{"id":169,"date":"2012-11-25T17:04:20","date_gmt":"2012-11-25T22:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/?p=169"},"modified":"2012-11-25T17:04:20","modified_gmt":"2012-11-25T22:04:20","slug":"the-dreaded-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/?p=169","title":{"rendered":"The Dreaded Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"center\">Lesson 40<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">The Dreaded Trip<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">Genesis 43<\/p>\n<p>There have been numerous times in my life when I dreaded the consequences of something that was occurring in my life. When I was a kid it was usually because it was because I had disobeyed my parents and knew what would happen when the truth became known.\u00a0 There were two types of discipline that struck fear in my heart.\u00a0 The first was the fast and immediate justices meted out by my mother who believed spare the rod spoil the child.\u00a0 The second was just as potent.\u00a0 It was the proverbial, \u201cJust wait until your dad gets home.\u201d\u00a0 Which was worse I do not know.\u00a0 I guess the waiting for several hours had a greater effect.\u00a0 Even as an adult, the words from your boss that would go something like, \u201cI want to speak to you Monday morning,\u201d would leave one wondering what have I messed up? What has gone wrong?\u00a0 Then the thoughts go through the mind, \u201cAm I being let go on Monday.\u201d\u00a0 Whatever the situation in life, justice may come immediately or if it is delayed the results are still the same.<\/p>\n<p>Probably there are two things churches dread most of all.\u00a0 One is the day when a beloved leader tells the congregation that he is either retiring or has been called to another church.\u00a0 The other is in the area of church discipline.\u00a0 When dealing with discipline it means that a person has to be confronted with what he or she has done. None of us like confrontation, but the closer we are to a person the more difficult it becomes. The reason that many churches are weak and divided is their refusal to face the reality that at some point, in a loving way, a person will be called on the carpet for their actions. Let us hope that we will deal with the issue as Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15-18.<\/p>\n<p>The brothers were about to face Joseph once again.\u00a0 They had probably dreaded the moment when they would have to make the trip. What difference having Benjamin with them would make, they did not know. With fear and trepidation they prepared and made the journey to Egypt and the unknown.<\/p>\n<p>Genesis 43:1-2<\/p>\n<p>The famine continued and had actually gotten worse.\u00a0 It is hard to say what was going on in the mind of Jacob.\u00a0 Possibly he had hoped if he delayed long enough in sending Benjamin to Egypt that the famine would break and they could once again grow their own food.\u00a0 He may have concluded that surely the man in Egypt would not remember everyone who had come to him for food and would have forgotten the words spoken to the brothers. It did not happen and Jacob had to face the reality that they were running out of food and the ten older brothers would have to once again have to make the trip down to Egypt.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why did Jacob delay so long in sending his sons back to Egypt?<\/li>\n<li>Why do you put off things that you may dread doing?<\/li>\n<li>What usually happens when you try to avoid doing what needs to be done?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he think that Joseph would forget?<\/li>\n<li>What did he not know at that point?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:3-5<\/p>\n<p>The time had come for Judah to begin to take the leadership role in his family.\u00a0 Something had changed in his life since the time spent away from the family.\u00a0 He had matured.\u00a0 Now for the first time he refused to obey his father.\u00a0 Having already been in Egypt he had seen how adamant Joseph had was they would not be allowed to buy grain, unless the youngest brother was with them.\u00a0 The words of Joseph had so shaken them to the core that they would rather go hungry than to face him again.\u00a0 Judah therefore, told his father that the he and his brothers would not go without Benjamin.\u00a0 They would, however, obey him if he went with them.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why did Judah step forward and not one of the other brothers to speak to Jacob?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he refuse to obey his father?<\/li>\n<li>What did the rebellion show about the impact that Joseph\u2019s words and actions had on the ten brothers?<\/li>\n<li>How did they view Joseph?<\/li>\n<li>How did his words show a shift in the leadership of the family?<\/li>\n<li>What was the condition to be met if they were to return to Egypt?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:6<\/p>\n<p>In his self absorption, Jacob was able to turn the events around in a way to once again blame his sons for all his problems.\u00a0 Here is a man who did not have the capacity to see that he was the source of all that was wrong in the family.\u00a0 His treatment of the older brothers had led to the family coming apart at the seams. Now he condemned them for being truthful before Joseph.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What was Jacob\u2019s main problem?<\/li>\n<li>How does such self-centeredness affect a family?<\/li>\n<li>What would it take to break him from his behavior?