Genesis 43:15–34 KJV 1900

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

THE MESS YOU LEAVE BEHIND

Introduction:

As we continue to study the life of Joseph, the brothers are once again preparing to make a trip to Egypt.

Things are much different on this occasion than during their first visit. Simeon had been left behind, bound of Joseph as a promise of their return.

Benjamin has been required to return with them and Jacob is certainly not happy with the current situation. The brothers are unsure about the trip as well.

They are concerned how they will be received, fearing they have been marked as thieves and are uncertain how the Egyptians will respond.

However the drought is so severe they have no choice. If they are to survive, they must return to Egypt. As of yet the brothers are unaware of Joseph.

Their emotions are running wild. They realize the situation has turned into a big mess. Joseph recognized his brothers and he anxiously awaits the arrival of Benjamin. He hadn't expected things to turn out as they have.

His emotions are in a mess. At the conclusion of our text, the brothers are seated before Joseph and Benjamin receives a bigger mess than the others.

The mess seems to be the theme of the passage, so I want to examine the facets of this encounter as we consider the thought: What a Mess.

I. An Occasion of Fear (15-22)

Some suggest the trip to Egypt, from where they were in Canaan, would have been about 250 miles.

Can you imagine the conversation among the brothers as they made the trip? It is clear from the text that they were fearful of what awaited them once they arrived. Let's consider their actions.

Notice:

The Preparation

We find they took the present their father instructed them to take, along with double money for the purchase of food.

They wanted to do all they could to ensure being well received in Egypt.

They understood the dire situation they were in and decided to take no chances.

Every precaution was taken and every detail attended to.

■ As I have said, I would never advocate the possibility of purchasing our salvation, but there is an important principle here.

They were going to stand before the sovereign and wanted to do all they could to be found acceptable.

We too will stand before the Sovereign one day and the preparations made in this life will determine our acceptance or rejection.

We must be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, born again, if we are to be accepted of God.

The Apprehension

The brothers were genuinely concerned about their next meeting with Joseph.

The money brought on the first trip was found in their sacks and they feared being accused of stealing from the Egyptians.

Upon finding out they were being escorted to the home of the Prime Minister, they grew even more concerned.

This would not have been common practice for every purchase.

I am convinced they felt conviction for their treatment of Joseph years ago and felt as if their day of accountability had come.

■ Often this is how those who live in sin anticipate the future.

They are well aware of past sin that has yet to be reconciled and they are apprehensive about meeting the Lord.

Granted the brothers did not know they were dealing with Joseph, but they feared this was punishment for their sin.

I am glad that I do not have to fear standing before the Sovereign.

I have not lived a life free of sin, but my account was settled on the cross of Calvary.

The sin of my past, present and future have been atoned by the blood of Christ.

When I received Him as my Savior, His righteousness was imputed to my account!

The Explanation

Upon arriving at Joseph's house, the brothers immediately begin to explain the situation concerning the money to the steward.

This time the brothers were innocent and they wanted the Egyptian to hear their side of the story.

Now they earnestly wanted to do the right thing, return the money and pay for another purchase. It appears the brothers are learning from past mistakes.

They have learned that honesty is always the best policy, even though they haven't revealed the truth concerning Joseph to their father.

■ We too must follow this example.

Honesty is always the best route to take, even if we are uncertain of the reaction of others.

God will honor honesty, and as long as we tell the truth, we won't have to worry about what we have said.

The Submission

As the brothers stood before Joseph, once again they bowed themselves before him.

They humbled themselves in absolute submission to Joseph.

They were well aware of his rank and authority, and they knew if they were to secure more provisions, Joseph would have to agree to the purchase.

They were at the mercy of the sovereign.

■ What a picture that reveals to us today.

We too need to have a submissive attitude as we come before the Lord.

He alone secured our redemption and He is in control of our very existence.

We could not survive without the help of the Lord.

Our lives are dependent upon His mercy and grace.

We ought to come before Him with a heart of humility and reverence.

I fear that most have grown much too casual with the Lord and pay little regard to being in His awesome presence.

II. An Expression of Favor (23-30)

As the brothers speak to Joseph's steward, they are not treated the way they expected.

Rather than harsh words and condemnation, favor is offered to them.

Consider:

A. The Relief (23a)—They discover the Egyptians were well aware of the money being returned in their sacks.

It is likely Joseph had rehearsed this with the steward, but whatever the case, the brothers are told that God had extended favor to them and He was responsible for their good fortune.

The steward may not have believed in God, but he spoke absolute truth. Can you imagine the relief they felt when they discovered they were not considered thieves, but were in fact the recipients of grace?

■ I remember the dreaded feeling of guilt for my sin.

I knew I was guilty and condemned before God.

The brothers were actually innocent here, but I deserved to receive my just reward.

When judgment was deserved, grace was extended. God was merciful, extending favor!

B. The Reunion (23b)—As they continued to talk with the steward, Simeon was brought out unto them, delivered from his bondage.

Not only were they cleared of wrongdoing, but their brother was released from captivity as well.

