Genesis 44:1

Genesis 44:1 says, And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.  Joseph once again had his brother's money returned to the top of their sacks.  We might think that they would have checked this time before they left, but they didn't.  If we find ourselves placed in a compromising position once, through no fault of our own, we might want to check things out if we find ourselves in a similar situation again.  Verse two adds, And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.  Not only did Joseph have the money returned, but he had his cup added to Benjamin's sack.  This would make Benjamin even more guilty than his brothers were, and would give Joseph an opportunity to see how the other brothers would react in this situation.  We cannot feel that someone else is more guilty of sin than we are because we view their sin as greater than ours.  Verse three states, As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.  Joseph's brothers were sent away at daybreak.  It is possible that they were never given a real opportunity to check the sacks, and they may have been afraid that they would insult Joseph if they asked.  Still, they should have done so, and so should we when there is a possibility that we may be placed in a compromising situation.  Verse four adds, And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?  Joseph didn't allow his brothers to go home and discover the money and cup.  He sent his steward to overtake them and ask them how they could reward Joseph's good to them with their evil toward him.  Verse five continues, Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.  Joseph told the steward to accuse one of the brothers with stealing his cup.  Once more, I don't believe that Joseph was doing this out of spite, but to truly test the character of his brothers.  Would they feel the same way toward Benjamin as they had toward Joseph all those years ago?  Verse six states, And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.  Joseph's steward caught up with them and repeated what Joseph had told him to say.  The steward had little choice in the matter without bringing trouble to himself.  We today may be caught up in a situation where we seem to have little choice to do something that we know is wrong, but we need to stand for what is right no matter the cost.  Verse seven says, And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:  The brothers had to be totally confused about what they were being accused of, just as we should be totally confused if we are falsely accused of doing something wrong today.  They swore by God that they had done nothing wrong.  Verse eight adds, Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?  The brothers said they had returned the money they found, so why would they now steal Joseph's silver or gold.  Of course, just because a person has been honest in dealing with us in the past doesn't mean that they always will be, though the brothers were in both situations.  Verse nine declares, With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.  The brother's were so sure of their innocence that they said if the cup was found in the possession of one of them that he should be put to death and the others would be Joseph's bondsmen.  We should never make statements without first knowing all the facts, and if we are going to make statements in God's name, then we should certainly seek His guidance first.  Verse ten states, And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.  The steward said that the one that the cup was found with would be Joseph's servant, and the rest could go free.  We should never be willing to allow someone who is innocent to suffer as long as it doesn't cost us anything, especially our brother's and sisters in Christ.  Verse eleven declares, Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.  The brothers were impatient to prove their innocence.  They should have remembered what had happened before prior to being so quick to act in what I believe was indignation.  We should never allow pride or anger to dictate our actions.  Verse twelve states, And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.  The sacks were searched in the order of their age, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.  The other brothers could have gone away free by sacrificing Benjamin, whom I believe was still being treated as more important than the other brothers by their father.  This was Joseph's big test of them.  We have to ask if we would allow someone that we feel is being treated better than us to be falsely accused and convicted if it didn't cost us anything.  Hopefully, we will stand for what is right no matter the cost to us personally.

