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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Genesis Chapter 42

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Moses
Date Penned: (1450-1410 BC)
Overview: The Record of God's Chosen People (c 23-50)
Theme: The Story of Joseph (c 37-50)
Message: Joseph Meets His Brothers  (v 1-38)

Genesis 42 Commentary

(42:1-2) The Value of Grain - Why was corn or grain so valuable in those days? As a food source it was universal and used in nearly everything eaten. It could be dried and stored much longer than vegetables, milk products, or meat. It was so important that it was even used as money.

(42:4) Benjamin's Value - Jacob was especially fond of Benjamin because he was Joseph's only full brother and--as far as Jacob knew- the only surviving son of his beloved wife, Rachel. Benjamin was also Jacob's youngest son and a child of his old age.

(42:7) Joseph Conceals His Identity - Joseph could have revealed his identity to his brothers at once. But in Joseph's last memory of them, they were looking on as slave traders carried him away. Were his brothers still evil and treacherous, or had they changed over the years? Joseph decided to put them through a few tests to find out.

(42:8-9) Joseph Recalls His Dreams - Joseph remembered his dreams about his brothers bowing down to him (37-6-9). Those dreams were coming true! As a young boy, Joseph had eagerly, if not boastfully, shared his dreams. As a man, he had the opportunity to flaunt his superior status but chose not to take advantage of it. He did not feel the need to say, "I told you so." It was not yet time to reveal his identity, so he kept quiet. Sometimes it is best to remain quiet, even when we would like to have the last word.

(42:15) Joseph Tests His Brothers - Joseph was testing his brothers to make sure they had not been as cruel to Benjamin as they had been to him. Benjamin was his only full brother, and he wanted to see him face-to-face.

(42:22) Ruben Recognises Judgement - Reuben couldn't resist saying, "I told you so." He thought he and his brothers were being punished by God for what they had done to Joseph. Apparently the intervening years had not lessened their feelings of guilt. Selling Joseph into slavery amounted to murder in their minds, for they surely never expected to see him alive again.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

God's Word is Truth


Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter, making application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. There are many applications we can make from each day's text. Today we Continue in the book of Genesis with Chapter 42, and in today's text, we see more of the account of Joseph's life and how it continues to unveil. We see more of God's plan for Joseph's life when we see the prophecy come to pass. The prediction of Joseph's dream with his brothers bowing down to him back in chapter 37. This dream sparked the brothers' jealousy but what they tried to extinguish became a reality. It reminds me of the prophecies of God's Word today and how they keep coming to pass. In making application, today we have the Bible as God has shared His prophecy with us. His Word shows us how to be saved and go to Heaven, plus how future events that have yet to come of the rapture and the judgment will come to pass. Many doubt the truth of the Bible. They try to extinguish it just as Joseph's brothers did but no matter what you think or feel - God's prophesies will come to pass. Either for your good or your detriment. How about you? Do you believe the Bible is God's Word? If so, do you take its prophecy as truth? Make your decisions based on the Bible. You can trust the Word of God. 

 

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Genesis 42


Genesis 42

 1Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

 2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

 3And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

 4But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

 5And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

 6And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

 7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

 8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

 9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

 10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

 11We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.

 12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

 13And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

 14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:

 15Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

 16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.

 17And he put them all together into ward three days.

 18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

 19If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

 20But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

 21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

 22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

 23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

 24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

 25Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

 26And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

 27And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.

 28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

 29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

 30The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

 31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

 32We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

 33And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

 34And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

 35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

 36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

 37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

 38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.