Genesis 43:26-34
When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to him to the earth. He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”
They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly. He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there. He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”
They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians, that ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another. He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.
A mere human would have had trouble trying to figure out how to make this come together. Joseph, the one who had dreamed that his own brothers and parents would bow to him, got to see it happen just like the dream had predicted. Notice that they bowed after the mention of their father, even though he wasn’t actually there in person.
I considered Joseph and the fact that he gave Benjamin five times the amount of food of anyone else. Now that’s a significant amount more! Think about it. If you would have been given a hamburger, some fries and a piece of apple pie, your brother Ben would have been given five hamburgers, a five servings of fries and a whole pie! It must have been extremely obvious. At first I thought that Joseph was just continuing the favoritism that his father and his fathers-father had displayed, but it could have actually been pity for Benjamin as well as a test for the other ten brothers. These brothers were now at the mercy of a governor who could put them all in jail. He had an opportunity to see if any of them would become jealous because of the difference in treatment. He would be able to see if they had changed. They appear to have accepted the fact and enjoyed themselves anyway. It is also very likely that Joseph just wanted to express his emotion in some possible way to his full brother.
It is very interesting to me that the Egyptians had prejudice against the Hebrews. How could they have been this way when there were, at this time, so few Hebrews? I was confused by this and then it came to me that it could have been a difference in skin color. My guess is that the Egyptians were dark skinned and the Hebrews were lighter skinned. The text is clear that it was an issue of race, but how could they tell they were Hebrews? It’s interesting to consider. This separation by race was not likely to turn into anything good in the future.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee explains that there is prophetic symbolism in this meeting. Joseph was rejected as a boy when he seemed insignificant by his own relatives just like Jesus was rejected by His people. Notice that Joseph was still very interested in his own brothers here. He didn’t reject them. This is the way it is with Jesus today. The Egyptians appear to have accepted Joseph but were showing anti-Semitism toward his people. Isn’t that strange? Isn’t that exactly what some Christians attempt to do today? It is horribly wrong and inconsistent for us to treat the Jews as if they have been rejected by their own Brother. Jesus wants to eat with them, and someday He will.