Old Testament - Genesis 42 & 43 - March 14, 2022

 3/14/2022 – Genesis 42 & 43

The 7 years of plenty have come…and gone, for now the entire area has been through two years of famine. Joseph’s brothers journey to Egypt, for it is the only country that had built up a 7 years food supply that was ample for them and more. This is because they had faith in Joseph’s ability to speak to the Lord, and to hear the Lord.  Somewhere in the 7 years of plenty, the Egyptians might have become placid and stopped working for the food came so easily, but they DID walk by faith in Joseph, and thus were able to survive the long famine.

Joseph recognized his brothers as soon as he saw them, but after 22 years with Joseph now in Egyptian dress and speaking Egyptian, they did not recognize him. Joseph could have shown vengeance for the things they had done to him, but instead he gave them food, and then arranged their return to Egypt a second time with ALL the brothers. It was during this episode that Joseph remembers his dreams of many years ago showing his brothers bowing down to him. 

In Elder Bednar’s quote, he is talking about chastity, but the premise works for anything we might do that is against the Lord’s commandments: “All of us have experienced the pain associated with a physical injury or wound. When we are in pain, we typically seek relief and are grateful for the medication and treatments that help to alleviate our suffering. Consider sin as a spiritual wound that causes guilt. … Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body—a warning of danger and a protection from additional damage” (“We Believe in Being Chaste),” Ensign May 2013, p 44. The quote I had cross stitched and put on the wall “Excellence Through Guilt” was somewhat tongue in check, but underneath I remembered many times that I had done something for someone else because I felt guilty about having caused them pain. When we realize we have caused other people pain, and especially causing the Lord pain, the thing that brings me happiness is changing my ways quickly and getting back onto his well documented path.

Genesis 43

Joseph forced his brothers to bring Benjamin back to Egypt. Some think that was because he wanted to see if they would show meanness…or even a lack of concern to Benjamin. Judah, who had been the one who suggested that they kill Joseph, was now the one who volunteered to become “the surety” for Benjamin, and be put into prison until his brothers returned. Thus, Joseph WAS seeing a change in their hearts. But, when the brothers returned with Benjamin but were all brought to Joseph’s house, the y were quite worried that this ruling man of Egypt would put them in bonds as somehow it looked that they had taken all the money they paid on their first trip, back to their home. Joseph certainly gave his brothers time to think. And Joseph’s heart was certainly open and forgiving toward his brothers. 


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