The Second Journey to Egypt
Text: Genesis 43
Core Idea: God’s grace meets us in our fear, speaks peace to our guilt, and exposes our hearts – not to condemn us, but to transform us. So, let’s entrust what we cannot control to God Almighty, receive the peace Christ purchased for us, and allow His grace to make us more like our Savior.
INTRODUCTION
We’re continuing our journey through the Book of Genesis – discovering how God faithfully accomplished His purposes. And two weeks ago, we saw Jacob’s sons travel to Egypt in search of food – only to be accused of being spies by the brother they did not recognize. Joseph kept Simeon behind and demanded that they return with Benjamin. But when they arrived home, things got worse as they found out that their silver had mysteriously reappeared in their sacks (implying that they could also be accused of being thieves) and Jacob refused to release Benjamin as he was still gripped by fear. Now, the famine remained severe, and their grain was running out. Then, what will happen when this family can no longer avoid the decision before them? Will Jacob remain controlled by fear? Will the brothers find peace for their guilty consciences? And can this fractured family ever come together again?Well, that’s what we’re going to find out today. So, please turn with me to Genesis 43. Because this is a lengthy chapter, I’ll read only the first fourteen verses, but please keep your Bibles open as we work through the rest of the passage together.
1 Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?” 8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10 As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.” 11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift – a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14 And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” 15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.” 17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.” 19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20 “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food. 21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver – the exact weight – in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. 22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.” 23 “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there. 26 When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?” 28 They replied, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him. 29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. 31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.” 32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34 When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things from this passage:
LETTING GO OF WHAT WE CANNOT CONTROL
RECEIVING THE PEACE WE CANNOT EARN
ALLOWING GRACE TO SEARCH OUR HEARTS
1. LETTING GO OF WHAT WE CANNOT CONTROL
Verse 1: “The famine was still severe in the land.” Jacob’s family had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt – and once again, they were in a life-or-death situation. If they were going to survive, they needed to return to Egypt. So, Jacob said in verse 2, “Go back and buy us a little more food.” That sounds reasonable, but there was one problem he was choosing not to address – in that the governor of Egypt had made it clear that the brothers could not appear before him without Benjamin. Everyone knew what needed to happen. But Jacob was still gripped by the fear of losing the only remaining son of his beloved wife Rachel. So, rather than facing the decision, he just told his sons to buy more food – as if the problem could be avoided. But Judah reminded him in verse 3, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’” And this is how Jacob responded in verse 6: “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?” He was basically saying, “Why did you do this to me? If you hadn’t mentioned Benjamin, none of this would’ve happened. But because you did, now everything is against me! This is all your fault.” Fear was affecting the way Jacob treated the people around him. First, he tried to avoid the problem. And when he could no longer avoid it, he now looked for someone to blame. But the brothers defended themselves: “We were just answering the man’s questions! How in the world could we have known that he would demand to see Benjamin?” Now, seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, Judah intervened. Verse 8: “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.” Jacob was holding on to Benjamin to protect him, but if Benjamin stayed home, everyone could die – including Benjamin. So, Judah made a remarkable pledge in verse 9: “I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him.” In Chapter 42, Reuben had offered the lives of his sons, but here, Judah offered himself: “Hold me responsible.” The man who had once sacrificed Joseph to save himself was now willing to place himself on the line for his brother. We’ll see his transformation more clearly in the next chapter – but already, God’s grace was changing him. Eventually, Jacob agreed. And he instructed his sons to take gifts and twice the amount of silver. But at the same time, he recognized that neither his wisdom nor his preparations could guarantee the outcome, and that the lives of his sons ultimately rested in God’s hands – which is why he prayed in verse 14: “And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you.” Notice what Jacob called God: “God Almighty.” This was how God had revealed Himself at Bethel. He said in Genesis 35:11, “I am God Almighty” – and promised to multiply Jacob’s descendants and fulfill His covenant through them. So, that’s what he was remembering here – both the power and the promise of God. It was as though he were praying, “Lord, You can do what I cannot do. I cannot control what will happen in Egypt. So, would You have mercy upon my sons and bring them home?” Then, Jacob said, “As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” Now, this doesn’t mean that he stopped loving Benjamin or that his fear disappeared. It just means that he had reached the limits of what he could control. He had done what he could, but now he had to entrust Benjamin to God. This is incredible, considering that his circumstances had not yet improved. Simeon was still in Egypt. The famine was still severe. Benjamin was still in danger. But Jacob was choosing to turn his eyes from everything he might lose to the God who had promised to remain faithful. In other words, his “what if” was becoming “even if.” “Even if I’m bereaved, I will entrust the outcome to God Almighty.”
