January 17, 2026 - Genesis 43-45

“Now the famine was severe in the land.  And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, ‘Go again, buy us a little food’” (43:1-2).  And so, the brothers were off again, this time, with their youngest brother, Benjamin, in tow.  In Egypt, the brothers “were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house” (43:18) because of the events of the first excursion when the money with which they had paid for grain was found back in their possession.  They said to Joseph’s steward, “We do not know who put our money in our sacks” (43:23) but, of course, Joseph knew; he had put it there!  When Benjamin was brought before Joseph, he “hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there” (43:30).  As the brothers ate, they “looked at one another in amazement” (43:33).  The brothers assumed they knew what was in Joseph’s heart in very much the same way, previously, Jacob assumed Esau would seek to kill him for all the deceit (ch. 33).  There is so much going on in these chapters but the thought comes to me that we must always be careful in our evaluations of people.  We can so easily, sometimes reasonably, make terribly wrong assumptions about others.  Always, whatever we are thinking, we must strive for good and peaceable relationships, especially among our family members, even going the second and third miles.

God, give me time to learn the words

            I find so hard to say:

the loving words, forgiving words

            that take the sting away;

God, give me calm to ride the storm

            when waves of anger rise,

a moment when I grasp a truth

            my lesser self denies.   --Shirley Erena Murray (2005)