Genesis 43:24

Genesis 43:24 says, 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.  The brothers probably didn't know what to think by now, especially after being treated so roughly before.  Verse twenty-five states, And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.  They got the present ready for Joseph, because they heard that they were to eat with him.  The present was not what was going to save them, but Joseph's love and mercy were.  They had come to him on his terms.  When we come to God, no amount of presents will save us, but God's love and mercy will.  We must come to God on His terms, which is through the cross of Jesus.  Verse twenty-six says, 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.  Joseph's brothers gave him the present and bowed all the way to the ground.  They may have laughed when Joseph told them his dreams years before, but since the dreams were revelations from God, they were now seeing them fulfilled.  People today may laugh at God's word, but no matter how many years pass, it will come true.  Verse twenty-seven states, And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?  Joseph asked how they were doing, and then he asked if their father was still alive.  Like Joseph, God is always concerned with the welfare of His people.  Verse twenty-eight says, And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.  They told Joseph that their father, his servant, was alive and in good health.  Still, at this time their father was in need materially.  We may be doing well in life materially, but if we do not know God in a personal relationship through faith in Christ, we will be suffering spiritually.  Verse twenty-nine adds, 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.  Joseph saw Benjamin, his mother's other son, and asked if Benjamin was their younger brother.  Joseph may have wanted to see if they felt about Benjamin as they had felt about him all those years ago.  When we do come to God, we must have a change in attitude towards the world and the people around us.  Verse thirty declares, 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.  Joseph was overcome with emotion and sought a place to weep where his brothers wouldn't see him.  These were tears of joy.  Verse thirty-one adds, And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.  After Joseph got his emotions under control and washed his face, he went back out and called for the bread, or meal, to be set.  I believe that God waits to share the Bread of Life with those who come to Him today through faith in Christ as Savior and Lord, and that He weeps tears of joy when this happens.  Verse thirty-two states, 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.  The Egyptians ate separately from Joseph's brothers, because the Egyptians felt that it was an abomination to eat with the Hebrews.  There are still many people who look down on and don't want to be associated with those who are Christians today.  Verse thirty-three adds, 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.  Joseph sat his brothers according to their age, from the oldest to the youngest.  Joseph's brothers marvelled at this.  We should never marvel that God knows everything about every person in the world today.  Verse thirty-four states, 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.  They were all given food, but Benjamin was given five times as much as the others.  I believe this was done to see if the other brothers would be jealous of Benjamin because of this.  When God blesses someone materially more than He seems to bless us, we cannot act out of jealousy toward them.  Even if Benjamin had five times as much, they all had plenty to meet their needs, and God will always provide enough to meet our needs today.  We cannot confuse material things with God's blessings, but must simply be satisfied with what He does provide for us.

Genesis 43:16

Genesis 43:16 says, 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.  Joseph's reaction when he saw Benjamin with his other brothers was not that of a vindictive man.  He basically told the one in charge of his house to prepare a feast and bring these men, his brothers, to share it with him.  Like Joseph with his brothers coming to him, as followers of Christ, even if someone has harmed us, we should rejoice if they come to Christ, thereby becoming our brother's and sisters in Christ.  Verse seventeen states, And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.  This was also not the welcome Joseph's brothers had anticipated.  They were simply hoping to get some corn, get Simeon, and get out alive.  We should never be surprised when God blesses us with more than we are expecting.  Verse eighteen adds, 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.  The brothers thought they were being brought to Joseph because of the money that had been found in their sacks and they were afraid Joseph was going to make them slaves.  When we come to Christ, even though we are guilty of sin, He does not wait to enslave and punish us, but to set us free from the penalty of sin, so we should never have a reason to fear God after we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse nineteen declares, And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,  The brothers first talked with the steward of Joseph's house, but he really wouldn't have been be able to tell them why they were there.  Joseph was the only one who could calm their fears.  When someone comes to us to ask about salvation, we may be able to point them to Christ, but ultimately that person must go to Christ personally in order to be saved.  Verse twenty adds, And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:  The brothers began to state their case, evidently now speaking to Joseph.  We may proclaim our innocence to everyone in the world, but it is God that we have to speak to, and when we do, though we may not be guilty of one particular thing, we are still guilty of sin in our life.  Joseph's brothers may not have been guilty of what they were worried about, but they were guilty of so much worse.  Verse twenty-one continues, 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.  The brothers said that when they were returned home and opened their sacks that they found the money, and they returned it.  Of course, this was only after they ran out of corn again.  They should already have been back.  We may often live in fear simply because we refuse to seek God's guidance until the last resort.  Had Joseph's brothers returned as they were supposed to, they could have saved themselves a lot of worry.  Verse twenty-two concludes, And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.  The brothers said they were bringing back the original money and money to buy more, but that they didn't know how the money got in their sacks to start with.  Of course, we cannot proclaim ourselves innocent before God, because we have to acknowledge all sin in our lives and not just particular ones that we may not be guilty of.  We also have to acknowledge that we cannot buy God's forgiveness as the brothers were attempting to buy Joseph's forgiveness.  Verse twenty-three states, 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.  Joseph told his brothers not to worry and that their God and the God of their father was behind their money being returned.  As followers of Christ, we should never have to have someone else point out that God is with us, no matter how bad the situation we are in may be.  During this whole ordeal, we do not see the brothers, nor their father, asking God for guidance.  Our first action in any situation should be to seek God's guidance.

