The Answer of Conscience

Well this morning we begin chapter 42. We will not complete it this morning. In fact, there's So many things to say just about the first 28 verses. I hope we'll have time thing a little under the weather today.

So I hope I also.

Preserve my voice tried my best not to belt out hymns for that very reason. But as we begin chapter 42, we're reminded that Joseph has now been in this place of prestige. He now is next to Pharaoh. Governor perhaps more than governor over all the land of Egypt and indeed all of the earth is coming to Joseph that they might receive grain as these seven years of severe famine began to set in.

Joseph in Egypt and the Famine Begins

We're reminded over the course of several weeks that Joseph has been enduring the roller coaster of God's providence in his life. At times very difficult providence in his life by keeping faith in what God had revealed to him.

Joseph was keeping faith in God's revelation. And so he had humbled himself. While he was in the roundhouse the course of well over two years He humbled himself under the mighty hand of God and therefore God exalted him in due time.

And as the interpretation he gave to Pharaoh declared seven years of abundance quickly turned into seven years of devastation and of course God is moving through this event as it flashes across the ticker tape at the bottom of MSNBC or CNN.

God is actually in the details of this crisis affecting this Reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers that was the vision that Joseph had received. His own family would come and bow before him. Chapter 42 Begins to take a step in that direction.

It will be the central focus for the next five chapters. We begin in verse 1. 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. Most likely this is occurring toward the very beginning of the famine in chapter 45 verse 11. We read there were still five years of the seven-year famine remaining so they didn't have grain that lasted very long.

Maybe they made it through one season if that and they realize we're not gonna make it now. This is critical. We need to get down to Egypt to get grain. So the narrative has shifted away from Egypt for the first time in five chapters, we're back now in Canaan.

Notice that Jacob is brought into view and Jacob is still exercising responsibility for his family. Jacob hears about the grain and Jacob tells his sons what must be done. His sons are grown men. His sons have wives and households of their own but Jacob is the patriarch and so he's still especially in times of a crisis.

Exercises his fatherly authority over his family. Notice how unified the family is as a result of this all of his sons come to Jacob. Jacob is able to say I want you to go to Egypt all but one son will go and so we see this picture of unity within the family maybe a unity that's been forged in a time of Emergency, and of course that's also setting up the contrast with Joseph who is far from unified with his family.

Jacob mentions the grain in Egypt and he notices as soon as he mentions it that they all sort of look down. Cough shuffle their feet look at each other side to side and what's going on with that? Why are you looking at each other in this way?

It's like as soon as he mentions the word Egypt. There's this prod perhaps the first pangs of conscience. We're gonna be looking across these first 28 verses at the matter of conscience this morning. Whatever looks they give the sons recognize.

We really do have to go down to Egypt. This is life or death. We've tried to barter with our neighbors. We've we've gone quite a ways in search of food and Egypt is about all the hope we have. Jacob says by for us there that we may live and not die.

That's how. Pressing this need is Verse 3 so Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers for he said less some calamity befall him.

Most likely didn't say that out loud that the Hebrew there could be he thought or give an insight into his understanding. Well, you know less something happened to him on the way or when he gets there.

He somehow doesn't come back to me and the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed for the famine. Was in the land of Canaan. Right in the land of blessing a curse has come notice what verse 3 says.

It doesn't say so they went down to buy grain in Egypt. It says Joseph's ten brothers. We already know these are Joseph's brothers. So why have it emphasized in verse 3? These are Joseph's ten brothers going down to Egypt again.

We're having this relationship that's been severed. Emphasized before us. Why all ten brothers? Why would Jacob risk sending ten brothers all the way down to Egypt? That's practically his whole legacy his whole heritage.

He's sending down to Egypt. The only one he keeps by his side is Benjamin. Well, most likely he understands the grain is gonna be doled out per capita. So one man can't go down and say yes I need this many hectares of grain to feed about 800 people.

Nice try pal. You'll be selling it in the in the back alley. No, no, no per capita. This is the amount you're allowed to have and so he has to send anyone that can be sent to bring back this grain. Benjamin remains.

We of course remember that to Rachel Jacob's beloved were born Joseph and Benjamin. Benjamin being the youngest within the family of Jacob and it seems that Benjamin is now taking Jacob's place in his father's affections.

