Read Part One HERE
A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES
GOD MEANS IT FOR GOOD
PART XVII
"We, the nine sons of Jacob, have returned to him from Egypt... We had so hoped to make today a good day for our father... It seems that initially we were successful in giving him some joy.... For we have returned with much grain so he knows that is family will not starve...However, things went downhill from then on... For, first of al, he soon found out that Simeon is not with us.... He then learned that Benjamin has to go with us the next time we go to Egypt to buy grain...Finally, we discovered that we all had our pouches with silver in our sacks....It is a good thing that the day is coming to an end... We do not think we can handle any more problems... As it is we are having too many problems... And we do not have a solution for any of them.... Reuben tried to help out by suggesting that he will take care of Benjamin when we take him to Egypt the next time we go there....But our father does not want to take him up on his offer..He is determined that Benjamin will not go to Egypt when we need to buy grain again... We can only hope that the famine will soon end... We have heard rumours though that the famine will last for seven years... That would mean we have another six years of famine... We dare not tell our father that terrible news... Because we know that if that rumour is true then we will have to return to Egypt next year or so....And Benjamin will have to go with us... We just cannot go without him... For we will not see the face of the "Egyptian" official... No Benjamin.... No official... No official... No Simeon... No grain for our families... The future does look bleak....It has not looked good since we sold our brother Joseph to the merchants we took him to Egypt... We should have listened to Reuben that day so many years ago... We were so foolish then... We are sorry now that we caused our father so much grief... How we wish we can still make amends... We can only pray to God that He will give us an opportunity to do so... Perhaps one day He will... It does not look like it.. But God is the God of the impossible... So perhaps one day He will allow us to do something that in a small way makes up to our father the sorrow that we have caused him... We can, of course, never give him back the son he lost through our foolishness... But God, in His grace, may one day allow us to do something that will bring joy to our aged father.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that one of Jacob's sons, Reuben, is even willing to give up his own two sons for the life of Benjamin...
ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES
GOD MEANS IT FOR GOOD
PART XVII
The nine sons of Jacob who have returned from Egypt, listen to their father Jacob's outburst. There is not much they can say for it is true that Joseph is no more and that Simeon,though alive, is not with them here in Canaan. However, they know one thing: Benjamin will have to go back with them to Egypt the next time they go there so Reuben speaks up as you can read in Genesis 42:37-38
Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back." But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you: his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow."
Jacob listens to his son Reuben's promise but Jacob has made up his mind; Benjamin will never go with them to Egypt. He has already lost one son from his beloved wife Rachel. He will not risk losing the second son from Rachel.
Read Part Eighteen HERE
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