<\/li>\n<li>What was behind his attitude of always blaming his sons for his problems?<\/li>\n<li>What does it take to resolve such issues in a family?<\/li>\n<li>Why is it that some people are never able to take responsibility for their actions?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:7<\/p>\n<p>The men tried to explain again the reason they had shared about the family.\u00a0 As they explained they innocently and truthfully answered the questions put to them.\u00a0 How could they possibly know that what they were being asked about Jacob and Benjamin would lead to the demand that they bring the youngest brother back to Egypt.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why did the sons even bother repeating what had happened in Egypt?<\/li>\n<li>Why did they feel that they needed to justify their actions?<\/li>\n<li>What do you think of their explanation?<\/li>\n<li>What affect would it have on their relationship with their father?<\/li>\n<li>What have been some instances when you innocently answered questions unaware that the one asking them had an agenda?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:8-10<\/p>\n<p>Judah stepped forward putting himself in the tenuous situation of being responsible for the safe return of Benjamin.\u00a0 There was a more important reason for the return of the youngest brother back to Jacob.\u00a0 If they did not go down and get more food the safety of Benjamin would be a mute point.\u00a0 The whole family, including Benjamin, would die of hunger.<\/p>\n<p>Again Judah emphasized to Jacob that he understood how important his son was to him.\u00a0 He took full responsibility for the safe return.\u00a0 This was different than Reuben\u2019s offer earlier.\u00a0 He was willing to sacrifice his sons.\u00a0 That was not the same as putting your own life on the line.<\/p>\n<p>The last statement by Judah also carried a lot of weight.\u00a0 Because of Jacob\u2019s selfishness the whole family was in jeopardy.\u00a0 They could have made at least two trips if they had not been delayed by him. If they had been allowed to travel back the dilemma they now faced could have been avoided.\u00a0 It would have been far better to make the journey while they still had plenty of supplies.\u00a0 At that point it was a do or die situation. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What does Judah\u2019s offer show about the change that had taken place in his life?<\/li>\n<li>What do you think of the way he approached his father?<\/li>\n<li>What was the difference between his offer and that of Reuben?<\/li>\n<li>What did that difference show about the character of each man?<\/li>\n<li>Why is it important for you to take personal responsibility when making difficult decisions?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:11-15<\/p>\n<p>When confronted with the reality of the situation, Jacob agreed that they should go. To appease the man they took with them spices and other things from Canaan. \u00a0They also had the money that they had brought back from Egypt the funds that would be needed to purchase more grain. Of course Benjamin also went with them.\u00a0 Although spoken directly to his sons his parting words were more like a prayer. He sought compassion from the ruler in Egypt. \u00a0Then he expressed the despondency that he truly felt. It was almost as if he did not hold out hope that any of them would return. With those words ringing in their ears, they set off on their journey carrying Benjamin with them.\u00a0 The men arrived and stood in front of Joseph.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why did Jacob finally agree for the sons to go back to Egypt?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he send the gift of spices with them?<\/li>\n<li>What else did he do in order to appease the ruler in Egypt?<\/li>\n<li>In what way does this sound like the old Jacob?<\/li>\n<li>What was the one thing that the sons been asked to do?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he still have a problem with what the ruler had required?<\/li>\n<li>What did his last statements indicate about his feelings about the trip?<\/li>\n<li>Although not mentioned, what is missing in his actions and words?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he ask for compassion from the ruler and not God?<\/li>\n<li>What might they expect as they stood before Joseph?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:16-23<\/p>\n<p>Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke, Joseph\u2019s reaction upon seeing Benjamin, gives a clear indication that he had been anxiously waiting for the return of his brothers.\u00a0 Before he even spoke to them, he gave orders to his servant to prepare a feast for them and bring them into his home to have lunch with him.\u00a0 It must have been confusing and disconcerting to them when they found out that they were to eat with him.\u00a0 Their reaction was one of fear.\u00a0 They assumed that they were being brought into Joseph\u2019s house so he could accuse them of stealing the money that he had given back to them. The possible punishment would be to be thrown into prison. To set the story straight they approached his steward and explained how they had found the money in the bags. They even explained to him that they had not only brought the money back but more money to purchase grain. It was a total mystery how the money had been returned to them.<\/p>\n<p>To their surprise the steward told them not to worry.\u00a0 His explanation may have seemed strange to them.