In Canaan, Israel barely found a way to move on with life after loosing Joseph. The years continued to pass. His family worked hard, married, and had children of their own. His descendants were multiplying just as God had promised.
The Israelites reaped the benefits of the abundant years. Crops were great and food was plentiful. Life was good. There was no thought or worry of change coming as they went about daily life. How could they know? They didn't have Joseph to tell them what was coming. Those years were wonderful, but those years were soon forgotten when the unexpected famine began.
Israel and his family were not forewarned about a famine coming like the Egyptians had been through Joseph's dreams. They were completely caught off guard and unprepared for how severe it quickly became. Food became not existent. Israel held on to hope that things would turn around. He believed they would suffer, but survive. Yet year after year crops were not growing, and grain was not to be found in the entire country. It became inevitable, he would have to do something. Like all other people, Israel was very worried for his family's lives.
Word got to him that Egypt had grain to sell. Egypt had prepared and was stocked. This was great news of hope that they may survive if only he could find a way to buy the grain. There would be grave danger in the travel and then in the trade, as Egypt did not tend to trade nicely with Hebrews. But he was desperate. His family's lives depended on it. He demanded his sons to go immediately down to Egypt and buy grain so that they may live.
Ten of his sons packed up and left for Egypt, only ten because Israel refused to allow Benjamin to go as he was the youngest. He was terrified harm would come to him just as it had came to Joseph when he allowed him to leave home years earlier.
Success in a long and dangerous journey for Israel's sons was the hope for all of the women and children left behind with their father and youngest brother. The brothers knew the difference between life and death hung on to their success. They had to survive the trip, and they had to be allowed to purchase the grain from Egyptians who would most likely want to refuse to sell to them. They were prepared to show their upmost respect and kindness to the men of authority in Egypt in order to save their entire family from starvation.
After a very long journey they finally arrived in Egypt, tired and hungry.
Joseph, standing as a man of authority over the entire food supply in Egypt, saw everyone who came in to buy grain. When he saw his brothers approaching he immediately recognized them. He was instantly filled with emotion. Feelings of love, anger, hurt and curiosity. He wanted to hug them, he wanted to rush over to greet them, yet he knew it would not be wise to give away his identity. He had a hard time containing himself as he watched his brothers stand before him and then as if having his dream all over again he saw them all bow down to him with their faces to the ground. They had no idea it was their brother who they were bowing to, they didn't recognize the man standing before them for many years had passed since they sold him as a boy. As they held their head to the ground they assumed the man before them was merely the Egyptian governor over the food supply.
Joseph pretended to be a stranger and he used an interpreter so as to pretend he didn't understand the Hebrew language. He spoke harshly to them as an Egyptian leader would and asked, "Where do you come from?"
They explained they were from Canaan and came to buy food, a fact Joseph already knew. He remembered his dream and knew the dream he had interpreted so many years ago was happening before him as they bowed. But in keeping with his disguise and in order to give himself more time to decide how he could detain them he cleverly accused them of being spies who had came to evaluate where their land was unprotected. ( He needed more time, he knew he couldn't simply sell them grain. He wanted to know about their lives, and especially their father who he missed very much.)
The brothers were terrified when he accused them of being spies. In great fear that their trip would be in vein and in fear of punishment with imprisonment or death the brothers quickly denied the accusation vehemently. "No my lord!" They cried, "We are only here to buy food. Your servants are of twelve brothers, and are all sons of one man, from the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother has stayed back with our father, and we had another brother who is no more."
Joseph fought back tears at their admittance. He raised his voice and replied, "It is just as I said, you are spies! To prove me wrong , as surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. One of you will go fetch your brother while the rest remain here in prison until he returns, so that your words will be tested and you will prove you are being truthful." Joseph then took them all and put them in custody for three days.
During that time they continued to plea their case explaining they desperately needed grain for their families.
Joseph felt torn. He didn't want to delay them longer and risk their families, his family, to starve, but at the same time he wasn't willing to simply let them go. Without giving himself away he wanted to talk to them, to know more! But time wasn't a friend when he knew their families were waiting on their return. And the journey was long. So on the third day Joseph offered another solution. "Do this then, because I fear God. If you are honest then let one of your brothers stay here in prison while the rest of you go back and take grain to your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother back here to me and verify your words so that you may not die."
