Family Reunification

When Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt, Joseph saw Benjamin with his elder brothers; he set a plan into motion. He instructed his servants to bring them to his house and prepare a meal for his guest. Joseph brothers were afraid when they were taken to Joseph home because of the silver they had found in their sacks. They feared that Joseph would want to make them his slaves. Remember that in Egypt prisoners were kept under well-known political figures' homes. His brother feared they would be confined to a prison ward in the basement of Joseph’s home. They probably wonder if that was a prison ward where their brother Simeon was being held.

Image via Pixabay

​In desperation tried to explain about the mistake of the money that was misplaced in the bags of grains. They offered Joseph double the silver but he told them it was God who had returned their sliver. When Joseph came into the dining hall, his brothers bowed to the ground before him with their gifts in their hands. When Joseph saw Benjamin, he inquired if that was their younger brother and they replied yes. Still, his brothers did not know his true identity. Joseph then brought in water for them to wash their feet and invited them to supper and left the room in a hurry because he could not hold the tears back any longer. After washing his face, he told his servants to serve the food. The brothers were seated according to their ages and Benjamin received five times more food than his brothers. I Imagine Joseph’s servants put a great deal of effort into the preparation for his guest.

Now the seating arrangement has not gone unnoticed to his brothers, I imagine they were puzzled by how he knew this. They were puzzled and convinced that the Governor of Egypt had knowledge and perceptiveness that was far from normal, but they still possessed no thought that he was their brother Joseph. He could no longer hold back the rising tide of emotions, so he ordered all of the Egyptians to leave the room and now it was just him and his brothers. He cried, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into slavery.  Imagine a great fear came over his brothers, but Joseph calmly told them it was God’s plan for him to go down into Egypt before them. His brothers could not talk. Think about what must have run through their minds; our brother isn’t dead, he is running Egypt.

The Egyptians' servants heard Joseph cries. Soon the house of Pharaoh heard of the cries of Joseph. Pharaoh learned that Joseph brothers were in Egypt. Now Jacob’s sons were together again, but this time in peace and harmony. I imagine that Pharaoh not only heard Joseph happiness, but also saw it in Joseph’s face. Pharaoh instructed Joseph to give his brothers the supplies and wagons they needed to travel back to Canaan and bring his father and their entire family back to live in the country of Egypt. Pharaoh told them he would give them the best of the land. Joseph sent his brothers back with gifts and to tell their father, he was alive and running Egypt. When his brothers came back home; they told Jacob that Joseph was alive and was waiting for him in Egypt. Now Jacob was not only surprised but stunned when he discovered that Joseph was alive, after believing he was dead for many years. Not only was he alive, but he was Governor of Egypt.

After hearing the joyful news that Joseph was alive and well, Jacob instructed everyone to pack up as they were moving. Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to set up for their entrance into Goshen the land in Egypt that Pharaoh had instructed that was to be theirs. Judah probably met up with Joseph and received directions to Goshen. Joseph had instructed for his chariot to be ready for when they saw his father getting close to Goshen. Knowing his father would be coming into the northern part of Egypt in the Goshen region Joseph wanted things prepared so he could ride out and met his father at the entrance.  He probably sent servants with Judah to show him where things were and to help set up for the arrival of their family.
Jacob was of an old age, but he must have been inspired with hope when heard that Joseph was alive. Hope of seeing Joseph gave him strength to make the journey to Egypt. As they left, Jacob felt they should stop off in Beersheba, and offer a sacrifice to The Lord. Jacob wanted to make sure that he was in God’s will. He was seeking reassurance from God about going down into Egypt. Jacob probably remembered the accounts about Abrahams’ experience in Egypt. Jacob remembered that God had forbidden his father Isaac to go down into Egypt. The Lord assured Jacob He would go with him and in Egypt He would make Jacob a great nation.

When they arrived in Egypt, Joseph brought them before Pharaoh. Pharaoh gave them the Nile Delta Region, the land of Goshen for their home. There they found pastures filled with grass for their herds. Pharaoh had Joseph pick out his family who was qualified to be over-seers of his cattle. At the time Jacob passed away and Joseph and his brothers took him back to Canaan to bury him. They buried their father beside Abraham and Isaac. This small family multiplied and grew into a nation later to be known as Israel.  When Joseph died, he instructed that his body be taken back to the promised land. Egypt was not their real home and someday they would return to the land God promised Abraham.​

​LD Browning