Surely he would have been reminded of Joseph as the years rolled by. Even as Joseph reminded of Rachel as the years rolled by. So you see. The pain is still there even 20 years on and if he ever clung to Joseph as the beloved son.

How much tighter has he clung to Benjamin? Benjamin is all he has left as far as he is concerned and he is the one brother that must not go even in this life-and-death situation. You could almost say he'd rather starve than lose Benjamin.

Now that's gonna set up.

Next week.

Some rather discouraging dynamics that we've seen in Jacob's family and the favoritism he plays and how Destructive that is to his relationship with his sons and the way that the sons relate to each other.

And so we're looking at signs of God's grace. Through this narrative and we'll see that though Jacob's sin of favoritism is still alive and well God's grace is working in the lives of Jacob's sons. Verse 6.

Joseph Recognizes His Brothers

Now Joseph was governor over the land and it was he who sold all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. The prominence of Joseph again Emphasized.

And when the ten brothers finally come, of course, they're probably Looking for where is this grain supply given? They're finally pointed toward Joseph. Joseph must have had quite a retinue before him.

But he's the type of leader that likes to have his hands on the field. He's a leader that likes to lead by doing and so I think quite literally he is there. Exercising the dispensary of the grain and they come before him and recognizing his status.

But not recognizing him they bow down. We remember that when Joseph's brothers plotted murder against him and sold him into slavery. They were specifically trying to overthrow the dream that Joseph had shared with them.

Brothers, I saw in my dream interestingly. It's a grain dream, isn't it? We were all bundling together sheafs of grain and your sheafs bowed down to my sheafs. Well here they are in the midst of the grain crisis and they're bowing down before him they murdered him.

Effectively cast him into the pit. They didn't care what happened to him as long as he was dragged out of their lives and they thought well so much for that dreamers dreams. But in doing that they actually have begun the fulfillment of that vision that God gave to Joseph.

They provided the very way the dream would be fulfilled. This is not just high Literary glory. This is the truth of God's providence. He can and does allow evil actions of men in order to establish his good.

Overruling purpose never in a way that excuses the evil of men as we'll see in chapter 50. But in a way that establishes the goodness and the wisdom of God's purpose. Which accords with even the evil of men.

Psalm 76 10 surely even the wrath of man shall praise you Lord. The brothers bowed down to him. Can you imagine the cyclone of emotions that Joseph felt in this moment it's been 20 years. 20 years. I Look back on photos of Elsie four years ago, and it's shocking to me.

Can you imagine looking at brothers that you haven't seen in 20 years? The pain must have immediately rose to the surface. Mingled with hope but then fluctuating back to to rage.

That thirst for justice.

But then that recognition that God has been merciful to you and and this place that you have now in Egypt. That you never would have had it. He must have been wrestling with this vortex. Very intense emotions and and I think we have that on the page.

Look at verse 7. Joseph saw his brothers recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them. He can't even know how to reveal himself and he just speaks roughly to them. I Wonder what the servants of Joseph thought.

Here's this man who's so wise so Self-controlled so diligent and gracious meek and all that he does. This is all that they've seen year after year after year in seven years of plenty. They've watched as their master has very calmly but very sternly warned these seven years of abundance will not last.

Prepare yourself and prepare your field prepare your storage jars. Hard years are coming. But don't lose heart. God has a plan and if you come seek me in the years of crisis I will provide for you and your household.

And they saw this man that was so meek and wise and perhaps for the first time. They saw him lose that self-control. He speaks roughly to them. We don't have the rough words. But you get the sense that it's very abrupt.

He spoke roughly to them. We read then he said to them. So he spoke roughly to them before we have the dialogue recorded here. You get the sense that he's restraining the pain the rage the aggression.

But he can't break the disguise quite yet, they don't know it's him. They probably didn't even know any they this is just what Egyptian governors are like. They don't recognize that Zafnat Penaea is actually their brother Joseph.

He said to them. Where do you come from? And they said from the land of Canaan to buy food. And so again, it's repeated verse 8 so Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. There were countless things he could do to them.

He has all authority underneath Pharaoh. No questions. No trial needed if he wants them taken away. They will be taken away if he wants these ten brothers never to be heard of or never seen again. They will never be heard of and never seen again.