Genesis 43:1

Genesis 43:1 says, And the famine was sore in the land.  Jacob's sons came back with some corn, but it wasn't enough to last through the whole draught.  Verse two states, 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.  After the corn was gone, Jacob ordered his sons to go to Egypt again and buy more.  They had already been accused of being spies and hadn't returned to get Simeon out of confinement.  Jacob evidently wasn't very concerned about their safety.  As followers of Christ, we cannot put others at risk to meet our own needs, especially if we have refused to deal with the problem ourself.  Jacob could have sent his sons back with Benjamin and have avoided this problem.  Verse three declares, 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.  Judah spoke up, saying that the man had already said he wouldn't see them if Benjamin wasn't with them.  Sometimes even if we know the facts, we may need someone to remind us of them especially if the facts are not what we want to accept.  Verse four adds, If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:  Then verse five concludes, 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.  Judah told his father, called Israel again now, that if Benjamin didn't go, the rest of them weren't going.  I believe that we should never favor one child or other Christian over another, especially if doing so puts others in danger.  Verse six declares, And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?  Israel accused his sons of treating him unfairly by telling the man, Joseph, that they had another brother.  What he didn't realize was that Joseph already knew this and lying to him would have definitely caused problems.  We likewise cannot lie to others simply because it would seem better to us, and we certainly cannot afford to attempt to lie to God.  Israel was basically saying that they should have lied to protect Benjamin.  Verse seven states, 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?  The brothers said that the way that the man asked them the question lead them to believe that they had better tell the truth.  They also said that they had no reason to believe that the man would ask them to return with Benjamin.  Hopefully, we will never have to apologize to anyone for telling the truth, especially to someone who is supposed to believe in God, as Israel was supposed to.  Verse eight adds, 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.  Judah was the spokesman again, and he said send Benjamin with him, and they wouldn't die, as they all would without food, even the small children.  Verse nine continues, 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:  Judah offered to take the blame forever if he didn't return with Benjamin.  We really cannot offer ourselves for the redemption of others, but we should be willing to do all that we can to bring others to salvation through Christ.  Without coming to this saving grace of God, they will starve spiritually just as Israel and his family were starving physically.  Verse ten concludes, For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.  Judah said had they not lingered they would have already returned to Egypt.  People today too often linger when they could have already accepted salvation.  Verse eleven says, 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:  Israel said if they had to do this, then do it.  He also said they should take gifts, which were food items, which is rather strange due to the famine.  Verse twelve adds, 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:  Israel also said that they should take double the money in case having their money returned the first time was a mistake.  We cannot buy salvation, no matter how much we may offer God, but like with these brothers our attitude is what is important.  Verse thirteen continues, Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:  Israel finally told them to take Benjamin and go.  Think of all the trouble Israel could have avoided if they had simply done what they had promised to do to start with.  When we make a promise to God, as they did to Joseph, we are much better off to simply fulfill the promise instead of attempting to find a way out of it.  Verse fourteen concludes, 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.  Israel, a man that God had promised so much to, now remembers to rely on God.  This should have been his first action, as it should be ours in times of trouble and even at all times.  Verse fifteen declares,  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.  The brothers took the money, gifts and Benjamin and returned to Egypt.  They may have had concerns about how they would be received, but they went.  We never have to have any concerns when we go to, or even return to Christ.  He will always welcome us with open arms and love.

