Genesis 43:

Jon Wright (California worker laboring in Chile on home visit) spoke in our Wed night study of Gen 43. He compared Ruben’s response to Jacob concerning taking Benjamin down to Eqypt in Gen 42v37 with Judah’s response in Gen 43v9: Ruben was prepared to sacrifice his sons, should they return without Benjamin (human nature’s reaction: sacrifice something precious, just not himself), while Judah offered himself as a ‘surety for him; of my hand though require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever’ (the Christ nature’s reaction...indeed, Christ died for our redemption). Is it any wonder that Christ descended from the house of Judah? We must be willing to sacrifice ourselves unto God and submitting all that is precious to us of this life, to have the Christ nature within.

Sometimes we have a real hard time entering through the open door God has provided for wanting to go our way, so God gave them only one open door (43v2)...they had to go down into Egypt to buy corn, there was no other option.
Joseph tried to reveal himself to them; he had them brought to his own home, instead of dealing with them at the storehouse; he sat by himself, not with the Egyptians because it was an abomination for the Egyptians to eat with Hebrews, not with them either, but rather he sent a much larger mess to Benjamin then he did to the rest of them, indicating that he knew that Benjamin was special; and he had them set before him in order from the 1st born to the youngest (and who else would have know except their own brother). He tried to reveal himself without telling them, but they were so full of their own thoughts of condemnation, that failed to perceive him as their brother. We need to be quiet within, so that God can reveal His thinking to us.

B. Simonton