He has all the power all the authority of the Egyptian Empire at his disposal. He's in pretty good with the butcher. He knows all of the guards in the roundhouse. He can make any arrangement that he sees fit.

But what. Remember what we said what we've seen all along. Joseph endures the roller coaster of God's Providence by keeping his faith in God's revelation and he remembers verse 9. He remembers the dreams.

This is not coincidence fancy meeting you here after all these years. He knows the hand of Providence is at work. And he recalls the dream that God had given to him the same dream that he's been keeping faith in for these 20 years.

He remembers the dreams and then he says you are spies. The wisdom of Joseph he he almost makes this plan up on the fly. He knows the effect he wants to have. He knows he has the upper hand and that he knows who these men are.

But they don't know who he is. He concocts this plan on the run. It's incredible really. No wonder he was such a a brilliant administrator. No wonder he could work his way up in whatever starting place you gave to him.

He says you are spies. It's a false charge. He knows they're not spies. You've come to see the nakedness of the land. The whole world is naked by this famine. And I said him no my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

We are all one man's sons. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies. But he said to them no. You've come to see the nakedness of the land. You just won't hear any of their protests any of their countering evidence.

He just keeps repeating the accusation. No, you are spies. No, you've come to see the nakedness of the land. Now this is a baseless charge. Now the brothers know what it's like. To be dealt with so harshly so cruelly without any basis whatsoever.

They came they were honest men. I must have been painful for Joseph to hear we're honest men. He must have had to swallow pretty hard on that one. But at the same time look at how they ingratiate themselves to Joseph.

They call Joseph Lord. No, my lord. They refer to themselves as his servants. No, my lord, your servants are honest men. Whatever rage he feels in that moment he's tempered by. Well, we're already on the way to the fulfillment of this dream now.

The dream was that all of my brothers would bow down to me and only ten are here. So where is the 11th brother. Joseph has to work this out in his calculation? But perhaps he's already detecting there's there's something of God's hand in the midst of even their response to him.

Verse 13. Your servants are 12 brothers the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. And in fact, the youngest is with our father today and they must have trailed off at this point and one is no more. Don't don't ask on that.

Please don't press on that one. They spend all this time talking about their relationship to their father. Their brother is all from the same fatherland of Canaan. The youngest is still with our father.

One is no more. Let's just get past that chapter in our lives and in our family history. They want to spend more time talking about the missing brother Benjamin. One is no more. This was a lie. The brothers know it is a lie.

Perhaps he's no more last they knew he was being dragged away as a slave into Egypt. Which is why they were so nervous when Egypt was being mentioned. They had every reason to believe that Joseph was not dead.

He would have been a valuable slave at this age. He was a hard-working honest intelligent diligent young man, even his brothers knew him in that way. But perhaps they had repeated the lie so often. They just thought this really is the case.

He's no more. Effectively, he was no more as far as their lives were concerned. Verse 14. Joseph said to them. It's as I spoke to you again, just endless incessant repeating of the charges. You are spies, but now he concocts a plan.

How will I get the 11th brother to bow before me in this manner? You shall be tested by the life of Pharaoh. You shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you. This is a plan that will change but for now send one of you.

Let him bring your brother. You shall all be kept in prison so that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you. That's Joseph's concern. What really is inside of you after these 20 years if you're capable of that 20 years ago.

What remains in you today? Or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies. He doesn't have to trail off and explain the consequence of that if you are spying on the nakedness of the land. That's an automatic death sentence.

So he put them all together in prison three days. All the brothers are together there in prison for three days. Perhaps these three days were given to them so they could examine themselves. To just force them on the spot.

Wouldn't be an act of wisdom on Joseph's part to get them in a secluded place where they could be with each other and Actually begin to examine their selves to look at their situation. All right, that was an act of wisdom on Joseph's part.

He had already said one of you will be sent. In order to bring back the youngest brother. No one else will be allowed to leave or even live unless that youngest brother is returned to me. So now these brothers have to work out who is trustworthy among us who will not abandon us here they're all terrified.

Who will go and actually come back? I will we don't trust you. I will no way. You're the last brother. We're gonna send. Who are you gonna send on this mission? It seems like a kamikaze mission for the first time they would get a short taste of What it would be like to be utterly hopeless.