Now, what does this mean for us?Well, it reminds us that faith doesn’t mean we’re never afraid. Jacob was still afraid when he sent Benjamin away. Then, faith is not pretending that danger is unreal or convincing ourselves that nothing painful will happen. No, it means entrusting ourselves and what we love to God even when we can’t control the outcome. Fear is a natural response to danger and uncertainty because we’re finite creatures. So, it’s not sinful to be scared. But fear can lead us into sin when it begins to rule us. Jacob’s fear made him passive – in that he avoided a decision he knew he needed to make. It made him accusatory – in that he blamed his sons. And it also made him controlling – in that he believed Benjamin would be safe only if he remained within his reach. Isn’t that what fear often does to us? It tells us that if we can avoid the problem, control our circumstances, or manage everyone around us, we can protect ourselves from pain. But in reality, we cannot guarantee our health, determine every outcome for our children, preserve every relationship, or ensure that our plans unfold exactly as we hope. Then, let me ask you: What fear is filling your heart with “what if” today? But more importantly, how is that fear shaping you? Is it making you passive, controlling, or quick to blame? Is it drawing you toward God in prayer, or pushing you elsewhere for security?Brothers and sisters, God doesn’t shame us for our weakness or dismiss what frightens us. He knows what we fear and why certain things are difficult to surrender. But He still invites us to place what we cannot control into His almighty hands because He desires to protect us and care for us. In fact, we have even more reason to trust Him than Jacob did. Think with me. Jacob looked back to the promise God made at Bethel. But we look back to the promise God fulfilled at Calvary. The God who asks us to entrust what is precious to Him is the God who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all. The cross doesn’t promise that we will never experience loss. But it assures us that God’s heart toward His children is good. If He gave His Son to save us, then even when we cannot understand His providence, we really don’t need to question His love. So, when fear fills your heart with “what if,” fix your eyes on God Almighty. Bring your fear honestly before Him, remember the cross, and ask Him for the faith to say, “Even if I cannot control the outcome, I will entrust myself to the God who gave His Son for me.”
2. RECEIVING THE PEACE WE CANNOT EARN
Verse 15 tells us that the brothers did exactly what Jacob instructed them to do. They took the gifts, twice the amount of silver, and Benjamin, hurried down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph – the brother they still didn’t recognize. Verse 16: “When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, ‘Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.’” Now, from our perspective, we know that Joseph was preparing a meal for them. But the brothers didn’t know that. All they knew was that they were being taken to the private residence of the powerful man who had accused them of being spies. So, they assumed the worst. Verse 18: “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.” They were convinced that Joseph was preparing to attack and enslave them – but in reality, he was preparing a meal. They saw his house as a place of judgment when he intended it to be a place of welcome. When our consciences are burdened by guilt, we see judgment everywhere. Even an invitation can feel like a threat. Even kindness can appear suspicious. Isn’t that what happened when the brothers first discovered the silver in their sacks? Joseph had returned it as an act of generosity, but because they expected God to punish them, they interpreted it as another reason to be afraid. And now, the same thing was happening again. They were being taken to a table, but they thought they were being taken into slavery. So, they approached Joseph’s steward and explained in verse 20: “We came down here the first time to buy food. But each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us… We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.” Can you hear the anxiety in their words? It was as though they were saying, “Please believe us. We didn’t steal anything. We brought all the money back.” They had prepared their defense because they believed that if they could explain themselves and repay what they owed, maybe they could escape judgment. But listen to the steward in verse 23: “It’s all right. Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” The NIV says, “It’s all right” – but in Hebrew, it literally says, “Peace to you.” “Shalom to you. Don’t be afraid.” The brothers entered the house prepared to defend themselves, but instead they received a word of peace. They feared that an unpaid debt stood against them, but the steward assured them, “I received your silver.” And he said, “Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks.” In other words, what they had interpreted as a threat was actually a gift. Then, the steward brought Simeon out, gave them water to wash their feet, and prepared them for the meal. Think about the reversal taking place here. They expected accusation but received reassurance. They expected to pay a debt, but they were told that the debt had already been settled. They expected slavery but were welcomed as guests. All that to say, everything they feared had been taken care of.
