Genesis 44:23

Genesis 44:23 says, And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.  Judah continues to tell Joseph about the brothers discussion with their father, and about how important Benjamin was to him.  Verse twenty-three states, And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.  Then Judah reminded Joseph of his command to them.  Joseph would not see them again without Benjamin, so the brothers were in a bind.  Sometimes, we may find ourselves in a similar situation, caught between what our family or friends want us to do and what God wants us to do.  Verse twenty-four adds, And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.  Judah said that they told their father Joseph's demand.  When confronted with a troublesome situation, we as followers of Christ can only tell others what we believe God has instructed us to do.  Verse twenty-five says, And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.  Judah said their father, Israel, did not really listen to their concerns, but told them to go buy a little food.  People today may not want to listen or may not care when we tell them what God has instructed us to do.  Verse twenty-six continues, And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.  Judah said they told Israel that they couldn't return without Benjamin, and we likewise should stand firm when it comes to doing what God has instructed us to do.  We cannot not compromise or ignore God's directions to us.  Verse twenty-seven states,  And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:  Once more Israel was placing a priority on Rachel and her sons.  Verse twenty-eight declares, And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:  Their father, not just the father of Joseph and Benjamin, said that one son, Joseph, was killed.  Then verse twenty-nine adds, And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.  Israel said the if his other sons took Benjamin and something happened to him that it would kill him.  Israel still wasn't very concerned about his other sons, who would have either starved or have been in danger of being imprisoned or worse if they returned to Egypt without Benjamin.  We need to be careful that we do not put one person above another when it comes to following God's will.  Verse thirty states, Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;  Then verse thirty-one adds, It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.  Judah told Joseph that if they returned without Benjamin that they would be responsible for their father's death.  The brothers accepted the fact that Benjamin was more important to their father than they were, but they still wanted to do what was best for him.  Even if we feel that we have a reason to feel bitter toward someone else, as these other brothers had a reason to feel that way toward their father and Benjamin, we cannot allow this attitude to keep us from attempting to do what is right in God's eyes.  Verse thirty-two states, For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.  Judah said that he became a surety to his father that if he didn't return with Benjamin that he would bear the blame.  We cannot be a surety for anyone else before God, but we can point them to Jesus Who is.  Verse thirty-three continues, Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.  Judah offered to remain as a bondsman to Joseph if Joseph would allow Benjamin to return to his father.  Though we can never take on the responsibility for someone else's sins, I wonder how much we are willing to sacrifice for that person to come to our Heavenly Father.  There was definitely a change in the attitude of the brothers toward what they would have had to have seen as the favorite son.  Verse thirty-four concludes, For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.  Judah asked Joseph how could he return to his father without Benjamin.  We should likewise put concern for others above our own concerns when it comes to leading them to Christ.

Genesis 44:13

Genesis 44:13 says, Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.  Joseph's brothers were very upset, but instead of going on, they went back to the city.  They were not going to abandon Benjamin, even if it cost them.  We cannot abandon our brothers and sisters in Christ if they are in trouble, especially if they are being falsely accused.  Verse fourteen states, And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.  Joseph's brothers once again fell before him, as his dream had foretold.  Verse fifteen declares, And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?  Joseph asked his brothers what they had done that he couldn't divine, or figure out.  Of course, in this case Joseph already knew what the situation was, but he was waiting to see what his brothers would say.  We also may at times be placed in a situation where people are just waiting to see if we will be truthful with them.  Verse sixteen states, And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.  Judah asked how could they clear themselves when God had found them guilty of iniquity, even Benjamin, though Benjamin wasn't guilty of the same thing.  When we sin, we can only confess our sins to God and ask His forgiveness, because we are all guilty of sin.  Verse seventeen declares, And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.  Joseph said that Benjamin was to remain as his servant and the other brothers could go free.  How much concern do we have for those around us who are imprisoned by sin, even if it isn't the particular sin they are accused of?  We cannot be content to be set free by Christ and have no concern for other people.  Verse eighteen says, Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.  Judah begged Joseph for permission to speak, since he recognized Joseph's position.  As followers of Christ, we do not have to beg God for permission to speak to Him, and His power is much greater than any person's will ever be.  Even as lost sinners, we don't have to beg God to listen, but simply have to come to Him humbly by faith in Chest.  Verse nineteen adds, My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?  Verse twenty continues, And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.  Judah told Joseph that they had answered his question about their family, but he adds a little more about Benjamin.  Of course, Benjamin's brother, Joseph, was not dead as they thought.  Still, though Benjamin may have been treated with preference as the other brothers thought Joseph was, they were not going to abandon him.  We likewise should learn from our past sins and not commit them over and over again.  Verse twenty-one goes on, And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.  Judah reminded Joseph that he had demanded that they bring Benjamin to him, and they had done so, even if they had waited to do so.  We must likewise bring the lost to God is they are to find salvation.  Verse twenty-two concludes, And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.  I believe that this was Judah's acknowledgement that Benjamin was more important to Israel than the others were.  Fortunately for us, there are no favorites with God.

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