Bible Summary:

Jacob’s family finishes all the grain, so he tells his sons to return to Egypt for more. Reuben says Benjamin must go or they will receive no grain. Jacob finally gives in since they are all starving and tells his sons to bring double the money, to repay the returned money from their first trip, and gifts.

Joseph invites his brothers over to his house to eat. They bow to him and present their gifts. Joseph gets emotional over seeing Benjamin and has to leave the room to collect himself. Joseph’s brothers are surprised to realize they are seated in birth order. They are at a separate table, since Egyptians consider Hebrews beneath them. Benjamin is given five times more food than the rest.

My Thoughts:

Needs of the Many: The famine gets so bad that Jacob is willing to risk his beloved son Benjamin to feed everyone. He finally reaches the point where, as Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan said, “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” His love for Benjamin, especially after the loss of his wife Rachel and presumably Joseph, is so deep that you can feel his anguish in the full Bible text. A parent’s love holds no bounds!