Daily Bible Study

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Day 41 – Testing Genesis 42:1 When Jacob saw there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 He said, “Indeed I heard there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest calamity befall him.” 5 The sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” 8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.” 12 He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 13 They said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.” 14 Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15 In this manner you will be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you and let him bring your brother; and you will be kept in prison that your words may be tested to see whether there is truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” 17 So he put them all together in prison for three days. 18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God (Elohiym): 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And bring your youngest brother to me; so, your words will be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore, this distress has come upon us.” 22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.” 23 They did not know Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. 24 He turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again and talked with them. He took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. Thus, he did for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. 27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts failed them, and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God (Elohiym) did to us?” 29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: 30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 We said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 ‘We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘By this I will know you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me; so, I will know that you are not spies, but you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’” 35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.” 37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” 38 He said, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.” God’s name: Elohiym – Mighty God God’s character: Provider Everyone is tested. People want to know what kind of character you have, whether they can trust you. Joseph is lord over Egypt. People from all the nations surrounding Egypt came to buy corn from them because the famine was great in the surrounding countries. Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy corn for their families but kept Benjamin with him in Canaan. When they arrived in Egypt, Joseph knew his brothers, but they didn’t know him. He accused them of being spies. After putting them in prison for three days, he tested them by telling them to go back to Canaan and bring their brother with them. Then he returned their money in their sacks without their knowledge. When they returned to their father, they saw their money returned to them. They told their father what the lord of the land told them. Jacob refused to allow Benjamin to go back to Egypt with them. When Elohiym tests you, will you pass the test? Elohiym knows you and what is in your heart. He doesn’t test you to find out what kind of person you are, but so you will know what kind of person you are. Will you prove faithful, or will you buckle under pressure? Joseph’s brothers buckled under the pressure. They knew what they did and feared Elohiym punished them for what they did to Joseph. When they returned to their father, they showed him their fear. Only Reuben stood against them and told his father to test him if he didn’t bring Benjamin back to Canaan. Jacob refused. He didn’t pass the test either. Fear held him captive because of the loss of Joseph. Fear holds many Christians captive when Elohiym allows Satan to come against them to test their faith. Then they find out how strong their faith is and if they can trust Elohiym to take care of them in the testing. Will you buckle under pressure, or is your faith strong enough to stand the test Elohiym brings you? Everyone wants Elohiym to increase their faith, but are you willing to go through the testing to increase your faith? What has Elohiym asked of you? Joseph asked his brothers to bring Benjamin with them the next time they returned to Egypt. Joseph knew his brothers and their character. He wanted them to see their character and put their fear aside and trust him. Elohiym wants your trust. He wants you to know you can trust Him in everything He asks of you. Are you ready to increase your faith and trust in Elohiym? Don’t let your request to increase your faith be a shallow request with nothing behind it. Allow Elohiym to test you and increase your faith and trust in Him. While Elohiym tests you, He will also provide you with everything you need. Let’s pray: Father, give me the faith to trust You when You test me. Increase my faith. Draw me closer to You. Don’t let my request be a shallow one but help me overcome my fears in the test as I draw closer to You as You increase my faith and trust in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 28 February 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.