Genesis 42:29

Genesis 42:29 says, And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,  The brothers didn't return to Joseph, but went on home to their father.  I believe that it is safe to say that when we find ourselves in a bad situation, even one not of our own making, we as followers of Christ should first go to our Heavenly Father and tell Him what has happened.  There is really no good in going back to where the problem occurred until we have talked to God.  Verse thirty states, The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.  The brothers who were there told Jacob of their encounter with the man in Egypt.  They told Jacob that the man spoke roughly to them and treated them as spies.  They were innocent in this case, but it did not excuse their earlier sinful actions against Joseph.  We may sometimes be falsely accused, but we have to acknowledge that we have been guilty of sin and may be again in the future.  That is why it is only by the grace of God that we can be forgiven.  Verse thirty-one adds, And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:  The brothers proclaimed themselves to be true men, but much of their lives had been lived with a lie.  Still, they were not spies, so this much was true.  Even if we are not guilty of something that we are accused of, we are still but sinners saved by grace if we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse thirty-two continues, We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.  Again, this was true as far as they knew.  As far as the brothers were concerned, whether he was alive or dead, Joseph no longer existed to them.  Verse thirty-three still continues, And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:  They told Jacob that the man had told them how he was going to prove that they were truthful.  They were to leave one of the brothers behind until they returned.  Verse thirty-four goes on stating, And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.  The brothers said that they were to bring their younger brother back to prove they weren't spies and their brother would be set free and they would be allowed to traffic in Egypt.  Fortunately, God does not demand that we leave something with Him before He sets us free from sin.  Verse thirty-five concludes, And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.  When the brothers emptied their sacks, they found that everyone had their money returned, and the brothers and Jacob were afraid.  The man, Joseph, had already accused them of being spies, and now the evidence pointed to them being thieves as well.  They had a right to be afraid, but we are not told that they took their concerns to God.  Any time we find ourselves in a bad situation, even one not of our making, as followers of Christ, our first action should be to go to God in prayer.  Verse forty states, And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.  Jacob was still putting the welfare of Benjamin ahead of the welfare of Simeon and the other brothers.  We must be concerned with the welfare of all our brother's and sisters in Christ, and never put one above another.  Jacob also put the blame for Simeon's situation on his other sons, even though he had sent them to Egypt and they had no control over the situation.  Verse thirty-seven declares, And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.  Reuben pledged the life of his two sons if he took Benjamin to Egypt and didn't return with him.  What would we be willing to give up to save another person from the bondage of sin?  Verse thirty-eight proclaims, And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.  Jacob was still playing favorites.  Evidently, the death of Simeon would not have caused him to sorrow to death, but the death of Benjamin would.  I will state once more that we cannot be like Jacob and play favorites with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  One is just as valuable as the other in the sight of our Heavenly Father

Genesis 42:21

Genesis 42:21says, And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.  Joseph's brothers were not talking about what was happening at that time, but they were remembering when they sold Joseph into slavery.  They acknowledged their guilt and their lack of compassion for Joseph.  If we are guilty of sin, we may hide the fact from the world, but we can never hide it from our self.  Verse twenty-two states, And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.  Reuben reminded his brothers that he had asked them not to sin against the child and they wouldn't listen.  Still, Reuben could not exonerate himself, because he went along with them, even if his plan was to rescue Joseph later.  We cannot excuse ourselves if we go along with sinful actions, even if we really believe that they are wrong.  Of course, I believe that even if we act in a sinful way toward other people that we sin against God.  Verse twenty-three declares, And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.  His brothers did not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke to them through an interpreter.  They truly did not recognize Joseph, but thought that he was simply an Egyptian in power over them.  The brothers thought that what they were discussing was not known to Joseph, and we may think that we have hidden our sins today, but like Joseph with his brothers, God will always know our sins, whether we confess them to Him or not.  Verse twenty-four adds, And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.  Joseph was not enjoying his position of power and wanting to see his brothers suffer.  He turned away from them and wept.  I don't believe that this was because of pity for himself, but because Joseph felt compassion for them.  I don't believe that God ever takes joy in our suffering from our sins, unconfessed or otherwise, but that He weeps over our refusal to come to Him and ask forgiveness.  Joseph had them leave Simeon behind.  Verse twenty-five declares, Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.  Joseph had his brother's sacks filled with grain, and put their money in as well.  Joseph was not doing this so he could falsely accuse them of cheating him, but he was doing it to test their character.  The question was since they had the corn and the money, would they return for Simeon or abandon him as they had Joseph.  We can be certain that God will never attempt to trap us into sin, but He may allow our faith in Him to be tested.  Verse twenty-six says, And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.  Having agreed to leave Simeon behind as a promise that they would return, the other brothers left.  As followers of Christ, we have gotten out of a bad situation in God's eyes, but others are still left behind in sin.  The question is how concerned are we for them.  The brothers could have felt that sacrificing one was acceptable, since they got what they came for.  We cannot believe that leaving other people lost is acceptable as long as we are saved ourselves.  Verse twenty-seven states, And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.  When the brothers stopped to feed the animals, one of them opened his sack and found the money.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?  When he told his brothers that the money was in his sack, they were afraid.  Their first reaction was to accuse God of causing their problem.  We may also be quick to blame God with our problems, but we should instead look to God for help in understanding the situation.  Whether they knew it or not, it was the unconfessed sin of the brothers that was causing their problem.  We will never come out ahead through sin, even if it may seem so at the time.

Genesis 42:9

Genesis 42:9 says,  And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.  Joseph remembered his dreams about his brothers when he recognized them and they did not recognize him.  Joseph then accused them of being spies sent to see if Egypt was suffering from the draught as other nations were.  I personally don't believe that Joseph did this as a way to make the dream come true, since God would be the One Who would cause the dream to be fulfilled if it was really a revelation from God.  We cannot force God's revelations to happen, but I believe that we sometimes try to, especially in relationship to the second coming of Christ.  Verse ten states, And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. His brothers said that they weren't spies, but had only come to buy bread.  Of course, they weren't noted for speaking and dealing honestly with Joseph.  If someone has dealt dishonestly with us in the past, we may question their honesty when we deal with them again.  Verse eleven adds, We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.  Joseph's brothers told a partial truth.  They were the sons of one man, but Joseph knew this.  It was the second part, that the were true, or truthful, men that was not entirely correct as far as Joseph was concerned.  Verse twelve declares, And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.  Joseph again accused them of being spies.  I don't believe that Joseph was doing this simply to enjoy his position of power over them, and we cannot treat the lost of the world today as if we are better than them simply because of our position in the world, or really even because of our relationship to Christ.  We are all simply sinners saved by grace.  Verse fifteen says, And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.  The brothers told Joseph what they thought was the truth.  Though they did not know if Joseph was dead, which he obviously wasn't, as far as they were concerned, he no longer existed.  Verse fourteen states, And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:  Then verse fifteen adds, Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.  Joseph said that in order to prove that they weren't spies, they had to bring their younger brother there.  I believe that the fact that Benjamin wasn't there showed that he was being treated as special by Jacob, and this was Joseph's way to see if his brothers would treat Benjamin as they had treated him.  Verse sixteen continues, Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.  Joseph proposed sending one of the brothers to bring Benjamin back while the others remained in prison there.  Again, I believe that this was to test the character of the brothers and not simply so Joseph could show his power over them.  When someone professes to accept Christ as their Savior, if they have harmed us in the past we may question their sincerity.  Still, we can never hold their past against them, even if we feel the need to check the sincerity of their declaration of faith, but I don't believe that we should continually look for ways to disprove their faith.  Verse seventeen states, And he put them all together into ward three days.  Then verse eighteen adds, And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:  Joseph gave them three days together before he spoke to them again.  This would have given them time to plan how to deal with the situation.  Joseph then told them what they needed to do, and he said that this was because he feared God.  As followers of Christ, when we deal with other people, it must be with a fear, or awesome respect, for God.  I don't believe that fear of God means that we believe that He is just waiting to crush us at any moment.  Verse nineteen adds, If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:  Joseph said that they could leave one brother bound, or imprisoned there while the others took corn for their families.  This was basically a test to see if they would value the one brother enough to return.  Verse twenty concludes, But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.  Joseph said that if they did this and brought their youngest brother back that it would prove that they were telling the truth.  Though we cannot demand a test of some else's faith, I believe that when we come to Christ in faith that we cannot attempt to hold back anything that we feel is too valuable to us to surrender to God.