July 2024

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

Reunions are always emotional. For Joseph upon meeting his brothers though, there were most likely a lot of different and competing emotions. For starters, it was probably shocking to see them in his own house again, especially after leaving Simeon in prison for months. Did he think they would ever return? How would he treat

The brothers have arrived in Egypt, money in hand, ready to redeem their brother Simeon from prison. Their first stop? An invite from Joseph to dine at his house for lunch. Normally, such an invitation from a member of the royal administration would be worth its weight in gold. This is an opportunity to advance

I’ve often wondered what took Jacob so long to go back to Egypt. At the end of Genesis 42, Simeon is imprisoned by Joseph while the rest of the brothers are sent home to retrieve their youngest brother, Benjamin. Joseph accuses them all of being spies, and the only way to verify their story is

Of all the brothers that could have suggested going to Egypt to get Joseph, nobody would’ve suspected Judah. After all, Reuben had already stuck up for Joseph twice; why is he not the one pushing the return trip to Egypt? At first glance, Judah seems the most likely candidate – to our eyes, at least.

After the brothers return from their first trip to Egypt, they break the news to Jacob about their accusation as spies and Simeon’s imprisonment. The only way they can get Simeon back, the brothers tell Jacob, is if they take Benjamin with them on their second trip. The response from Jacob is swift and sorrowful: