Tell-all and Trust

Genesis 42:29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30 “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’

Continuing our series, “Joseph: A Life with Many Colors,” good grief, those brothers blabbed a lot, and it’s bad.  What was left to tell?  The map coordinates of Jacob’s tent?  His net worth?  Wait, it gets worse.  Now the brothers drop the bomb.

 Genesis 42:33 “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land. ‘”

If you look, you can see the glazed look of panic pass over Jacob’s face as he turns a lighter shade of pale and knocks on their empty skulls.  You can almost hear Jacob’s wail of “Aieeeeee!”  What did they have now but trust that “the man” (aka Joseph, shhhh don’t tell anyone) would be good for his word?  Could it get any worse?? (Yes.)

Genesis 42:35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”

Melodrama aside, Jacob wasn’t taking it like a man.  “Everything is against me!” 
Everything. Wow, he doesn’t even blame just God.

Think about it:

• Do you ever feel like everything is against you?
• Simeon wasn’t “no more” … since he was still there in Egypt with very much alive “more” Joseph.  Two mores when he thought they were “no more”.   What does this tell us about the fullness of our knowledge?
• How does fear change our viewpoints?
• How did the tell-all result in the test which results in the trust? 
• Will God sometimes test you?  How does that relate to your trust in Him?
• Enjoy this verse about trust! Psalm 13:5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.