Genesis 42:1

Genesis 42:1 says, Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?  Jacob and his family were suffering in the famine, but Jacob had heard there was corn in Egypt.  Evidently Jacob's sons still lived close to him and were just standing around in despair, and Jacob asked them why.  When things go badly, God does not expect those who follow Him to simply stand around and complain or despair, even if we are where He has called us.  Jacob was where God had led him, and even if he had faith that God would provide, it did not mean that Jacob was not to be actively involved in the process of God providing for him.  Verse two states,  And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.  Jacob told his sons that he had heard that there was corn in Egypt, so they needed to quit standing around and go to Egypt and buy corn.  Money was not the problem.  The lack of food was.  All the wealth in the world will not help us if we have nothing to eat.  The lost of the world today are spiritually starving, and the bread of life, Jesus Christ, is freely available to any who will come to Him.  There is no charge for this bread, and no amount of money will buy salvation any other way than through the cross of Christ.  People can either stand around in despair when they hear the gospel, or they can come to Christ.  The gospel will never be forced on anyone, but all must come willing to Christ.  Verse three declares, And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.  Ten of Jacob's sons went to Egypt, but not all.  Verse four adds, But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.  Benjamin was left behind.  Jacob said this was done so that nothing bad would happen to Benjamin.  It seems that Jacob was still playing favorites, since he didn't seem concerned about something bad happening to his other sons.  As discussed before, we cannot play favorites with people, especially our children.  We should have the same love and concern for all of them.  Verse five says, And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.  The brothers went with others from Canaan to buy grain.  We cannot claim some special status when we come to the cross for salvation.  Just like Jacob's sons in Egypt, who were the children of the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who came to Egypt as everyone else did, even if we are from a Christian family, we still come to the cross as anyone else does.  Verse six declares, And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.  Joseph had correctly interpreted the dreams of others by the power of God, and now his personal dream of so many years before was being fulfilled.  We can be certain that God's promise of everlasting life will come true, no matter how bad things may become in this world.  Verse seven adds, And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.  Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.  I believe that this was in part because Joseph had aged and in part because the brothers never expected to see Joseph in a position of power or authority.  They had sold Joseph into slavery, never expecting to see him again.  Verse eight concludes, And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.  As just discussed, Joseph's brothers did not know him.  Until we come to Christ in a personal relationship, He will know us, but we will not recognize Him.  Everyone comes to Christ as a stranger to Him.  Just hearing about salvation without coming to that personal relationship with Christ leaves us standing around in despair like the brothers were until they went to Egypt where the corn was.  Again, God does not force salvation on anyone, but He makes it freely available to all who will come to Jesus in faith.