Genesis 43 (Superficial Sucks)

I vagued out a bit today.
It's okay I wasn't at work or anything.
Maybe I was driving though.
Heh heh....................gulp.
Do you ever arrive somewhere and can't remember what happened on the way?
I remember waving to a friend at some traffic lights almost half way home.
But then I started thinking stuff.
Started thinking about plans for work.
Thinking about a broken exhaust fan at work.
Thinking about how to change my car.
Thinking about how to build a fence.
Thinking about going to Brisbane next week.
How am I going to blog away from home?
What will happen?
What will I do with the spare unbloggable time?
I wish I could say thinking about family stuff,
but it just wasn't on the schedule this afternoon. What do you do?
I could get at least one hit for that.
And then suddenly "Hellooo driveway!".
Oops.
Was the last light red or green?
It must have been green.
Right?
When did I change lanes?
Was there a car at the round-a-bout?
Nah!
I think.
Oh well I got home, that's all that matters hey?

Genesis 43
Two things straight up.
One, Jacob is suddenly referred to as Israel again. In chapter 42, Jacob.
In chapter 43, it's back to Israel.
Judah, his son, calls him Israel.
Is this because of where they are at as a family?
Is this a recognition of the dire straits they were in?
The appeal to bring Benjamin to Egypt needed a softer touch?
Had their relationship eroded over the years they had lost respect for him?
In this new harder situation suddenly, they remembered he was their father.
When it looked like he was going to lose another son, did Jacob remember his faith in God?
And this use of his new name, and the promises associated with it, is recognition of this?

Two, they had food!
"a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds."
They were in a 7 year drought!
Aaaahh the important factor, THERE WAS NO GRAIN.
Maybe these other foods were hardier, more resilient, required less water?
Grain needs a lot of water.
Grain is the basis of other foods. It is a staple and used daily.
For that many people, you need a lot of grain.
But they still had some food.
I guess that's how they could survive when the food they first brought back from Egypt ran out.
And God.

Finally Joseph can't keep the secret any more. With an outpouring of emotion, he tells the brothers who he is.
What a load would have lifted.
Even when he was waiting for them to return, how anxious would he have been?
There was a history of leaving brothers behind.
The fact that Simeon is in Egypt as a surety was no guarantee.
It was extremely likely the brothers would return.
But they were late.
And then later.
Was his father alive or dead?
Would they remember him?
If I were he, I would have gone over and over how I would say things.
Each day would be agonizing.

But that's me. My perspective.
Joseph knew God.
Joseph knew Reuben.
He remembered hearing how he fought for him. He wouldn't leave one behind to die again.
But he KNEW God.

Knowing God will change your perspective on stuff.
And I don't mean "do church" knowing God.
I mean really knowing God.
Doing the church thing gets you so far.
And then it's meaningless.
You're just someone who spends Sunday with people who probably know something and have something you just don't get.
That gets annoying quickly.
I know.
Been there.
Done that.
It doesn't work for long.
I hope I'm not there any more.
Twit, I know I'm not.

Benjamin experienced the feast of a lifetime I reckon.
5 times what the others had!
He would have finished fuller than a fat girl's sock.
That could cost me as well.
No delete policy strikes again.
Doh!