42 Motivated?
Dear family and friends, Genesis 42 begins with Jacob’s Spiritual revelation, ‘There is corn in Egypt.’ Why was that revelation important? The Land of Canaan, where Jacob, his sons, grandchildren, servants, and livestock lived, was experiencing a severe famine. Jacob perceived a great abundance of corn was available in Egypt. Remember, Jacob was a spiritual man. His children were spiritual people. He was a prophet.
We are going to discuss the Spiritual thought process of a prophet. Jacob recognized why Egypt was blessed with such an abundance of corn? God was the source of Egypt’s blessing. His Spiritual thought process was stimulated. The abundance of corn in Egypt was a sign that there was a Holy man in Egypt. And that Holy man had to be Joseph. Why? Only Abraham’s descendants are chosen to be a blessing to all the families in our world.We are reminded, God Said to Abraham, ‘in you shall all families of the earth be blessed,’ Genesis 12.3. ‘And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,’ Genesis 22.18. God Said to Isaac, ‘in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,’ Genesis 26.4. God Said to Jacob, ‘in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed,’ Genesis 28.14.
Based on God’s Promises Jacob and his sons perceived that Joseph’s presence had to be in Egypt. That is why Jacob asked his sons, ‘Why are you still standing around?’ Why aren’t you headed to Egypt to find Joseph? What’s the matter with you? Jacob wanted to know what had happened to their motivation? What was wrong? They were stunned! Their sins against their father Jacob and their brother Joseph were about to be revealed. Scripture Says, ‘Be sure your sin will find you out? Numbers 42.23 – Who among us wants to face past sins? I am a sinner of the worst kind. I don’t want to watch a video of my past mistakes. Like most of us, I’m trying to move on. In the following few chapters of Genesis, We will see how Joseph’s brothers were haunted by what they did to Joseph.
We know that God Blessed Laban because of Jacob. ‘And Laban said to Jacob, the Lord has Blessed me for your sake,’ Genesis 30.27. Lot was blessed because he lived among Abraham’s camp – Genesis 13.5. Joseph’s master acknowledged God’s Blessing on his home and fields because of Joseph – Genesis 39.3-5.
Jacob’s descendants and servants each had plenty. The famine did not impact the House of Jacob like it impacted the people of Canaan. How do we know this? In Genesis 43, Jacob says to his sons, [take presents for the man] ‘take of the best fruits in the Land in your utensils, and carry down gifts to the man, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds. The keywords are ‘The best of the Land. Jacob and his sons possessed the best of the Land. They were not in poverty from the famine. Yet Jacob did not want to be the source of envy among the descendants of Ishmael and Esau. He sent his sons to purchase grain. He did not want to flout the Blessings of God.
Does anyone wonder why all of Jacobs’s sons except for Benjamin went to Egypt to purchase supplies? Why didn’t a few brothers stay behind? Why couldn’t a few servants go instead? Joseph was missing. They needed to correct their mistakes. Rabbi Moshe Weissman, The Midrash Says The Book of Beraishis (Brooklyn, New York: Benei Yakov Publications 1980), pp 397 – 398
וַיַּרְא
Vah Yah Rih – meaning ‘He saw perceived.’
ו6 י10 ר200 א1 = 217
רָזִי
Raw Zee – meaning ‘leanness.’
ר200 ז7 י10 = 217
Now, we turn our attention to the last Word in Verse One. How many Hebrew Words are in verse one? How many of Jacob’s sons were living with him in his camp? The answer to both questions is eleven. Please notice the 11th Word, תִּתְרָאוּ – Tee Tih Raw Voo – meaning ‘see.’ There is a double mystical phenomenon to the eleventh Word. The usual spelling is ראה. The Letter ת is written twice to רָאָה Raw Aw. Adding The Letter ת Tav twice to the beginning of רָאָה Raw Aw is a double sign that informs us of both Truth and Perfection. The brothers had been living a lie, a deception, a coverup ever since they sold Joseph into slavery.
וַיַּרְא יַעֲקֹב כִּי יֶשׁ־שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרָיִם וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב לְבָנָיו לָמָּה תִּתְרָאוּ : ס
Genesis 42.1
And Jacob saw! Because – There was corn in Egypt. And he, Jacob said to his sons, ‘How is it that you see [and do nothing]?
After what they did to Joseph, Their purity was soiled. They perpetrated a falsehood continually for 22 years. They were the source of much pain and suffering for their father and Joseph. Our world is contaminated by deception, lies, and multiple coverups. Some of us have participated. We see dishonesty, harmful and illegal acts. We smell the terrible stench. It’s time to take action!! WE MUST ACT!!
The worldwide epidemic has impacted us. Food and other essential products have been scarce and maybe scare again. Our budgets have been affected. Availability is one issue, and the cost is another. During the past eighteen months, many of us have taken a financial hit. Some of us have planted family gardens to relieve grocery stress. Some families are grouping together to share costs, senior care, child care, etc. God is Good! We should do what we can for ourselves and not try to put this off on God. Yes, God is permitting us to face some struggles. It is good for families to unite and share each other’s burdens. My father may he rest in peace, used to say ‘A family who prays together stays together.’ Struggles should bring us together, not drive us apart.
In other words, we must take action if we want a good, pure, wholesome place to live and thrive for us and those we love. May our hearts be touched and motivated by the Truth!!
Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk
