Afterwards, they prepared their gifts for Joseph’s noontime arrival. When Joseph arrived, they gave him the gifts, and they each of them bowed down low to him, not once, but twice.

    Joseph, seeing his younger brother Benjamin, could hardly contain himself, and in fact, he had to hurriedly leave the room because he could not hold back his emotions and tears. He shortly returned to the table, however, and at that point, he began to further increase his brother’s uneasiness by appointing them around the table according to their age, from the oldest to the youngest.

    And as the “spirit of favoritism” continues to reign in this chosen family, we see Joseph giving to Benjamin, “five times as much food”, as he did to the other brothers. Also, we see that, just as it had been foretold to him by GOD all those years ago in a dream, Joseph, would now begin to provide for his family, throughout the duration of the famine. And on this fateful day in Egypt, they would all bow low to their younger brother, Joseph.

 

 

JOSEPH REVEALS HIS IDENTITY TO HIS BROTHERS

Genesis 45:1-15

 

   After Judah’s heartfelt plea for Benjamin and his brothers’ freedom (Genesis 44:18-34), Joseph could not bear to test them any further. Judah’s earnest petition had finally convinced him that he and his brothers were no longer the evil men that they once were, when they sold him into chattel slavery, some twenty years earlier. Suddenly he shouted out to his attendants to clear the room so that he could be alone with his siblings. He was now ready to expose to them his true identity.

    When the room was clear, for the third time, we see Joseph weep for his brothers, and this time, he wept louder than ever, and in fact, his wailing was so loud it could be heard throughout the palace. Then he paused from his weeping and told them, “I am Joseph!”. “Is my father still alive?” His brothers all stood there speechless and stunned as they realized that their long-lost brother, Joseph, was alive and standing right in front of them.

    At that point Joseph beckoned his brothers to come closer, and again he said to them, “I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. He told the men not to be angry with themselves that they did that to him, because it was really the LORD WHO did it. HE sent me here ahead of time to preserve your lives (Vs.4-5).

    The spiritual person is always capable of seeing beyond their circumstances and perceiving the hand of GOD at work in any event. In Joseph’s situation, he was able to forgive his brothers because he embodied a deep spiritually and relationship with GOD, that could override any feeling of vengefulness that we might find in people less trusting of GOD’s sovereignty over all matters in life, good and bad.

    Joseph went on to explain to his brothers that they were only two years into what would be a seven-year famine, during which time, there would be no planting or harvest in the land. GOD sent him to Egypt to position him so that he would be able to keep their family alive, so that they could eventually multiply and grow into a great nation. And so, it was GOD, Joseph said, not them, who set him up for this great task of “salvation overseeing”, for his family.

    Then Joseph urged his brothers to return to Canaan and tell Jacob the good news that GOD had made him ruler over all of Egypt, and then, invite him to come to see him right away. He had already made plans for them to live in “Goshen”, “a place of isolation”, where their purity would be protected, and they would be able to multiply and grow without losing their identity to the Egyptians, by becoming “unequally yoked”. 

    And so, we see here the very origins of “the concept of the Christian Church” and how it should relate to world around it. The entire nation of Israel had now come into existence through the births of the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel, and now GOD would “set them apart” from the world (Egypt), and, at one and the same time, have them live in the world, separated unto Goshen (the community of GOD’s people). And now the burden of guilt had been lifted from his brothers, and Joseph embraced and kissed each of them, weeping in joy, and talking freely among each other, perhaps, for the very first time.

 

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

 

 

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