Michael Sisson

Re: Gen 43:9 Gen 43:9 (TLV) >>>I myself will be his pledge.<<< You can demand him back from my own hand. If I don't bring him back to you and place him before you, then you can blame me all my days. In offering himself as a pledge for the life of Benjamin, Judah demonstrated he’d reformed his ways. Why was Judah’s offer more acceptable to Jacob than Reuben’s? One rabbinic commentator speculates it was because Judah himself had lost two sons(Gen 38:8,10). Therefore, Jacob knew Judah could appreciate a father’s grief. Re: Gen 43:26 Gen 43:26 (NASB) When Joseph came home, >>>they<<< brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and >>>bowed to the ground before him.<<< A literal fulfillment of Gen 37:7. Re: Gen 43:29 Benjamin is believed to have been 31 years old at this point; Joseph was 39. Re: Gen 43:32 Gen 43:32 (NASB) So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because >>>the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is *[Lit an abomination] *loathsome to the Egyptians.<<< “Sinas chinam” (baseless hatred) of the Messiah, His progenitors, and His people is a recurring motif that runs throughout the whole of Scripture. Re: Gen 43:34 Gen 43:34 (NASB) He took portions to them from his own table, but >>>Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs.<<< So they feasted and drank freely with him. According to the midrash (ancient rabbinic exegetical commentary), the fivefold portion given to Benjamin was intended to test the brothers to see how they would react to Benjamin (Joseph’s brother and Rachel’s other son) being shown preference. — Hebrew For Christians https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Miketz/Brothers/brothers.html

Chris Landry

Carter, thanks for the devotional and for serving Dallas as a firefighter. (Jude 22-23) My big takeaway for this chapter is Jospeh’s love and affection (still) for his family despite conventional wisdom to retaliate and seek justice for yourself. Famine - for me - in today’s time would NOT be traveling for grain to survive. It may look like emotional famine or spiritual famine where I presume to be “too busy” to love God and love others. Focusing on things with immediate return instead of the long suffering and patient effort of sowing and reaping that may take more intention and time. (Galatians 6:9). God’s called me to be a man of intention. It’s like God has a storehouse for me to trek to each and every day. It’s not even a long journey. It’s to my living room before the boys wake up so I can commune with Him and be fed (spiritually). The famine I am most likely to experience is avoidable. Plenty of delicious fruit is always in arm’s reach if I keep in step with Jesus, spend time with Jesus, and abide in Jesus (John 15:5).

Michael Scaman

So far in Genesis there was a famine after Esau sold his birthright for food. Now the famine is to bring Jacob's children to a new place. Well timed. God uses feasts and God uses famines. They experienced famine but Joseph is giving them a feast and a strange one. Seating is by birth order which should be unknown. Benjamin pampered. The brothers singing a dinner prayer "Lord of Creation" as Joseph watches in the Bible On Stage portrayal https://www.sight-sound.tv/scenes/videos/joseph-lord-of-creation ( and sing along version of Lord of creation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjtGzNhcLps ) You may learn to trust God more in hard times Inflation is high. Eggs and some things are harder to get now. Economy uncertain. Many problems and a dangerous border. A dangerous Putin and China. Lots of problems. No call for a day of prayer... not yet...

Sue Bohlin

Loved your Then/Always/Now treatment of the text, Carter! And bless you for serving the public as a firefighter. My dad served 25 years as a fireman in the Chicago area, and I still thank the Lord for protecting him all the times he ran into burning buildings. This chapter is part of an absolutely delicious story that keeps unfolding with DEEP emotional satisfaction. Joseph's insider perspective that drove his questions to his brothers; Judah's selfless offer that reflected his repentant heart-change after his encounter with Tamar; Joseph's generous response in hosting lunch for his brothers in the midst of a famine; Joseph's steward reassuring the brothers from a perspective obviously shaped by Joseph: "Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” The brothers bowing THREE times before Joseph, even more than the two times he had dreamed about; Joseph overcome by emotion, demonstrating emotional healthiness in that big feelings need to have big expressions; the brothers being assigned their places according to birth order; and the crazy-generous five-fold portion for Benjamin. SO MANY awesome details!!

Amy Lowther

1. Yes, I had a year of high school in which I experienced a famine. I starved myself, rarely eating meals, and completed full days of classes, practices, and training. 2 It is important to lean on God’s understanding of life, not our own. 3. It is important to remember God will go anywhere with us, to stay true to him, and to pray whenever needed.