Read Part One HERE
A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES
GOD MEANS IT FOR GOOD
PART VI
"I, Jacob, am the father of twelve sons... I should say, I am the father of eleven sons...For, as far as I know, one of my sons has been killed by wild animals.... His name is Joseph... I lost him over twenty years ago... I still mourn his loss every day... He was my favourite son... I had given him a colourful coat as a sign of my favour of him... My other sons, apart from my youngest one, Benjamin, did not like Joseph....I think they were somewhat jealous of him... This was possibly because God seemed to favour him as well.... After all, He had given him two dreams....Joseph had told us these dreams....From these dreams it seemed we would all bow down to him, myself included...Of course, that will never happen now....We live in Canaan... Life has been good for us so far... However, more recently we have begun to struggle with a famine... It seems this famine is not just affecting Canaan.... It seems to affect other countries as well...But I have heard that there is food in Egypt...Normally speaking, I would not want anything to do with the people in Egypt...After all, they are a people who worship pagan gods... We worship the true God, the God of Abraham and Isaac....And he is my God as well.... But I have to be practical for we are running out of food.... I have, therefore, told my ten older sons to travel to Egypt to buy some grain... They left earlier today... My youngest son, Benjamin, has not gone with them... I need him too much... Especially after the loss of my son Joseph."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that Jacob sends ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain...
ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES
GOD MEANS IT FOR GOOD
PART VI
Going back to the story of Joseph, who is now in charge of the grain distribution in Egypt, after seven years of plenty, the seven years of famine start. This period does not just affect Egypt but it neigbouring countries as you can read in Genesis 1:57
And all the countries came to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.
The famine affects Jacob and his family, who live in Canaan, as well so Jacob sends ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain as you vcan read in Genesis 42:1-2
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die."
Jacob makes the decision that his sons need to go to Egypt to buy grain since there does not seem to be anything else they can do to survive. However, he is determined to keep his youngest son Benjamin home with him. Having lost one son already, Benjamin's older brother Joseph, Jacob will not allow Benjamin out of his sight.
Read Part Seven HERE
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