THE FEAST! (Joseph continued)

I like the taste of lamb....especially when it's cooked Greek style! Tim took this picture of my lamb...works good with today's post because Joseph's preparing some tasty Egyptian lamb for a feast!! Why, you ask?! Well, in continuing with our story about Joseph (read the entries prior to this one if you're lost...I almost got lost in trying to write this!! ;p), Genesis 43 tells us that Joseph's brothers took Benjamin to Egypt along with the double portion of silver they owed for grain and some tasty treats to appease the guard at the storehouse as their father, Jacob had commanded. They still don't know that the guard is their very own brother, Joseph.
They presented themselves, along with Benjamin, to Joseph. Without missing a beat, Joseph commands his men to take the brothers to his house, slaughter an animal and prepare a dinner! Well, I'd say the brothers are REALLY astonished by now! But instead of the brothers taking advantage of the sudden good fortune, the brothers sense some conviction and say to Joseph's steward, (Bethany paraphrased) "Umm, so we came down a little bit ago and bought some food, but when we headed home we found our dough returned in our sacks....we didn't do it, so uh, we brought it back as well as some dough for more grain....uh, sorry?" And the steward (who must have been a man of God!) says, "Hey, it's cool guys! No need to fear! Your God, you know...the God of your father...He's given you guys some treasure in your sacks! I got your money." And then he brings Simeon out to them! Talk about some serious grace going on! I am sure by this point they are scratching their heads and thinking they've gone MAD! It gets better.....
The steward of Joseph's house washes their feet and provides fodder for their donkeys. When Joseph came home, the brothers presented him with their gifts (the nuts and stuff...I hope they were candied almonds...I like those). Once again, the brothers bowed low to the ground in respect for this crazy Egyptian who was treating them kindly. (Gen 43:26) Joseph asks how they're doing and if Jacob is still living. They bow again and reply that all is well with his servant, Jacob! His SERVANT!....reminds me of a dream Joseph had..... ;)
So then he turns to Benjamin (let's call him Benji now) and confirms that this is the brother he's asked them to bring....the youngest brother. He says to Benji "God be gracious to you, my son!". And then you know what Joseph does!? He races out of the room, too moved and emotional to contain himself any further! I'm surprised he lasted THAT long! He washes his face and returns announcing it's time for some grub. And according to that day, Egyptians and Hebrews were not to eat together because Hebrews were detestable to them, so Joseph ate in one room and the brothers in another.
I love this part.....So when the brothers were seated, the steward seated them according to their ages from the firstborn to the youngest! The boys were entirely beside themselves in astonishment! How could this crazy Egyptian know their order of birth!? They must've been wondering what was going on!
The food was served and Benji received five times the food the other brothers received! We'll stop there....No doubt this was the best meal the boys had in a long time! I'm sure Joseph was antsy in his pantsies trying to stay quiet about his identity! He just was not sure that the brothers were really different from who they were 13 years ago. He just needed to know if they had become men of integrity and honor. Giving Benji more food than the rest was just another way of testing the boys to see if they would mumble and scowl in jealousy at the youngest, priviliged member of their family. He needed to know that they loved Benji despite his present favoritism and perhaps even have some regrets about their treatment of Joseph 13 years prior.
It's fascinating to me that God cared enough for Joseph to put the brothers into a situation time and time again where they had to BOW to Joseph, just like in the dreams God had given him. And that God cared enough for the brothers that He consistently placed them in situations where they were taken care of, but also humbled. What a caring God we serve! He always does what He promises and does it with the greatest amount of grace, glory, and provision. He always does more than we can ask or think and without our permission or preference of timing....but it's because He loves us....a lot.
Ya know, if Joseph had been set free from slavery a couple years into his stay in Egypt, he probably would have gone back to the land of Canaan and to his father's house. Then the nation of Israel (Jacob's family) would have died in the famine and we wouldn't have the Israel we have today! Jesus would not have been a Hebrew! Whoa! That's heavy stuff! So, God loved US enough to allow Joseph to go through all that suffering so that he would stay in Egypt, be reconciled to his family, and prepare a place for them in Egypt to survive the famine and become a prosperous nation...so......what is God having us do that may feel uncomfortable for the time being because He has a greater purpose??........Stay tuned! It's not over, yet!!! (and thanks for the comments!)