\u00a0 God was given the credit for the return of the money. He shared that he was the one who had their money and with that statement implied he had been the one who returned the money to them. At that point Simeon was brought from jail to be with his brothers at the meal.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What evidence do we have that Joseph anticipated the return of his brothers?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he want his brothers to eat with them?<\/li>\n<li>What was their reaction to the news that they were to dine with him?<\/li>\n<li>What good did they think their explanation of the money would do?<\/li>\n<li>Why were they talking to the servant about it?<\/li>\n<li>How would you react if you were to suddenly be invited to dine with someone you did not even know?<\/li>\n<li>What act showed them the good will of Joseph toward them?<\/li>\n<li>Why did they have trouble believing any good could come out of this event?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:24-25<\/p>\n<p>Even though they had done nothing to deserve what took place, the men were treated as welcomed and honored guests.\u00a0 Water was provided for them to wash their dusty feet.\u00a0 The servant also took care of the donkeys giving them fodder.\u00a0 Knowing they were going have lunch with Joseph they got ready to present the gift of spices, honey and nuts which they had brought with them from Canaan.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What would have been the reaction of the men based on how they were being treated?<\/li>\n<li>In what ways were they treated as honored guest?<\/li>\n<li>What did they hope to accomplish by giving gifts to Joseph?<\/li>\n<li>Were the gifts really necessary?<\/li>\n<li>In what ways is what has taken place a picture of grace?<\/li>\n<li>How do you prepare to receive God\u2019s grace?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:26<\/p>\n<p>Immediately upon his arrival, the brothers brought to him the gift prepared for meeting with him. Then once again they bowed in homage before him.\u00a0 It was also done out respect for his position as one having authority over them for good or evil.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why did they waste no time in presenting him with the gifts?<\/li>\n<li>What other signs did they use to get into the good graces of Joseph?<\/li>\n<li>For whose benefit were these things done?<\/li>\n<li>What truly could be gained by doing them?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:27-28<\/p>\n<p>There is no record of how he received the gifts.\u00a0 His interests lay not in gifts or even having the men bow before him. It is interesting that Joseph immediately wanted to know how they were doing.\u00a0 He then asked about Jacob, wanting to know if he was well and still alive. The men still had to be confused about all that was happening.\u00a0 They were somehow able to focus and answered Joseph\u2019s questions in the order he had asked them. He was well and he was still alive. Having answered the questions they once again bowed before him.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why did Joseph almost seem to disregard the gifts?<\/li>\n<li>In what way did it seem strange for him to ask about their welfare?<\/li>\n<li>Who was truly the focus of the conversation?<\/li>\n<li>Why did the men feel it necessary to once again bow before Joseph?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:29-31<\/p>\n<p>Now came the moment for which Joseph had been longing.\u00a0 Right before him was his brother.\u00a0 It may have been a rhetorical question but he asked his brothers to confirm the identity of Benjamin. \u00a0Satisfied, still in character of the Egyptian governor he blessed him. Overcome with emotions that had to be released, he left his brothers and found a place in his chamber to weep.\u00a0 His tears were of joy at seeing his brother for the first time in over twenty years.\u00a0 Once he composed himself he returned and had the meal served.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Why did he only focus on his brother after asking about Jacob and the brother\u2019s welfare?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he ask the brothers to verify that it was Benjamin?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he continue playing the role of the Egyptian governor?<\/li>\n<li>How would you have handled the situation?<\/li>\n<li>How was he able to come back and outwardly carry on with the meal?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Genesis 43:32-34<\/p>\n<p>At the feast there were three separate groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Joseph would have been at a table by himself because of his position.<\/li>\n<li>The Egyptians would have eaten by themselves because of their prejudices against the\u00a0 Hebrews.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0The twelve brothers would have been together. Their arrangement astonished them.\u00a0 They were seated at the table according to age.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Joseph then provided for them from his own table. Benjamin\u2019s portion was five times greater than the others.\u00a0 For a moment they were able to relax and enjoy their time with Joseph.\u00a0 This goodwill was short lived as shall be seen next week.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What does the arrangement at the feast show us about the attitudes of people towards others?<\/li>\n<li>Why was the order of seating of the brothers astonishing to them?<\/li>\n<li>What other actions by Joseph would have left them confused?<\/li>\n<li>How were they able to reconcile the man they had met before with the host at the meal?