Sometimes the thing we least want to do is God’s next step for our lives!
Joseph’s brothers had gone down to Egypt and bought some grain for the family to survive the famine. Joseph had kept Simeon until they returned with Benjamin, the youngest and his full brother. But now they’d used up all their food and needed more to replace it.
43 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.’ Genesis 43
Once again hunger was forcing Jacob’s hand to send his sons back to Egypt. Simeon had been left there and the money they’d paid for the food had been returned in each one’s sack.
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,
An impasse, Jacob’s sons refused to leave without Benjamin and poor Jacob had to relent and allow him to go with them.
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.
Judah, meaning Praise, was Jacob’s fourth born son and because of the misdemeanours of his elder brothers, he rose to a place of leadership in the family. He took responsibility before his father for the safe return of Benjamin.
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.’
Jacob could hold out no longer, he relented and sent Benjamin with his brothers down to Egypt. This was the key which would unlock the future for all of them and yet it only happened when there was no other way. God can be very good at putting us into situations where there is only one way forward. We need to realise that so long as he is with us, everything will be alright.
They made their second journey and met with Joseph and also Simeon once again. Apparently Simeon didn’t know the truth about Joseph and he was there when they all ate together. Seated in order of their age and Benjamin blessed by a five times larger portion (five is Grace) than the rest of them.
Joseph would eventually reveal himself to them after some further twists and turns, only now he had all the power and control. God may bring us to circumstances where we have nothing to say, we’re completely powerless. That may be His place of safety and blessings for us, when we have to fully submit to Him.
God bless and keep you today.