Urging and desiring for a brother to come and rescue them. This seems to be the whole point of these days and nights. But it also gives Joseph time to think through to pray to plan. To understand Lord.

Why have you allowed this providence to unfold in my life and for three days? You get the sense that Joseph is working these things over in his own mind and heart with the Lord trying to understand. How should he act and move to get Benjamin and and begin to walk in the fulfillment of God's plan?

He recognizes the hand of God in this moment. And so he comes back three days later and this helps us understand. He's really sort of planning on the fly. But now he's had three days to create a plan and the terms change.

Verse 18. Joseph 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 you all the other nine. Go and carry grain for the famine of your houses and bring your youngest brother to me.

So that your words will be verified and you shall not die. And they did so He comes to them. And the first thing he says to them is do this and live. He comes to them really as a bearer of hope whatever they thought might happen.

He's just been pulling us along. We're actually on the execution slate. He comes to them. He says if you do this you live do this and live. It's a command. It's an entreaty do this so that you may live I'm sure after three days in the Egyptian penitentiary system.

The brothers were willing to do anything to live anything to get out of the roundhouse. They'd only been there for three days. They actually were there with each other that meant something. At least they could rely upon one another and comfort one another in those dark days and nights.

Remember that Joseph was alone in that pit for years. And so even here as we think typologically were reminded that our Lord faced a depth of suffering that we could never Comprehend. We experienced the equivalent in our lives in the most difficult pains three days.

Where the Lord in his earthly life experienced years. And so it's no wonder we can trust him when we look to his nail-scarred hands and he says to us do this and live. I've already gone the way of suffering ahead of you.

You can trust me. We can say to him you alone have the words of life when he says to us do this and live. It's not as an abstract detached arbitrary governor. But it's as the suffering Savior who came and suffered beyond our depth in our place.

These brothers have tasted the dread of being lost of being abandoned. Now they have to depend.

Upon.

One another to restore the brother that will be bound that the plan has changed now. They all can go. This is a merciful adjustment to Joseph's plan. He must have been concerned that their households would be met with supplies.

They can all go but one. They can all go and bring back grain and supply their families in the midst of this famine. Joseph shows no heart. No stomach for retribution. He would not have these brothers nor their families starve in the land of Canaan and.

The brothers now being released all but one faced his temptation that they had faced with Joseph. Would they abandon another brother as they had once abandoned Joseph? Will they go to their father and tell the truth or will they cover it over and say we're never going back to Egypt.

We got our grain and let's just pray for a better harvest next year. Notice the testimony of Joseph also he says to them. I fear God. That's something they would not expect out of an Egyptian viceroy's mouth.

It almost comes with the implicit charge. Do you fear God? They're Canaanites. They're coming as as those who actually ought to proclaim the Living God to this Egyptian governor. But it's the Egyptian governor who proclaims God to them.

I fear God. Do you fear God? Are you honest men? Will you do what is right? Do this in live he says toward the end essentially do this and you shall not die. He's confronting these ten brothers with matters of life and death.

This is what will get you death. This is what will get you life whenever we're confronted with matters of life and death do this and live. This is the way to life. Do this and die. This is the broad and wide path toward destruction when we're confronted with that existential moral ethical fork in the road God is moving in us to awaken our conscience.

We'll spend a lot more time in application talking about that. Joseph is wisely confronting his brothers with matters of life and death. Presenting for them a narrow difficult path that will lead to life or the broad and easy path that leads to destruction.

They can abandon their brother and make it one more year and then starve in the following year to come. There's only one way to live. Joseph begins to pain their conscience. Think about what these brothers have experienced.

They've been in the roundhouse for three days. They've perhaps asserted. Yes. Okay, this is the brother that we're going to send to go we trust him. Maybe it was Reuben being the eldest in that roundhouse.

But now Joseph comes and he's totally changed the terms of the plan. Now they can all go but one. Perhaps they'll have to slowly walk away. While they hear that one brother who's been left behind cry out.

Don't leave me. Don't abandon me brothers. Come rescue me. Please come rescue me. All of this would have been a haunting memory of what had happened 20 years prior. Joseph is now making them reenact the experience that he had faced.

