Protective

Protective

Genesis 42: ³ So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.” ⁵ And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

 

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Ten of Joseph’s half-brothers were sent to Egypt to buy grain. But “Jacob” did not send Benjamin with his half-brothers. So the sons of “Israel” went to buy grain.

 

My Observations:

• Jacob may have suspected his sons were not telling him the truth about what happened to Joseph.
• Rachel was the woman Jacob loved, so he treated Joseph and Benjamin, her sons, differently.
• Jacob sent ten of his sons to buy enough food that each could carry.

 

Jacob had hundreds of servants who tended his animals, so they would need to be fed as well. But Jacob sent only his sons to Egypt. He clearly showed a difference between Benjamin and his other sons by saying “Lest some calamity befall him.”  Jacob may have seen something in his sons that he could not quite put his finger on. All he knew in his mind was Joseph was dead.

 

The sons of “Israel” went to Egypt. I believe this distinction was given to Moses on purpose. As Moses writes this book, he flows between Jacob and Israel. I believe GOD is showing how the tribes of Israel ended up in Egypt. The importance of the tribes would become known later. GOD chose a very complex family.

 

Challenge

• Why did GOD tell Moses about Jacob’s protective statement to his other sons about Benjamin?
• Has something ever happened in your life that made you more protective of people around you?
• Is GOD moving you to a place where HIS new work will begin?