Now, what does this mean for us?Like the brothers, many of us believe that peace is something we must secure for ourselves. When guilt weighs upon us, we prepare our defense. We explain why we did what we did, compare ourselves with people who seem worse, or promise that we will make up for our failures by becoming better. We may not say it out loud, but deep within our hearts, we think, “If I can explain myself, repay what I owe, and prove that I’m not as bad as I appear, maybe God will accept me and love me.” But this story reminds us that true peace cannot be attained by our efforts – it must be given to us. The brothers arrived with silver in their hands – prepared to settle their account. But the steward said, “Peace to you. Don’t be afraid. I received your silver.” Their peace didn’t come because their explanation was sufficient or because they had brought enough silver. It came because they were assured that what they feared was already taken care of. And isn’t that the message of the gospel we love so much? The Bible tells us that because of our sin, we have a real debt before God. We have rebelled against our Creator and failed to give Him the worship and obedience He deserves. Now, what makes this devastating is that we’re not able to talk our way out of this guilt or repay our debt by becoming better people. But the gospel tells us that peace is available to guilty sinners because Jesus Christ has dealt with what stood against us. Colossians 1:19-20 says: “God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” Jesus didn’t just tell us to stop feeling guilty. He actually dealt with our guilt by bearing the judgment our sins deserved and paying the debt we could never repay. Which is why peace with God is not something we achieve – it’s something we receive through faith in Jesus Christ. I wonder if some of you have come today like the brothers entered Joseph’s house – expecting accusation. You’re carrying the silver of your good works, rehearsing your explanations, and wondering whether you have done enough to make up for your sins. You believe that God forgives sinners in general, but you struggle to believe that He has forgiven you. As a result, whenever something painful happens in your life, you wonder, “Is God making me pay for what I did? Is this His punishment?” But friends, if you have placed your faith in Jesus, God’s word to you is this: “Peace to you. Don’t be afraid.” Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Notice that Paul doesn’t say we might have peace once we prove ourselves. No, he says that we have peace with God through Christ. Our peace doesn’t rest upon how well we can defend ourselves, but upon how completely Christ has given Himself for us. So, stop trying to purchase what Jesus has already paid for. Bring your guilt into the light, confess your sin, and receive, by faith, the peace He purchased through His blood.
3. ALLOWING GRACE TO SEARCH OUR HEARTS
Verse 26: “When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.” Once again, Joseph’s dreams were being fulfilled. Years earlier, his brothers had hated him for dreaming that they would bow before him. They tried to prevent those dreams from coming true by selling him into slavery. But now, for the second time, they bowed before the brother they had rejected without realizing who he was. Now, Joseph could’ve used this moment to exalt himself. He could’ve said, “Look at me now. You tried to get rid of me, but here you are bowing before me.” But instead, his concern was for their well-being and the condition of his father. Verse 27: “He asked them how they were, and then he said, ‘How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?’” Even though he had every reason to think about the pain they had caused him, he just wanted to know how they were doing and whether his father was still alive. But when Joseph saw Benjamin for the first time in more than twenty years, he became overwhelmed with emotion. Verse 30: “Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep.” This is significant because it shows that Joseph wasn’t a cold-hearted person – manipulating his brothers or enjoying their fear. He still loved them and desired to be reunited with his family. Now, I’m sure Joseph wanted to reveal himself at that moment. But he knew that reconciliation required more than just strong emotion. The brothers had begun to acknowledge their guilt, but one question still remained: Had their hearts truly changed? So, Joseph washed his face, returned to the room, and ordered the food to be served. Now, the brothers were astonished to discover that they had been seated according to their ages – from the firstborn to the youngest. They must have wondered, “How does this man know our birth order? What else does he know about us?” But the greater surprise came in verse 34: “When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s.” This, for sure, was Joseph showing special affection to his younger brother. But this was also another test. Years earlier, Jacob had shown Joseph special favor by giving him an ornate robe. And when the brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than them, their envy grew into hatred – and in their anger, they eventually sold him into slavery. Now, a similar situation was placed before them. Another son of Rachel was receiving obvious favor – in that Benjamin was given five times as much as everyone else. Then, how would the brothers respond? Would they resent Benjamin as they had resented Joseph? Would favoritism awaken the jealousy that had once torn their family apart? Or had God begun to change their hearts? The chapter doesn’t answer those questions immediately. It just ends by saying, “So they feasted and drank freely with him.” The brothers who had entered Joseph’s house expecting imprisonment were now celebrating at his table. But the test wasn’t over. In the next chapter, they would have to decide whether to protect Benjamin or abandon him to save themselves. But for now, notice that Joseph desired reconciliation, but he didn’t rush it. His compassion was genuine, but it didn’t cause him to pretend that nothing had happened because he understood that true restoration required the condition of their hearts to come into the light.
And this shows us something important about the grace of God: Grace doesn’t just comfort us – it also exposes and transforms us. We often want grace to make us feel better without allowing it to search our hearts. We want God to reassure us that we’re forgiven, but we resist when He reveals the jealousy, resentment, selfishness, or bitterness that still remains within us. But God loves us too much to leave those things untouched. That was exactly what He was doing with these brothers. God wasn’t exposing them to destroy them. He was bringing their hearts into the light so that this broken family could eventually be restored. Through their circumstances, God was confronting them with this question: “Will you still hate your brother because he received more than you? Or has grace changed you?” And maybe God is asking us a similar question: Friends, how do you respond when someone else receives what you wanted? What happens when another person receives greater recognition, a better opportunity, a happier relationship, a healthier family, or a blessing for which we have prayed? It’s easy to celebrate God’s grace when we receive the larger portion. But what will happen when someone else does? Envy causes us to believe that another person’s blessing somehow diminishes our own. And as a result, their joy becomes evidence that God has overlooked us – that’s how we think. So, instead of thanking God for what He has given, we compare our portion with theirs. And before long, we find it difficult to rejoice with those who rejoice because their blessings remind us of what we do not have. But the gospel frees us from this endless comparison because at the cross, we discover that our place at the table is not secured by the size of our portion but by the grace of our Savior. We were all enemies whom Christ reconciled to God through His death. Then, friends, if you’re in Christ, remember that you have been forgiven, adopted, and given an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. You are loved not because you have outperformed anyone else, but because you belong to Jesus. And remember that when your identity is secure in Him, you don’t need to resent the grace God gives to another person because their blessing doesn’t threaten your place in God’s family. So, when envy or comparison rises within you, don’t give in. But with the help of the Spirit, bring it into the light and trust that He will minister to us.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, God’s grace meets us in our fear, speaks peace to our guilt, and exposes our hearts – not to condemn us, but to transform us. So, let’s entrust what we cannot control to God Almighty, receive the peace Christ purchased for us, and allow His grace to make us more like our Savior.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What does Jacob’s response in verse 6 reveal about the way fear was affecting his heart and relationships? What situation are you currently trying to avoid, control, or blame on someone else because you are afraid?
What does Jacob mean when he says, “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved”? What “what if” has been occupying your thoughts lately? What would an “even if” statement of faith sound like in that situation?
Why did the brothers interpret Joseph’s invitation and generosity as threats? Have you ever interpreted a painful circumstance as God making you pay for a past sin? How does Romans 5:1 speak to that fear?
Why do you think Joseph gave Benjamin five times as much as everyone else? How do you normally respond when someone else receives something you wanted? What would it look like this week to rejoice with those who rejoice rather than comparing your portion with theirs?
