Genesis 42

Sometimes when it looks dark, God is just starting to work wonders!

God had blessed Jacob with many herds. With the famine in the land, the family was running out of food and so were all of those cattle and sheep. Jacob had heard that there was food in Egypt, so he gathered his sons and cautiously sent them down after food. He was leery, because he had lost his favored wife and his eldest son from that marriage and he didn't want to loose anyone else. 

He sent the men with gifts and money to pay for everything they might purchase. They were in hard times, but God had provided mightily for them. Here shows an example for our lives when we are in fear of the unknown or of perceived troubles. God had already prepared a way for all of them before hand they just weren't aware of it. So it is in our lives, when we are in fear of change, many times God has already worked it out ahead of time for us. Sometimes, when we sin things down work out right, but the wages or sin our death, so we can expect sin to foul things up. Joseph sees his brothers and decides to try them out and test their intentions. Genesis doesn't record this, but it is almost as if he is see if their hard hearts have softened over the years. He calls them spies and wants proof they are who they say they are. He tells them not to come back unless they bring their youngest brother with them. 

Joseph has witness that his brother's hearts have changed, and he sells them food and returns their money. He keeps Simeon and knows all of their plan because he understood everything that they said but spoke to them through and interpreter. After they return to Jacob, they tell him all that has happened and he is greatly distressed and says he'll never let Benjamin go to Egypt. Little do they all know that God is going to not only deliver them, but have a great reunion as well.