They can all go but one and for the second time these brothers must return to the tent of their father and say One of your sons is not with us. No wonder. The conscience now is fully awakened verse 21.

The Brothers' Awakened Conscience

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 wouldn't hear. Therefore this distress has come upon us and Reuben answered and said didn't I speak to you saying don't sin against the boy and you wouldn't listen.

Therefore behold his blood is now required of us. But they did not know that Joseph understood them for he spoke through an interpreter. They're speaking to one another and Joseph is able to understand everything.

Remember what they had said when they first entered and stood before Joseph. We are honest men they said but now what is Joseph here. We're all guilty. How do you get an honest man who's protesting his innocence?

To then say I'm truly guilty. It's the power of the conscience. It's the power of the conscience. It's the power of the illumination of God upon man's contorted and repressed conscience. Sometimes the conscience has been compared to a sundial.

If you think of a sundial in the darkened soul of man, what what good is that sundial? Go to a sundial out in the park. Sometimes they make them out of cement and if it's nighttime, what good is that to you?

It's useless.

If anything the moonlight the park lights will only scatter that and point you in the wrong direction it won't be accurate. You need the light you need the illumination for that to function as it was designed to.

We see the Illumination now begin to dawn in the hearts and minds of these brothers and for the first time these honest men say we are truly Guilty, they not only understood they felt the guilt of what they had done to Joseph.

Their minds immediately go back 20 years in time to vividly Experience what they had done to their brother. They're no longer in the present. They're not concerned about their growling stomachs. They're not rushing back because the most important thing is getting the grain on the table.

They're frozen in their steps and saying Our brother Joseph. This is why this distress has come upon us our brother Joseph. Surely we are guilty. This is why we're being punished our brother Joseph and notice he's not that dreamer.

Anymore, he's our brother.

Our brother.

20 years ago. He wasn't their brother, but the light of conscience has moved in a way that now they understand. He was our brother. He was our flesh. Reuben protests he wants to say not not me. Maybe all of you, but not me.

And that that bears out in chapter 37 remember He he had a secret plan that he was gonna kind of go along with the boys and he'd sneak back and deliver Joseph up out of that pit. But he was complicit he didn't directly act against it.

He he allowed that injustice to begin to unfold. It didn't really matter what his secret plan was what his secret thoughts were. He went with the flow when it mattered most. He went with the flow when he could have made a difference.

He could have pulled out that inside waistband and said get back all of you. Joseph's going home with me pulled out his M &P shield or something. But he didn't he just went with the flow. And because he went with the flow and he did not do what was right did not do what he ought to do.

His fates the same as theirs. He ends up in prison just like them. He faces the same crisis just like them. He has the same guilt just like them. There's a lot of people who think my fate will be different my guilt will not be the same.

Because I secretly disagree with what society's doing I go along with it, but really that's not my plan. That's not how I feel about it. And because I have the secret plan my fate my guilt is somehow different in God's eyes.

No, it's not. It doesn't matter how you inwardly feel. It doesn't matter that you're only outwardly approving. The fact that you're outwardly approving is guilt enough before God and thankfully Reuben recognizes this.

He says now his blood is required of us. He doesn't say I'm out of here. That's on you. In fact, I'm gonna go talk to this Zapnap Pena guy about how I wasn't really part of it. He understands the blood is now required of us.

We are truly guilty until now.

Joseph.

Probably assumed Reuben being the oldest brother was the one that had led Everything that had happened to him those 20 years ago. Reuben was the one that planned to murder him and then sell him into slavery.

He would have never known until now. That Reuben had actually protested had actually said don't sin against him had actually planned to deliver him. Joseph must have been struck by that. There was something in Reuben something in Reuben That still had conscience.

Maybe this is why Reuben is not the one that is bound as chiefly responsible. But the next in line Simeon he is the one that is bound. For the first time these brothers acknowledge their sin against Joseph notice how they acknowledge it.

They don't mitigate it. They don't extenuate it. They don't flatter themselves. They don't rationalize it and say it wasn't really that bad. If you actually knew him, you guys are just forgetting what he was like that pest.

Who said his older brother's gonna come back before him? No, no. No, he got what was coming to him. Hopefully he didn't learn to run his mouth as a slave in Egypt. All they can say is we are truly guilty.

