Genesis 43:15-26

¹⁵ So the men took this gift, and they took twice the money with them, and Benjamin. They got up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men are to dine with me at noon.”

¹⁷ The man did what Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

¹⁸ But the men were afraid because they had been brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which had been replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are being brought in, so that he may attack us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.”

¹⁹ So they approached the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house,

²⁰ and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to purchase food.

²¹ But when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full measure. So we have brought it again with us,

²² and we have brought other money down with us to purchase food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

²³ He replied, “Peace be to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

²⁴ And after the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and after he had given their donkeys fodder,

²⁵ they prepared the gift for Joseph’s coming at noon, because they heard that they would eat their meal there.

²⁶ When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the gift that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground.

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nothing good

The brothers could not escape the terrible feeling that they were being set up. They didn’t want to bring their youngest brother with them, but it had to be. Now, they were “cordially expected” to join the master of the land in his own house. No, they decided that nothing good could come from this. There is enough guilt and justified pessimism in all of us that we often find ourselves looking over our shoulders, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Well, here’s the thing: you may have a tragedy in your future, but you may not. Your destiny is truly out of your hands. History tells of many great people who faced failure after failure before becoming the successes that we remember. Like Joseph’s brothers, they came with the gift they had, but were painfully aware that it was not enough. Their destiny was really the result of God’s grace.

LORD, what we have to give to this world is woefully inadequate. We have decided to trust in you. Apart from your grace, nothing good can come from our lives.