Joseph's brothers come to Egypt

Genesis 42:1 - 44:34

"Grovel, grovel, cringe, bow, stoop, fall
Worship, worship, beg, kneel, sponge, crawl"
I love that song...
If you've not seen it you really do need to see Jospeh and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat...fabulous musical.

Imagine what it would have been like to be Joseph, going through your daily routine of doling out the grain, when a group of Canaanites show up, bow to the ground before you, and you recognize it is your brothers. It has been more than 20 years since you had the dreams that showed you that this would happen. I would think you'd get the chills, the hair on the back of your neck would stand up, your heart rate would increase. I almost wonder if he accuses them of being spies because it is the first thing that comes to mind in his excited state.

I love the way he works them though and gets them to bring back Benjamin. He seems to have gone from dreamer to schemer but then again that trait was probably inherited from his dad.

It would be interesting to know a little more about the family dynamic between the brothers. In the original plot to get rid of Joseph Reuben steps up to save his life but doesn't step up enough to thwart the plan entirely. Judah then steps forward with the sales idea.

When the brothers now come back with the requirement to take Benjamin back to Egypt it is Reuben who first offers to take responsibility...probably his role as the oldest. Israel (Jacob) turns that offer down...even though Reuben offers the lives of his own two sons as guarantee...why is it that these people always go straight to "If I prove to be wrong you can kill someone"? Sheesh...
In the next instance though it is Judah who offers himself as surety.
Was it that these two out of all the rest were feeling the most guilt over what they did to Joseph?

I wonder what Joseph was thinking though when he planted the cup. Did he know his brothers would offer up death and slavery? Or was he just playing it as it unfolded? I'll have to remember to ask him that when we finally meet.

(Ok, that just generated a crazy mental image: We all get to heaven one day, check into our mansions and a few block over is the gated community where the patriarchs and hero's of the bible live. There are a series of tables set up like a pre-Super Bowl press conference where the guys convene each day to take questions. Joseph has a HUGE throng in front of his table, Judah seems to have a large number of folks too as Jesus comes from his line. Naphtali, Asher and Dan are all sitting at one table together selling the complete line of 12 brothers action figures in hopes of generating some interest in what they might be able to add to the story...there is Andrew Lloyd Weber music playing in the background featuring the "ORIGINAL" cast)

It seems to me that Judah steps up here and takes an even stronger leadership role when he pleads for Benjamin's life...of course he is the one who guarantees Benjamin's safety in the first place. He doesn't plead for his own life, rather, he pleads for his father's health.

Maybe Judah has come of age.