There are three elements to the narrative that will guide our thought concerning this passage here: Joseph’s Test, The Brother’s Guilt, and Judah’s Plea. Joseph’s Test Verse 1: The passage begins with Joseph filling the brother’s sacks full and putting their money back in their sacks. In other words he continues to pile on the gifts […]
Israel
There Again: Feasting in Famine – Commentary on Genesis 43
In Genesis 43 there are three overarching themes that will guide our consideration of this passage: the famine grows in severity, the brothers grow in honesty, and Joseph grows in mercy. The Famine Grows in Severity In the last chapter we noted how God uses means to accomplish his purposes; and sometimes those means are […]
The Depth of Mercy in the Pits of Sin
Genesis 34 narrates the darkest hours of Jacob’s life. Not only in terms of things that happen to him, but also in terms of his own sin in response to those things. His only daughter, Dinah, is raped. Jacob responds with what seems like apathy – clearly the rotten fruit of favoritism (Dinah being Leah’s […]