They have come to the right conclusion about their guilt about their sin that they don't let time try to ebb it away. They admittedly say what we did was worthy of death. His blood is now required of us.

They can't help but see God's justice unfolding in their providence. And unless they had come to this point They could not participate in the reconciliation that will follow if they had not come to this point in chapter 42 to say we are truly guilty.

No more Rationalizing. No more ignoring no more avoiding. I'm owning the evil of it. I'm saying it's worthy of death. Unless they had got to that point Joseph would have never moved them toward reconciliation.

Unless we get to the point where we can own and confess our sin a right and have an accurate dealing with God. There can be no movement toward reconciliation. We cannot be made right with God. When we're justifying and excusing the sin the evil within our crooked lives.

For Joseph to hear this confession. For Joseph to be moved by this confession of guilt to hear them say we did this to our brother with the sense of remorse in their Voices that none of the other Egyptians could understand but Joseph.

He's so totally overcome. He has to abruptly come up from off his his second chariot or golden throne or whatever. He was on. He has to hide himself and weep. He comes back with red puffy eyes. Egyptians tended to wear the black eyeliner, right?

So he probably had like a Like a grieving teenager. He probably had an eyeshadow running all down his cheeks and he returned to them again and he talks with them. Notice it began with him speaking roughly to them now.

He talks with them. Reconciliation is already beginning to creep forward In this family. And he took Simeon from them and he bound him before their eyes and I can't think of that as something violent and aggressive.

If it was meant to be that way, I don't think we would read that he actually did it. Remember we're going to read that he gives commands. Let their sacks be filled with grain. Let them have their silver restored.

He gives orders and men go do it when it comes to this. He himself does it. And I don't think it's because he rolled up his sleeves and said I've been waiting 20 years for this moment. I Think he's been so disarmed in his wrath.

By hearing the confession of that guilt that even when he comes to to move this plan forward. He very tenderly binds Simeon. What a contrast between the way they bound him. When against his cries and his confusion they thrust him into the arms of the Midianites to be dragged away forever.

Joseph is doing everything. So that his brothers would need to take responsibility to come and retrieve Simeon. Have these men really changed? Will they just let another brother die in the pit or will they actually do what is necessary to rescue him?

Have these men actually changed will will their compassion and desire for Simeon? Over rule their their anxiety and their fearfulness and their guilt. So Joseph verse 25, he commands for their sacks to be filled with grain.

Every man's money to be restored to the sack. This is setting us up to move into chapter 43 and to give them provisions for their journey. This is what he did for them. So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there.

But as one of them opened you'll wonder whatever happened to those camels. Remember there was a whole fleet of camels that seemed to move from Abraham to Isaac and Jacob but here they were riding donkeys.

Maybe that's emblematic of just how severe the famine was. I don't know. Maybe those donkeys had to be sold time to sell the old Corvette and hop in the Camry, you know would be the equivalent perhaps.

They loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. But as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feet at the encampment. He saw his money and there it was in the mouth of his sack and he said to his brothers My money has been restored.

There. It is my sack and all of their hearts failed them. They were all afraid saying to one other. What is this that God has done to us? So Joseph orders his brother's bags to be filled with grain. That was the whole reason they came to buy grain from Egypt.

But in order to continue his plan, he also orders that their money be restored to the sack. All their silver is hidden back in their grain sacks. This is going a little too far but to paraphrase Matthew 5 First be reconciled to your brother then bring your gift.

We're not done here yet. One of them we don't know who finds the silver. Maybe maybe the canvas tears on the side and some grain seeds spill out and all of a sudden he notices something shiny. What's what is this?

Maybe they drop it on a rock and they hear a loud clang and they're like what kind of grain is this? However, they find it. When he announces it we read their hearts fail them. We read what we'll see next week in verse 35 when they get home and they all empty their sacks.

They realize this was true of all of them all of their hearts fail them. Again, remember Joseph is now testing their resolve to save their brother. He's causing them to reenact what he had to experience they will need to go back and report this to Joseph to Jacob and they will need to undertake to rescue their brother or Otherwise abandon him to a fate of death essentially what they did to Joseph.

But he problematizes it. It's gonna make it a little bit harder. Easy enough to say dad. We're gonna go play some football with Ben. We'll be back before you know it then book down to Egypt. Sorry, dad.