"And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: If I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present: a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts and almonds: and take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sack, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: take also your brother, and arise go again unto the man: and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph." (Genesis 43:1-15)
Salvation for Jacob and his sons lies in Egypt. Had Joseph been a different man, a man of vengeance, Jacob's family would surely have died for the famine was severe and prolonged.
But Joseph had already been set apart by God for this time; his own dreams were a foretelling of this major event in his life of providing not only for Egypt and surrounding nations, but also for his own unfaithful brothers.
Yet the salvation that the brothers tried to buy from Joseph was, in the end, given to them freely. Their money could not buy it; Joseph would not allow their money to purchase it. The one man who should have not only made them buy, but could have withheld it from them altogether, has unfailing compassion and even weeps over their distress. And then freely gives them that which will save them.
Now, the brothers will once more try to purchase more provision; in fact, they are returning to Egypt with not only money to pay for more provision but to try to pay once more for the first provisions. And this time the deal they are making to the lord of Egypt is being sweetened by delicacies that must have been closely guarded and protected during such a famine; and as such might be of special interest to the man they do not yet recognize as being Joseph.
Jacob's fear for his entire family has overridden his fear for his youngest son Benjamin. Now Benjamin must go. And it is interesting that Judah steps forth willingly to protect and restore Benjamin to Jacob or "bear the blame forever." A bit of the "lion" of Judah is starting to show.
But his sincerity will be challenged as we continue.
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