July 3, 2024

I’m a big fan of alternate history. As such, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if certain events in the Biblical narrative were just a little bit different.  (Not doctrine, mind you. Just the events themselves, like what if Judas had repented? What if Rehoboam had listened to the right advice? That kind […]

For at least some of the Narrative in Genesis, it seems like the brothers have been fragmented. Simeon and Levi deceived and killed the inhabitants of Shechem (Genesis 34), Judah had twins with his daughter-in-law (Genesis 38), and Benjamin was left behind during the first trip to Egypt. In fact, one of the only times

The whole section in Genesis 43-44 is designed to show the brothers as changed men. Joseph wants to know if they have any remorse for what they’ve done, if they recognize the impact of their actions, and – most importantly – if they’ll do it again. Those questions have now been answered. By the end

After the first test, Joseph has already learned a lot about his brothers.  He knows that they’re genuinely remorseful about selling him to Midianite traders, which resulted in spending the majority of his life in Egypt. He knows that Reuben had tried (in vain) to stop them from harming Joseph. He also knows that they

Despite the fact that this midday meal with Joseph and his brothers should have been one of a joyous reunion, there’s a definite class and racial divide happening inside Joseph’s house. Genesis 43:32 outlines the arrangement as such: “They served [Joseph] by himself, them by themselves, and the Egyptians by themselves.” Why is that? If