Week 36, Day 5: The Return Visit

Today’s Reading:  Genesis 44:1-34

Some thoughts from the reading…

Joseph’s plan seems to work out very well to get what he wanted.  Benjamin has now been brought down despite his fathers reservations.  He has seen his long lost little brother and now he moves to try to keep Benjamin there with him.  It is hard to know if Joseph had some other plans worked out in his mind other than to bring Benjamin back but certainly hearing about his fathers love and connection to Benjamin’s well-being caused a great stirring in Joseph (we’ll see more in chapter 45).  Whatever Joseph’s plans were by placing the cup in Benjamin’s bag it worked a great mystery and vexation upon the brothers.  It may have simply been that Joseph wanted more opportunity to investigate things.  We have seen several times in the last few chapters where we are told more details about Joseph’s inquiries.  Such as when the brothers are trying to convince Jacob to let Benjamin go with them in chapter 43.  Jacob was not happy with them for telling the lord of the land that they had another brother.  But they tell him that he asked straitly regarding their kindred and their father.  This part of the conversation was not mentioned before.  It does seem that Joseph has all along been gaining information regarding the state of his father and what his brothers were like now.  Perhaps his plans were simply to find out more about his family until he had deemed it right on whether to reveal himself to them.  Whatever the reason for Joseph’s dealing with them, it makes for a very interesting account. 

Question:  How should we handle things when our plans go astray?  We plan out many things, even plan well at times but like the brothers, they now found themselves in a very difficult situation.  As Christians how should we handle these kind of circumstances when things just seem to go the worst possible way?

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