God's Box: Genesis 43:1-10
Living under the promise of God’s plan is always better than living under the results of our own control. God created us. He knows what satisfies us better than we do. His ability to work in this world is far greater and more rewarding than our ability to control our little niche of His world.
The brothers stay in Canaan long enough to consume most of what they had bought in Egypt. According to Judah’s testimony, they stayed away long enough that the trip could have been made twice. The trip from Canaan to Egypt and back would have likely taken six weeks or so, which means the brothers have been home for three months, if Judah’s account can be trusted.
While that may not seem like a tremendously long time, Simeon has been stuck in prison in Egypt for that entire time. Joseph probably didn’t lock Simeon up in a terrible situation. After all, Joseph wasn’t trying to punish his brothers. From Simen’s perspective, though, imagine waking up day after day and wondering if today was the day of release. The first four to six weeks wouldn’t have held hope, but after six weeks Simeon had to feel like any day could be the day. Reasonable accommodation or not, his hope had to have started to wane.
It would have been normal for Simeon to start to lose faith. Simeon might have begun to wonder if his family loved him and wanted to come back for him. He might have considered if God had given up on him.
Why was Simeon stuck? Why hadn’t the brothers come back for him? The answer is simple. Joseph told them a return trip wouldn’t be productive if they didn’t have Benjamin with them. Jacob told them Benjamin wasn’t going to Egypt. They were between a rock and a hard spot. God used Joseph to paint Jacob and his family into a very tight box of their own making.
Jacob had trust issues. He was used to confrontations with other people. He was also used to winning. The only time he lost big was when he let go of control and let Joseph go out on his own. That ended in disaster from his perspective.
Because of Jacob’s trust issues, his problem with favoritism rears its ugly head again. Simeon is stuck in prison because Jacob won’t let go of Benjamin. He seems willing to run out of food because he is unwilling to let go of Benjamin. He is willing to put all his sons – and all their children – at risk because he is unwilling to let go of Benjamin. He is willing to put God’s plan for bringing salvation to the world at risk because he is unwilling to let go of Benjamin.
God created the perfect storm for Jacob. To find salvation, Jacob must learn to let go. Living under the promise of God’s plan is always better than living under the results of our own control.