Joseph's brothers spoke to one another and decided surely they were being punished for how they had treated their brother Joseph all those years ago. They talked about how he had pleaded for his life, how destressed he had been, and how they wouldn't listen to him as he begged for them not to sell him as a slave.
Reuben told them, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? You wouldn't listen and now we are forced to give an accounting for his blood."
Joseph heard all they said, but they had no idea he could understand them since he continued to use an interpreter. Hearing their words tore his heart in two. He turned away from them and began to weep. His feelings for his brothers were a mixture of anger and love. He missed them, he missed his father, and he would always love them. But, he also felt very hurt for being sold into slavery. It was a deep hurt that had not been erased after all those years. He had spent many nights in prison with no-one to care whether he was alive or dead, all because of what they had done. Yet his love for them was also very strong, and he wanted desperately to be reconciled with them. He continued to feel conflicting emotions of intense love verses anger, then intense bitterness verses forgiveness. He wasn't sure what to do, but he did know he wasn't willing to simply say goodbye. So he turned back to them and took Simeon and bound him right before their eyes. This was his assurance they would return.
The rest of his brothers got ready to go back to Canaan. Joseph gave orders that their bags be filled with grain. Also, without them knowing, his servant was commanded to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, they loaded up and left.
Later that evening when the brothers stopped to rest for the night they discovered the silver in their sacks. They were frightened by this, they had no idea what it meant for them, and was afraid God was punishing them further.
When they finally arrived back at their father's house, Israel was relieved to to see his sons approaching. He was thankful they had made the journey and thankful they had returned with grain. But, he was upset that Simeon had been held captive back in Egypt. When he asked what happened, his sons told him the story of how the lord over the land of Egypt had spoke harshly to them and accused them of being spies even though they denied it. They went on to explain how the man required them to prove they were not spies by keeping Simeon behind while they took grain home to their starving families. Then they were to bring back the youngest brother as proof of who they were. Only then would they be allowed to have Simeon back and be allowed to trade with the land.
They went on to tell Israel about the very troubling fact that their silver, used to purchase grain, had been returned to each of their sacks.
Israel became very frightened. He cried out, "Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin! Everything is against me!"
Reuben felt terrible for the hurt and fear his father was feeling. He responded, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back."
But Israel said, "My son will not go down there with you. Joseph is dead and Benjamin is the only one of Rachael's that I have left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow."
Israel refused to let Benjamin go, he wasn't able to bear the torment and fear of something terrible happening to Rachel's only other living son. He couldn't' understand why the authorities in Egypt would insist on the very thing that terrified him most.
Time moved on and the famine grew even more severe by the day. Israel could see that the famine wasn't easing off, and that starvation would soon come without more grain from Egypt. He told his sons, "Go back and buy more grain!"
But the brothers feared for their lives. They explained how they were warned that if they returned without the youngest brother they would not live. They told their father they could not go unless they took Benjamin with them.
Israel cried out in desperation, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?"
They explained how the Egyptian man had questioned them closely. He wanted to know about who their father was, was he still living, do we have another brother, among other questions about their family. They simply answered his questions. They explained how unexpected the questions were and how they couldn't have known it would lead to him requesting to see their brother.
Judah spoke up, "Send Benjamin and allow us to go at once so that we may all live and our children will not die of starvation! I will guarantee his safety, and will personally be responsible for the rest of my life if I do not bring him back. Can't you understand we are wasting time here, and could have already been gone and back twice by now."
Israel, knew Egypt was one of the richest, most sophisticated countries in the world. However, some of the local produce and handmade items of Canaan may not be available there. He wisely told his sons, "Put in your bags some of the best products of the land. Take nice gifts for the man like balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of silver with you , for you must return the silver that was put back into your sacks the first time, perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother and go. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that Simeon and Benjamin may come back with you. As for me, I am bereaved."
(Life Question: When do you think most about God: when things are going well or when you are in trouble? Israel only saw trouble coming his way when he sent Benjamin on the long and dangerous journey to Egypt. He thought he was being punished. He lost faith that God had a bigger plan - all along the reason his entire family had survived was because God placed Joseph in a position of power in a rich country. God can see the bigger picture! )