Genesis 43: 1-18

V1 – How long does your famine last? How long do the difficult times last? Does it matter how long it lasts?       

Psalm 30:5 NLT

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

        It does not matter how long the difficult times last; the Bible says they last only for a moment. God’s kindness, on the other hand, is forever. The most important thing is my posture in the difficult times. Am I in despair, worry, and anxiety? Or am I in hope and trust, waiting on the Lord and hearing what He says? Am I asking, “what does the Lord want me to learn during this time?” ” Is there something He is correcting in my life?” “Is my dependence on Him?”  “Is my heart repentant of my sin?” “Am I or Have I been walking with the Lord?”

V2 – The good thing about our God is that even in difficult times, He is still kind. He provides Egypt; a place where we will still get our provision. He will still provide what we need.

Be it comfort in the pain, financial provision, guidance, etc. He will give it.

V9 – Jacob is finding it difficult to let Benjamin go. And so, Judah says some “very strong words”— that He personally guarantees the safety of Benjamin. We have to be careful only to say words when we are willing actually to do them. Judah was essentially laying down his life for the sake of his brother and family.

Are we willing to lay down our lives and take up Jesus and his call for the sake of our brothers and sisters? Those who have not known the Lord?

V11 – Jacob uses this strategy of gifts again when He is faced with a tough man whom He does not know how to deal with. Initially, in Genesis 32: 3-21, He sent gifts to Esau, his brother whom He had robbed. Why does He do this?

      What is the meaning and place of gifts? One clear meaning is that gifts are a sign of humility. But also a sign of love. That’s why God sent Jesus; He is a gift to all of us. And Jesus himself offered himself for us; He gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins. God gave us the ultimate gift… He died and paid our penalty of sin so that we may live.

        So, what should really happen when someone does this? When you owe someone your life, literally? When, basically, your life was in their hands, and they gave it back to you? What is the right response? The truth is that the right response is absolute humility towards Him. You must remember why your life was in God’s hands in the first place, why you deserved punishment… it is because of sin. And that’s exactly why God tells us:

Micah 6:8 NLT

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

 Another thing I learn here is that we should learn to give gifts. To God, we give the gift of our lives and ultimate submission. And to men, we give the gift of God’s word.

We can also learn a lesson about the meaning of gifts, and we can learn to give them. Gifts have a way of softening people’s hearts. It’s a good idea to make it a practice. Some simple gift ideas include notebooks, unique pens, water bottles, etc.

V14 – Jacob now moves from despairing to putting his trust in God. “May God Almighty give you mercy.” and He lets the matter be in God’s hand.  He says, “But if I must lose my children, so be it.“

But Jacob takes a long while to come to this place of letting go. We know this because of Judah’s words in verse 10 – “If we hadn’t wasted all this time, we could have gone and returned twice by now.” He really fights before letting go.

Isn’t it just easier to let go and trust God? You are powerless anyway! The Lord is the all-powerful one, the omniscient and omnipotent! — Nothing! Absolutely nothing defeats Him.

V18 – You get all kinds of wrong ideas and thoughts when you are guilty and fearful. When you have Jesus and are humbling, walking with Him, rested, and trusting in Him, you get forgiveness and enjoy a unique gift:

John 14:27 NLT

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”