Gen
42:33-36 (NIV) "Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, 'This
is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here
with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your
youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men.
Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the
land.'"
35 As
they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of
silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children.
Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin.
Everything is against me!"
NOTE: There is no
mention of Jacob's response until after the emptying of the grain sacks. It's
possible some of the hungry families had already started unloading the sacks
even as the story is told. And as they are unloading they see the money
pouches. Since they have already found one money pouch, they now open all of
the sacks and find their money in each one. It is obviously beyond circumstance
and is no accident. Not only are they accused spies, they are now thieves.
Their chances of ever getting any additional food are slim. Of course, they
might not now that the famine will continue for another five years and so a
visit to Egypt might be avoided. It doesn't say much for their concern for
Simeon. But Jacob's response occurs after the money is found. Jacob sees
everything from a negative perspective, in fact they all do. Even though Joseph
may have done it for a good purpose, they view it as a curse from God.
"Everything is against me" is Jacob's wail. Really, was everything
against you when you lived in Laban? How easy we forget the good things of God
when we are dealing with disappointment and bitterness.
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