Joseph’s Dreams Come True: Making it Simple: Lesson Nineteen
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Making it Simple
Lesson 19
Joseph’s Dreams Come True
Genesis 42-45
Genesis 42
Verses 1-7 Jacob learns there is grain in Egypt. He sends his sons to go buy some, but he keeps the youngest, Benjamin, at home. Joseph is the ruler over the land in Egypt. Joseph’s brothers come and bow down to him. Joseph recognizes them but disguises himself so they do not recognize him.
Verses 8-17 The brothers do not recognize Joseph. Joseph remembers his dreams. He accuses the men of being spies, they deny this. The men begin to declare themselves. Joseph says they will be tested by staying in Egypt until the youngest brother comes. He wants one brother to go home to get the youngest while the others remain in Egypt. He puts them in prison for three days.
Verses 18-28 Joseph says, to prove that they are honest, one brother will stay in Egypt while the others go home to take the grain to their father and then return with the youngest. The brothers decide this trouble is their fault because of how they treated Joseph years ago. Joseph hears them and walks away because he is moved to tears by their conversation. He comes back and has Simeon taken into custody.
Joseph then orders their bags filled with grain and their money returned to them, hidden in the bags. The brothers leave. Down the road they find the money in their sacks. They are afraid and can’t figure why it is happening to them.
Verses 29-38 The brothers get home to Canaan. They tell Jacob what happened to them and about the money in their sacks. Jacob tells the men that they’ve brought trouble in the loss of Joseph, Simeon, and now the situation threatening Benjamin. Reuben offers up his own two sons, if he doesn’t return with Benjamin from Egypt. Jacob says that Benjamin will not go.
Chapter 43
Verses 1-10 Jacob sends the brothers back to Egypt for more grain. Judah says they must take Benjamin or they won’t be able buy any food or get Simeon back. Judah offers to be surety for Benjamin’s life. He says that they have delayed too long already and others will die if they do not go get some food.
Verses 11-15 Jacob reluctantly agrees to let Benjamin go. He says to take a present of the best of their land to this man in Egypt who is holding Simeon. He tells them to take double the money plus the money that was returned to them in their sacks. They are to take Benjamin, and all are to return. He accepts the fact that if he loses his sons, he loses them. So the men leave and come before Joseph.
Verses 16-25 Joseph sees Benjamin. He tells his servants to prepare a meal and to have these men eat with him at noon.
The sons of Jacob are afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house. They fear the money was used as a reason to enslave them and their animals. They decide to approach Joseph’s steward to clear about the situation. The steward assures them that their God cared for them. The steward brings Simeon out to them and they prepare for the meal with Joseph.
Verses 26-34 The present the brothers brought is given to Joseph. He asks about their welfare and about their father’s welfare. Joseph blesses Benjamin. Joseph becomes emotional over Benjamin and must leave the room. He returns and the meal is served. The brothers are surprised to find that they are seated according to their ages and Benjamin is served 5 times more of the delicacies of Joseph’s table.
Chapter 44
Verses 1-5 Joseph commands the steward to again fill the men’s bags and to put their money back. Also, he is to put Joseph’s silver cup in Benjamin’s sack, along with his money.
The brothers head for home. Joseph sends his men after them to accuse them of thievery and insult in the face of Joseph’s kindness to them.
Verses 6-13 The brothers don’t understand. They know they haven’t done this thing – stealing Joseph’s cup. They say that if anything is found, let that man die and the rest will become slaves. The steward says the one who is guilty will be enslaved and the others left innocent. He searches the bags and finds the cup in Benjamin’s. All the brothers return to the city, but they are very upset.
Verses 14-17 Judah tries to have them all held responsible, but Joseph refuses. He says he’ll keep Benjamin and let the others go.
Verses 18-34 Judah tells the story of Jacob’s sending Benjamin along. He expresses how upsetting it will be for Jacob to lost Benjamin this way. Judah says he offered himself as surety to Jacob and does the same now. He requests that he be taken instead of Benjamin.
Chapter 45
Verses 1-3 Joseph cannot control his emotions anymore. He sends his servants away and reveals his identity as Joseph their brother. He’s crying so loud that the servants of Pharaoh heard!
Verses 4-15 Joseph tells his tale to his brothers. He tells them not be grieved. God sent him to Egypt so that he could save his family. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” He tells them to hurry home and bring their father and live in Egypt. Goshen shall be their land. Joseph will provide for them for the remaining years of the famine, and make a place for them after.
When he finishes speaking, he hugs Benjamin and he and Benjamin weep. He cries with all his brothers and then they talk together.
Verse 16-28 Pharaoh is pleased about the things that have happened for Joseph. Pharaoh repeats the offer that Joseph made about the land of Goshen belonging to Jacob and his family.
So the sons of Israel did so. Joseph sent them home well supplied. The men return to Jacob and tell him of Joseph being alive. Jacob says he will go to see Joseph.
In Your Bible: Acts 7:8-16
Genesis 37:5-11
Note: Links to outside sources and those of pictures or clip art do not mean I am in agreement with any or all of the information given there. I am simply attempting to give credit for the work of others that I have borrowed.
The realistic picture is so much better than the irreverent cartoons we find available today. How do you find such good sources?
I had forgotten that Joseph “disguised himself,” but then the head garb would have covered his hair and features that the brothers might have recognized. Likely too, they would not have been looking for him in such a place, since they sold him to the Ishmaelites. On the other hand the brothers together would be easily recognized by Joseph.
I just google images and search through until I find images I am comfortable using. It’s amazing to me how difficult it is to find good images about most stories in scripture. A lot of “license” seems to be assumed because it is a drawing and an interpretation. I am always struck by how easily Joseph recognized his brothers. I wonder if it isn’t the difference in one’s mind when they assume the other person is lost forever (like the other brothers thought of Joseph) versus when they don’t have that thought process. I believe Joseph was reconciled to being separated from his family (based on Manasseh’ naming), but his ready recognition seems to speak of constant thought of those back home. To Joseph they were always a part of him; perhaps that comes from the trust in God that he had – which also allowed for his readiness to forgive as soon as they showed themselves to be changed men.
Angi, you have done a lot of revising on your blog’s appearance. I really do think this is more user-friendly.
I’m glad! Thank you!