Genesis 43 – Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt

Overview: Testing, Trust, & Redemption

🔹 Timeframe: During the great famine, in Egypt.

🔹 Setting: Joseph’s palace, where his identity remains hidden.

🔹 Theme: Testing before revelation, assurance before redemption.

Key Takeaways

🔑 God allows testing to refine character and reveal truth.

🔑 Redemption often requires surrender—Jacob had to trust God with Benjamin.

🔑 Grace is given, not earned—Joseph’s kindness foreshadows Christ’s mercy.

Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment

🔮 Joseph as a Type of Christ – Testing His brethren before revealing Himself.

🔮 Judah as Surety – A foreshadowing of Christ’s substitutionary atonement.

🔮 Benjamin’s Favor – God’s grace upon the least deserving.

Historical & Cultural Context

📜 Famine in the Ancient World – Severe famines often drove entire nations to migrate for food.

📜 Egyptian Hospitality – It was unusual for Egyptians to host Hebrews, showing Joseph’s authority.

📜 Double Money Custom – Returning money was a sign of honesty in ancient commerce.

💡 Final Reflection: Trusting God’s Hidden Plan

Joseph’s brothers feared judgment but received grace. Many today fear God’s justice without realizing His plan is one of redemption. Just as Joseph tested before revealing himself, Christ often tests our faith before revealing His full plan.

📌 Do we trust God’s hidden work in our lives?
📌 Are we prepared for His grace to surprise us?
📌 Will we respond to testing with faith, knowing redemption follows?

🚀 Genesis 43 is a reminder that God’s mercy is at work even in our uncertainties.

Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt
Gen 43:1  And the famine was sore in the land. 
Gen 43:2  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. 
Gen 43:3  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. 
Gen 43:4  If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 
Gen 43:5  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. 
Gen 43:6  And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 
Gen 43:7  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? 
Gen 43:8  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. 
Gen 43:9  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: 
Gen 43:10  For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. 
Gen 43:11  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: 
Gen 43:12  And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: 
Gen 43:13  Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 
Gen 43:14  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. 
Gen 43:15  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. 
Gen 43:16  And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 
Gen 43:17  And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 
Gen 43:18  And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 
Gen 43:19  And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 
Gen 43:20  And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 
Gen 43:21  And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 
Gen 43:22  And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 
Gen 43:23  And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. 
Gen 43:24  And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. 
Gen 43:25  And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. 
Gen 43:26  And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. 
Gen 43:27  And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? 
Gen 43:28  And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. 
Gen 43:29  And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. 
Gen 43:30  And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 
Gen 43:31  And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. 
Gen 43:32  And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 
Gen 43:33  And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 
Gen 43:34  And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.