<\/li>\n<li>What clues were given that there was more of attachment to the family than was on the surface of what was taking place?<\/li>\n<li>Why did the brothers for the most part remain clueless?<\/li>\n<li>What else could Joseph do to wake them up as to his identity?<\/li>\n<li>Why did he not just reveal himself to them at that moment?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>All of us will face difficult times in our lives. It is not the situation in particular that should concern us but the true indicator of our faith but how we deal with it that counts. What are some things we can do that shows the thing we dread has gotten the upper hand?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do not let your dread of facing difficult situations paralyze you from taking actions.<\/li>\n<li>Even when you do not know the outcome of events do not act in a selfish manner that may put someone else in harms-way just to protect yourself.<\/li>\n<li>Pray for God\u2019s protection and direction when confronted with events beyond your control.<\/li>\n<li>Trust God to lead you through difficult times.<\/li>\n<li>Like Judah be courageous and take responsibility when times are tough.<\/li>\n<li>Remember we do not deserve grace but God is the One who has provided the free gift.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We truly do live in a world of uncertainty.\u00a0 All we have to do is look around us and see a world that is coming loose at the seams.\u00a0 We can approach the dilemma we face in one of two ways.\u00a0 We can either succumb to feelings of uncertainty or we can trust that God ultimately is in control of history. The church all too often acts like this world is out final home when in reality we are indeed only passing through.\u00a0 God has given us a gift that should help us overcome any fear or dread we might have of the chaos in this world.\u00a0 It is the guarantee of eternal life given to us as a result of the work Jesus did on the cross.\u00a0 Unlike the brothers who could not recognize, because they were blind with their own fears, the one who was showing grace to them.\u00a0 God, very clearly has pointed us to His Son through the gospel.\u00a0 It is an amazing gift all we have to do is in faith accept it and know that it has been given for our benefit.<\/p>\n<p>Additional notes:<\/p>\n<p>WM-One who lives in fear will try to isolate and insulate himself in an attempt to avoid confronting the issue at hand.\u00a0 Jacob was forced to deal with facts that he would:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Have to send his sons back to Egypt for more food which he delayed doing as long as possible.<\/li>\n<li>Have to face the reality that to accomplish the first he would be forced against his wishes to send Benjamin to Egypt with his brothers.<\/li>\n<li>Have to acknowledge that it was impossible to keep Benjamin from the dangers and risks this world to which a person might be exposed.<\/li>\n<li>Only relent when he could receive all the assurances possible that Benjamin would be returned back home safely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Never once during this situation do we see Jacob spending anytime communing with God.\u00a0 He just wallowed around in self pity. (Gen. 43:1-6, 8-14; 44:29)<\/p>\n<p>DM-Although the decision to sell was an example of mob psychology, Judah now faced his own defining moment when he said to Jacob, \u201cI myself will be a surety for him (Benjamin); you may hold me responsible for him.\u00a0 If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.\u201d Jacob now saw in a new light and allowed Benjamin go with him. We will see in the chapter 44:16-33) if Judah was a man of his word. Would he live up to the promises he had made to Jacob? What kind of man would he turn out to be when facing a difficult situation? (Gen. 43:9)<\/p>\n<p>RT-Jacob was forced to allow Benjamin to go with his brothers back to Egypt because of the need to purchase more food. (Gen. 43:11)<\/p>\n<p>M-Men are moved to do what needs to be done, not what is always the easy path to take.\u00a0 Decisions are always made in an atmosphere of uncertainty about the future and carry a certain amount of risk, but are made anyway. (Gen. 43:11-14)<\/p>\n<p>C-Judah began to take the role of patriarch of the family accepting responsibility for the safety of Benjamin, where Reuben\u2019s offer was rejected, Judah\u2019s was heeded.\u00a0 The mantle was passed to Judah not Reuben. (Gen. 43:1-15)<\/p>\n<p>UE-The brothers must have been dismayed when the man who had treated them so harshly on the previous trip was now inviting them to have a meal with him.\u00a0 To add to their confusion they were seated according to age. (Gen. 43:16-17, 33-34)<\/p>\n<p>RT- What a witness Joseph must have been to those in his household.\u00a0 Not only did the servant speak of the present generation when referring to God, but also that it was the Lord of their father, Jacob. (Gen 43:23)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lesson 40 The Dreaded Trip Genesis 43 There have been numerous times in my life when I dreaded the consequences of something that was occurring in my life. When I was a kid it was usually because it was because I had disobeyed my parents and knew what would happen when the truth became known.\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=169"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":170,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169\/revisions\/170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblicalmastery.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}