Naturally Joseph never intended any harm to Simeon, but the brothers had no way of knowing the outcome.

This is a far cry from that day years before as Joseph was sold into slavery with no thought for his well being.

Surely they were relieved that Simeon was released and their hope for the future must've been renewed. This time they had been honest and their honesty paid off.

■ As I considered the significance of this ordeal, I realized the importance of honest, upright living.

The sins of their past had prompted the captivity of Simeon, but when they responded as they should've, he was released.

Sin and its consequences have created separation and division for many, but repentance and seeking the Lord can bring about restoration.

C. The Refreshment (24)

The kindness didn't end with the release of Simeon.

The brothers were offered refreshment from their journey and their animals were cared for as well.

Every need they had was being taken care of in a foreign land. In the midst of a strange place they were comforted.

It may not have been earned or deserved, but it was offered freely. Isn't that a blessing when we take a moment to consider it?

■ We too are on a journey through a foreign land, headed toward heaven. Life down here is difficult at times.

We often feel as if we are in the midst of a barren wasteland and our souls are parched and thirsty.

Even in the midst of difficulty, God will provide. His care for us isn't limited or prejudice. Some are recipients of grace because of the faithfulness of His people.

D. The Reception (27-30)

These verses reveal the encounter of Joseph with his brothers. He knows them, but they haven't recognized him.

He asks of the welfare of their father and then acts as if he doesn't know Benjamin. He asks if this is the younger brother.

Theirs would have been an especially close bond. They were the sons of Rachel. As he looks upon Benjamin his emotions run wild and he has to excuse himself from their presence in order to gain his composure.

The brothers have been ushered into the presence of the Prime Minister and received of him. Joseph could've been angry and sent them away, but he is genuinely glad to see them.

He is concerned about their well being and wants to ensure their survival.

■ Isn't that like our Lord? Had He treated us as we deserved, He would've allowed us to die lost in our sin.

His favor would not have been extended.

We have been ushered into the presence of the King of glory, by the Spirit, and through salvation we have received His loving favor!

III. An Invitation for Feasting (31 -34)

—The journey back to Egypt takes another unexpected turn as Joseph orders a feast prepared and invites his brothers as his guests. Consider:

A. The Setting (32)—As the meal is prepared, the Hebrews were taken to dine, but the Egyptians ate by themselves. It was considered an abomination for an Egyptian to eat with a Hebrew. God's people have always been rejected and anti-Semitism remains today. Clearly this was nothing less than prejudice and racism.

■ We do not condone or promote such activity, but I see a greater picture here. Joseph had a meal prepared for his family. This was reserved for the sons of Jacob. What a picture of the redeemed of Christ. One day the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be prepared and only those who make up the bride of Christ will be permitted to dine. Those who do not belong to Christ will not be present to enjoy the meal of celebration. I rejoice I have made preparations to attend.

B. The Selection (33)—As the brothers enter the dining room, the table is prepared and the seating in prearranged. They are seated in accordance to their age. Still unaware of Joseph, the brothers marveled at such an event. They were seated just as they would have been at home. Joseph knew much more about them than they realized. Again they were being tested to see how they would respond to the position appointed for them.

■ How true that is of our Lord as well. We may think at times are lives are lived privately, but our Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. He is aware of our relationship with Him, as well as our faithfulness to Him. We must accept His will for our lives and gladly serve at His leisure without jealousy or envy of others. He had placed us within the family as it pleases Him.

C. The Significance (34)—As the meal was brought out, each brother received his mess, his portion or reward, but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. He was the youngest, and at the time of Joseph's betrayal, Benjamin had no significant part within the family, but here he received the greatest reward. His blessing exceeded the others five times. We do see a significant change here though. After the portions were brought out, they drank and were merry with him. There are no accusations toward Benjamin or jealousy concerning his portion. It seems the brothers are content with the portion they have received.

■ Each of us is responsible for our life before the Lord. We can and do influence and encourage each other, but we will all give a personal account of the lives we have lived. Our rewards will be varied. Some will receive great rewards, and others will receive an even more abundant reward. Some may have little reward when they stand before the Lord. 1 Cor.3:8—Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. Rev.22:12—And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

■ Again it is not for us to determine who does what and how much they receive. That is the Lord's work and His business. We need to work together, alongside one another, rejoicing for the goodness of God in all our lives.

Conclusion: Surely this wasn't the outcome the brothers expected, but God had a plan they were unaware of. Their brother had been elevated in Egypt, and even though they had betrayed him, he would provide for their needs and ensure their survival. They still don't know it is Joseph, but the fearful journey has ended with peace and contentment. What looked like a troubled mess became a genuine blessing. Their relationship to the sovereign made all the difference. The same is true for each of us. There are times when it appears our lives are in a mess. We are desperate for help and can see no way out. We must remember that God is sovereign and He is in control of our lives. Our relationship to Him makes all the difference now and in eternity. Do you have a personal relationship with Christ? If so, is your life what it should be? If you were to stand before the Lord today, what reward would you receive? If there is a need in your life, come tonight; don't put it off another moment!