Remember God Almighty [Genesis 43]

4"If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5"But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"

 6Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?"

 7But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"

 8Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. 9"I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. 10"For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice."

 11Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12"Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.13"Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; 14and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."


Meanwhile back on the ranch, Jacob was really struggling with fear.  He was afraid he was going to loose another son and was almost willing to let the rest of his family starve rather than send his beloved son Benjamin as Joseph had ordered.  He blamed his other sons for his problem.  He pouted.  He tried to worm his way out of the situation.  He finally realized that he had no choice and then he started trying to figure out how to make sure his son would return.  "Then their father Israel said to them, 'If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.'" When he finally agreed to obey, he then remembered God.  "May God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."  His pride and control fostered by fear caused him to forget that God was at work.  You can almost sense the peace that came over him as he came back around to the truth that his God Almighty was a compassionate God.

We praise You, God, that You are patient with us as we stomp around in pride and control.  You understand our fear and You press us to a new place of trust. We praise You that You are God Almighty, the strong, breasted One.  You are in control but You are also deeply compassionate, as a mother nursing and comforting a child at her breast. May we walk in the truth of who You are as God Almighty today.

 
Verna McCrillis, 1/18/2010