Genesis 42 Devotional Bible Study

Genesis 42 Chapter Summary

Jacob sent his sons to get food from Egypt. He did not send Benjamin for fear something might happen to him. When they arrived in Egypt to buy food, Joseph was there. They bowed to him (fulfilling Joseph's earlier dream) but did not recognize him. He recognized them but did not show it. He spoke to them harshly, questioning them and accusing them of being spies. They told them they had a younger brother at home, and he said they could prove the truth of what they were saying by sending one of their members to go get the final brother. Then he had all of them locked up in prison for three days.

At the end of the three days, Joseph changed his mind and said he would let all of them go except for one. Thinking they couldn't understand him because he was using an interpreter, they spoke freely in front of him and said they were being punished because of what they did to Joseph.

 

He had Simeon imprisoned again and sent the rest back with grain. He also had his servant secretly return each man's silver to his sack. When they had left and looked in their bags, they saw they still had their silver and were afraid they would be accused of not paying.

 

When they arrived home and told Jacob what happened, he would not let Benjamin go down with them because he was the only one of his mother's sons left, and if anything happened to him, he would die in grief. Reuben offered to let Jacob put both of Reuben's sons to death if he didn't bring Benjamin back safely, but Jacob would not allow it. He mourned that Joseph was lost, and now Simeon was too.

 

Why Are You Taking No Action?

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.”

I love Jacob’s question: “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” It’s the same as saying, “Why are you taking no action? It’s obvious what we need to do!”

We get frustrated with people when they don’t take the obvious steps to improve their life. But take a second to ask yourself if you’re taking the obvious steps to improve your spiritual life. Are you practicing the spiritual disciples our Heavenly Father has given us: Scripture reading, prayer, listening in prayer, worship, fasting, serving others, resting…?

If you find it difficult to do these obvious things, ask yourself why, then bring that issue to the Lord. Maybe you need more discipline to just do them. Maybe you need to cut some less important things out of your schedule to make time for these things that are more important.

 

Haunted

Genesis 42:21-22

They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.” Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.”

Can I simply give a warning today and say that the sins of the past will come back to haunt us until we deal with them?

I’m not saying God hasn’t forgiven you for those sins – but have you dealt with them? You don’t get to just say, “Jesus, forgive me,” and then sweep them under the rug like they never happened. You still have to make it right with the people you hurt. You still have to break that unhealthy habit. You still have to change.

You might still need to go to counseling to work through a difficulty.

Do it, or like Joseph’s brothers, your past will keep coming back to haunt you.

 

 

Lies

Genesis 42:36

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!”

Have you ever felt like everything is against you? Is that true? Yes, SOME things were against Jacob. He thought Joseph had been killed. Simeon was now in prison in Egypt. But what about Jacob’s 10 and other sons, and Dinah? Could he not see and be thankful they were still with him?

And Simeon would soon be let out of prison. Even more, what Jacob thought had happened to Joseph didn’t happen at all! He would soon be reunited with him.

What about you? It’s easy to get discouraged. It’s easy to give in to despair. Don’t do it. Look up and look around at the blessings you still have. Look forward to what the Lord will do for you in the future. “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— these things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).