JOSEPH’S BROTHERS IN EGYPT Having deprived themselves from Joseph by selling him, all Canaan lost the blessing, and came under famine, while Egypt got blessed by him, to become the source of satisfaction to the hungry. And now, feeling the hunger, those brothers had to go to Egypt to buy themselves grain, as though representing the congregation of Jews who betrayed the Lord Christ, and sold Him for a little silver, and at the end of days, feeling the real hunger, would leave Canaan, and depart to Egypt, namely, to the Church of the Gentiles, to seek what it had lost: Faith in Christ the Lord. But, it will not encounter with Him, as long as it is committed to Zionism, attached to worldly ambitions. 1- Jacob sends his sons to Egypt 1-4. 2- Presenting themselves before Joseph 5-28. 3- Return to Canaan 20-38. 1- JACOB SENDS HIS SONS TO EGYPT “When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, ‘Why do you look at one another?’ and he said, ‘Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die”(Gen. 42: 1, 2). Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, probably from traders who do business there, or from the surrounding people who had to go there to buy grain; so he instructed his sons to go down to that place. In the present text, we note the following: (1) The word ‘Jacob’ was repeated more than once. “Israel’ was not mentioned, despite the fact that he was promised to be called ‘Israel,’ and not “Jacob’ anymore. ‘Jacob’ here, does not represent the people of God, but the ‘Jews,’ who lost faith in Christ the Lord, namely, the true Joseph. They are not counted as the spiritual Israel, or the people of God, because of their denial. (2) Now, Jacob resort, through his sons, to Egypt, to live and not to die; as the Jews have lost the Source of their life - the True Joseph -, while the Gentiles - Egypt - received the true Source of life. (3) Jacob said to them, “Go down to that place” as the Jews were characterized by pride that led them to denial. That is why that invitation is directed to every arrogant soul, to forsake its pride, and “go down there,” namely, to the Church of Christ the Lord, marked by the Spirit of her humble Groom. (4) Jacob said to them: “Why do you look at one another?!” It was fit for them to look up to the Source of satisfaction, to where Joseph is, instead of looking at each other. It is as though Jacob’s words represent an invitation to the soul to wake up and come out of its shell to open to Christ the Lord. The closed heart lives hungry, while the one open to God and men would be satisfied with God, the source of every satisfaction. (5) Only 10 of Joseph’s brothers went down to Egypt (Gen. 42:3), without Benjamin, as Jacob feared that some calamity might befall him, like what happened to Joseph. That first setting forth of the ten, refers to setting forth toward Christ the Lord, through our spiritual comprehension of the Law (10 commandments of the Law). But we shall never encounter with Joseph, on the level of love, except with Benjamin ‘son of the right,’ namely, with our attachment to the Bible, that grants us the right to enjoy the right of God. 4 2- PRESENTING THEMSELVES BEFORE JOSEPH When Canaan was enjoying prosperity, Jacob and his sons did not think about an encounter with Joseph. Most probably the sons of Jacob forgot all about Joseph, assuming that they would never see him again. But God with His love allowed famine in Canaan, in order to give them the chance to encounter with Joseph. God does not wish for our humiliation, nor seek our hunger; but as we lose our inner Joseph, our depths become dry and hungry; so God allows for famine on land, so that, when we discover our inner hunger, we seek our Joseph, to satisfy the inside as well as the outside. The Holy Bible says: “Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth” (Gen. 42:6). Joseph took on himself the task of selling grain from outlets on the eastern frontiers of Egypt; probably to make sure that strangers, coming from abroad, would not abuse the fortune of Egypt; or because of his flaring yearning for his father and brothers, whom he expected eventually to come buy grain. When they actually came, he recognized them, but acted as a stranger and spoke roughly to them. His behavior in that encounter carried the following significance: (1) Representing the Lord Christ, Joseph recognized his brothers who did not recognize Him. The Lord Christ, who knows us by name, came. Yet as he carried our nature, and took the appearance of man, His brothers, the Jews, did not recognize Him, and as the apostle says, “If they would have recognized the Lord of glory, they would have not crucified Him.” (2) He spoke to them roughly, and even accused them of being spies; not to avenge them, as his soul was aflame for his brothers. And when he heard them speak bitterly, remembering what they did to him, without knowing that he was Joseph, “He turned himself away from them and wept” (Gen. 42:24). By acting rough, he meant to hide his identity from them, so they would not be terrified. And besides, he wanted to hear from them about his father and brother Benjamin, in an indirect manner, planning to bring them all to live with him in Egypt. He managed to accomplish all that. God, in His love, sometimes seem rough, not to deprive us of His compassion, but to realize His plans in us, and to enter with us into His mysteries, and to let us enjoy His grace, in an exalted way, that is beyond our comprehension. (3) Joseph remembered the dreams in which he had dreamt about them (Gen. 42:9). We may occasionally, as time goes by, assume that God had forgotten His promises; but actually, he will