IN WHOM WILL YOU PUT YOUR TRUST?

March 14, 2013

IN WHOM WILL YOU PUT YOUR TRUST?

Genesis 43:1-15

Michael Spain

Central Truth

It is not until, whether by His grace or our exhaustion, we reach the end of our own efforts, that we can really come to know God as El Shaddai, the all-powerful, all-sufficient One, who is able to meet all our needs.

"[A]nd may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." (Genesis 43:14)

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt

1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”

11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. 14 May God Almighty^{1

43:14
Hebrew El Shaddai} grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

15 So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Footnotes

[1] 43:14 Hebrew El Shaddai

Although Israel had already done the same thing with Joseph (Genesis 37:3), he now elevates another son, Benjamin, above all the others and even the care of his own family. This sin of idolatry -- the worship of anyone or anything in the place of God -- has consequences not just for Israel, but also for Joseph and his brothers.

Could idolatry be at the heart of all our sins? It was not by random chance the Lord began the commandments with "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). This has certainly been at the core of many of my struggles. Although it has been almost a decade since I left behind homosexual behavior, the intervening years have been filled with a painful cycle: the Lord lovingly disciplines me (Proverbs 3:11-12), I return to Him, I neglect Him by drifting slowly back to other behaviors, things, and people. Yet, by "His kindness and tolerance and patience" (Romans 2:4), the Lord continues to pursue me.

When Judah implores his father to allow Benjamin to accompany the brothers back to Egypt, God presses Israel to abandon this latest idol and place his trust back in Him. Although he eventually gets there, Israel spends the first half of Genesis 43 doing all the things I do when confronted with giving up one of my idols:

• Deny: Israel understands the situation -- his sons are not to return to Egypt without Benjamin -- but Israel conveniently forgets and hopes his community group sons will, too (43:1-2);
• Disavow: Another son, Simeon, is in captivity in Egypt, but Israel hopes to cut his losses (42:38);
• Distract: When confronted by truth, Israel gets dramatic, blaming others for the consequences of his own sin, even expecting his sons to lie (43:6);
• Deal: Israel tries to bargain by sending wealth and presents to obtain favor (43:11-12);
• Devote: Once he tries everything else, only then does Israel surrender, praying "may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin." (43:14)

Thank you, Lord, that in Your compassion You sent Your only Son to save us. Help us lay down our idols and follow Him with full devotion.

1. Initially, it looks as though Israel held tightly to Benjamin because he loved his son so much. However, considering the great cost and pain this "love" inflicted, who did Israel really love? Contrast how God and Israel each demonstrate love for their sons.

2. If your story were written in a book to be read by those closest to you, who or what would they identify as "Benjamins" in your life today? Will you need to Deny, Disavow, Distract, and Deal before you finally Devote? How can those who love you best support your surrender of idols to God?

3. Judah asked his father, Israel, to entrust Benjamin to the brothers for their trip to Egypt. The father wanted them to lie about even having another brother and then planned to just consider Simeon to be dead. Discuss the irony of that situation given what had happened with Joseph in Genesis 37:18-26.