Over the next 2 days we will take bits and pieces of what happens over these three chapters. As we saw on Sunday, Joseph is here putting his brothers through some tests to see if they are the same people who sold him into slavery.
First, chapter 42 documents the brothers first visit to Egypt. This chapter is divided up into seven scenes, which the ancient readers and students of Genesis would not be surprised by. Sequences of sevens appear everywhere in the book, most notably in the creation narrative.
When the brothers first come to Egypt they come before Joseph to purchase grain from him. He obviously recognizes them but they do not recognize him. They bow to him (42:6) fulfilling in part his first dreams. Remember his dream of the celestial beings consisted of 11 stars bowing to him plus his father and mother. So at this point it is yet to be perfectly fulfilled. After Joseph puts them in custody for 3 days, accusing them of being spies and threatening to have them put to death. He tells them to prove that they are not spies by bringing their youngest brother, Benjamin, back with them. To this they say to each other,
“Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.” 22 Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” (Genesis 42:21-22)
They don't realize that Joseph can understand them. In hearing this Joseph turns away and begins to weep, likely because he recognizes their remorse over how they had treated him so long ago. His brothers have passed the first test; they regret what they had done to him.
For the next test, Joseph keeps Simeon in prison until they return with Benjamin. He also puts their silver back into their sacks of grain to add a little more pressure. The brothers think they will then be accused of stealing it when they return. When Jacob sees the silver still in their sack he perhaps suspects they have sold Simeon into slavery on their journey. Either way the brothers are certainly not to be trusted with his new favored, youngest son, Benjamin.
Eventually the famine is severe enough that Jacob relents and agrees to send Benjamin with them to Egypt. The alternative would be starvation so he apparently deems it worth the risk. Interestingly, it is Judah who speaks up and takes responsibility to return Benjamin to Jacob unharmed,
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.” (Genesis 43:8–10)
Remember, Judah is the brother who decided to sell Joseph into slavery instead of killing him. Remember, Judah is the brother who failed to fulfill his duty to his daughter-in-law Tamar, slept with her thinking she was a prostitute, then publicly called for her to be burned when she was found to be pregnant. This Judah spoke up and now took responsibility for Benjamin's protection.
We will continue the story tomorrow...