grant us their realization in due time, and in an exalted way, that we do not expect. (4) He put them all together in prison three days, as though he intended to chasten them, compassionately, hoping that they might remember their sin toward his innocent blood. And then Joseph kindly said to them, the third day: “Do this and live, for I fear God: 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. And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die” (Gen. 42:18-20). He wanted to put their hearts at ease, as he feared God, but wished to verify their words by letting them bring their younger brother to him, toward whom his heart was aflame; and as a sign of his compassion he allowed them to take grain for their house, saying: “You shall not die,” and besides, he restored every man’s money to his sack, giving them the grain free. 5 Joseph who was previously imprisoned is now imprisoning his brothers three days. As they are released, they will find Joseph presenting them grain for their houses, requesting them, in order to prove their honesty, to bring their younger brother to him. It is the talk of the Lord Christ, who was buried in the tomb as though in prison, granting us to be buried with Him three days, to enjoy the power of His resurrection; then to receive Him as a heavenly bread to satisfy us and all our families, namely, to fulfill the soul, together with the body, and the mind... all what we have. As to his request for the younger brother, it is an invitation to work. The heart of the Lord Christ would not be at peace toward the Church, unless it brings Him the younger brother, namely seeks every soul and brings it to His account. The Lord Christ will keep requesting from the Church to work on bringing Benjamin to Him, namely, to bring Him all, being a Son on the right hand of God. With this Spirit, St. John Chrysostom says: [God gets much pleasure by that; for, even if man did everything possible, to submit his body to asceticism, if he fasts his whole life, if he gives away all his possessions to the poor, all that would not be equal to his zeal for soul’s salvation1.] (5) Joseph’s words to them, “Do this, and you shall live and not die” (Gen. 42:18, 20), is the invitation by the Lord Christ, risen from the dead, wanting us to be buried together with Him, in order to enjoy the new risen life, and not to die. And as the apostle Paul said, “Therefore we are buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:4-5). (6) Why did Joseph bound Simeon before their eyes (Gen. 42:24)? Surely, he did not do that out of spite or revenge, and most probably he loosed his shackles and treated him well, after his brothers left. But he intended to motivate them to hasten to bring him Benjamin, if they are keen on releasing their brother Simeon. From another aspect, the word ‘Simeon’ means ‘hearkening,’ referring to hearkening to the voice of God, and obeying him. That is why, binding Simeon, reveals the loss by the Jews of the spirit of hearkening to God and obeying Him. Yet some believe that Simeon had been very harsh toward Joseph, having been the one who suggested killing him (Gen. 37:19-20). So he deserved chastisement to make him feel his sin, and present repentance for his actions. Reuben ‘son of vision,’ on the other hand, rebuked his brothers, 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” (Gen. 42:22). He represents the ‘son of vision,’ namely, the insight that opens to realize the transgression done by man, in order to repent for it. And as said by St. John Chrysostom: [When you behold a certain thing happening to you, remember your sin, that brought it upon you2.] 3- RETURN TO CANAAN Joseph’s brothers returned to their father in the land of Canaan, without Simeon, to tell him all that befell them, and how “the lord of the country” said to them, “By this I will know that you are honest men; leave one of your brothers here . 1 الحب الأخوي ١٩٦٤ ، ص ٧٣ 2 In Acts hom 12. 6 with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. And bring your youngest brother to me. So that I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. And I will deliver your brother to you, and you may trade in the land” (Gen. 42:33-34) Jacob’s response to that was: “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me. 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” (Gen. 42:36). Jacob’s sons returned without Simeon, to have their depths revealed. It appeared that they, in their hearts, did not hearken to God, the apparent thing that represented bitterness to all, revealed the inner situation that they long disregarded. In calling Joseph, “the lord of the country” without recognizing him, they unknowingly testified that in him, the dreams they could not stand to hear were realized. That lord was not aggressive, but was asking them to prove their honesty, by bringing Benjamin to him. Jacob refused to deliver Benjamin to them, lest any calamity should befall him along the way like his brother Joseph, then “you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave” (Gen. 42:38). This is the true fatherly emotions, as the fall of any of our sons, even so he is young, would bring down our gray hair to the abyss; these emotions expressed by the apostle Paul by saying: “Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?” (2 Corinthians 11:20). St. John Chrysostom often dealt with this fatherly compassion toward every soul in the Jesus Christ1. Jacob says “you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave (the abyss);” as then, the door of Paradise was not yet opened... death was to him a bringing down!
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