Genesis continues:   Genesis 41   Later Pharaoh had a dream that troubled him.  No one could interpret this dream for him.  Then, two years later, the butler remembered how Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream and the baker’s dream and told Pharaoh.  The dream was basically about what will happen soon to Egypt and how there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.  Joseph interpreted the dream and gave advice to Pharaoh.  Pharaoh was amazed and found no one else in all of Egypt that he would trust with administering his kingdom.  Joseph is released from prison and given the kingdom of Egypt to administer under Pharaoh.  As with Jesus, Joseph is exalted after suffering.  (see Phil 2:9-11)   Joseph had been in Egypt 13 years when he stood before Pharaoh.  He was 30 years old when he began his public service.(Luke 3:23)  Joseph planned for Egypt’s future.  Joseph married Asenath who bore two sons for him.  They are Manasseh (meaning making to forget) and Ephraim (meaning to be fruitful).  Joseph named Manasseh wishing to forget all his toil and hardship and his father’s house. Matthew Henry Commentary, p. 62 This commentary from Matthew Henry talks about troubles in our lives.  And tells us the answer to these troubles.   “What a large portion of our troubles would be done away if we knew the whole truth!  Let these events lead us to Jesus.  There is a famine of the bread of life throughout the whole earth.  Go to Jesus, and what he bids you, do.  Attend to His voice, apply to him; he will open his treasures, and satisfy with goodness the hungry soul of every age and nation, without money and without price.  But those who slight this provision must starve, and His enemies will be destroyed.”   Genesis 42   There is famine in the land of Canaan and Jacob (Israel) learned that there was grain in Egypt.  Jacob sent the 10 brothers; holding back only is youngest Benjamin, to Egypt to buy food.  When the brothers arrived, Joseph was the governor of the land but they did not recognize him.  Joseph immediately recognized his brothers, the ones who had sold him into slavery.    Joseph accused the brothers of being “spies in the land.” Vs. 9  They denied this and said they were only there to buy food.  There was talk about their family back in Canaan.  And Joseph remembered his dream, years ago, where his brothers bowed down before him.    Joseph told them he will hold one of them and that they must bring back their youngest brother Benjamin so he can know if they are being truthful with him.  Joseph put all of the brothers into prison for three days.  The brothers remembered their guilt about what they had done to Joseph many years earlier.  Only Reuben was free of this guilt as he had tried to save Joseph.  They believed God had done this to them because of their sin against Joseph.  Joseph heard all of this.  They did not know that Joseph understood their language as they had been speaking to him through an interpreter.    Simeon is left behind in Egypt.  The other brothers returned to their father Jacob with food from Egypt.  Joseph also returned their money to them but they did not discover this until on their way back to Canaan.  When they got back to Jacob, Jacob is distressed.  Jacob refused to send Benjamin back to Egypt.  Matthew Henry Commentary, pp. 62-63 “Joseph was hard upon his brethren, not from a spirit of revenge, but to bring them to repentance.  Not seeing his brother Benjamin, he suspected that they had done away with him, and he gave them occasion to speak of their father and brother.  God, in his providence, sometimes seems harsh with those he loves, and speaks roughly to those for whom yet he has great mercy in store.”   Genesis 43   But the famine remained in Canaan and the food from Egypt was gone.  Jacob told his 9 sons to return to Egypt to buy more food.  They argued over this being fearful to return without Benjamin.  Jacob relented and decided to send Benjamin with his other brothers along with the money that was returned, additional money for more food and gifts from their land for the Governor.    The ten brothers return to Egypt and come before Joseph.  Joseph saw his younger brother Benjamin and invited all of the brothers to dine with him at his home.  This invitation to dine at his home terrified the brothers.   At Joseph’s residence, they receive food.  And in the custom of the land, they did not eat together (it would be an abomination to the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews) but the brothers ate by themselves, Joseph ate by himself and the other Egyptians ate together away from the other sons of Jacob.    They had assigned seating by birthright (age).  Benjamin's portion was five times as much as the others.  The brothers must have wondered how this man (Joseph) knew so much about each of them.  Because their eyes were shut and they recognized him not. Matthew Henry Commentary, p. 64 “Though men value very highly their gold and silver, and the luxuries which are counted the best fruits of every land, yet in a time of famine they willingly barter them for bread. . .Our way to prevail with man is by first prevailing with the Lord in fervent prayer.  But, Thy will be done, should close every petition for the mercies of this life, or against the afflictions of this life.”   Tying it all together In the next chapters, we will see that Joseph loved God and forgave his brothers who had treated him wrong.  In Exodus 20, God gave Israel the 10 Commandments.  In Deuteronomy (below), God speaks of life and death and blessings.  King David tells us, in the Psalms, to love God, which is to choose life.  Then Jesus simplifies and draws it all together.  If you read nothing else below, give study to Matthew 22.   “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”  Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NKJV      Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!     For the Lord preserves the faithful,     And fully repays the proud person.     Be of good courage,     And He shall strengthen your heart,     All you who hope in the Lord.  Ps 31:23-24 NKJV     Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV   Genesis 44-46 here! Sources used: