Chapter Seventeen - Famine
The eighth year commenced; the first of the seven bad years had arrived. News from up river was not good. River levels were very low. News from other lands was also bad; the expected annual rainfall did not come. In Egypt the river levels remained low. The crops would be poor. The agricultural areas began to dry up; the volume of water flowing down river was not enough to flood the basins. Irrigation canal levels were dangerously low. There was hardly enough water for seed to be planted.
Pharaoh was convinced that Joseph’s God was all knowing. 'This is the start of the seven bad years!’ He recalled his two dreams. The seven thin cattle ate up the seven fat cattle and were still thin and malnourished. The seven parched full heads of grain devoured the seven fat full heads of grain, in a similar manner. ‘Here’s the proof. We had seven extra good years of harvests. Now the seven bad years are starting.’
How thankful he was that Joseph had been able to interpret the dreams. Joseph’s great plan to store up grain for the years of famine would now be put to the test. As the famine began to bite, the Egyptian people began to use up their private stores of grain.
The great building program ceased; it was now too late! The first year of famine brought hardship to many people. Reports from all countries were the same, widespread drought and famine. Private stocks of grain dwindled and prices soared, but, Egypt had grain for bread. As the year dragged on, Egyptians from one end of the country to the other began to starve. They cried out to Pharaoh.
Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; do whatever he says to you.”
Joseph opened up the granaries and sold grain to the Egyptian people. The famine worsened as it went into the second year. People, in other countries, realised that grain could be purchased in Egypt. So they came from other lands to buy grain. Joseph set up grain markets in the major cities. Travellers from north eastern countries were directed to Zoan to purchase grain. Most of the trade routes coming into North Egypt ended up at Zoan. The Egyptian army was on constant surveillance; the granaries needed to be guarded.
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The second bad year was worse than the preceding year. The famine was very severe in the land of Canaan. Jacob heard that people were buying grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why are you sitting here staring at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some, so we don’t starve to death. Benjamin won’t go with you; in case something happens to him.”
Preparations were made for the journey. They packed their asses with food and provision for themselves, and their animals. They took empty sacks for the grain and money to buy the grain. No one really wanted to go, but it was go, or starve!
The ten brothers travelled down from the mountain country; across the wilderness of Shur to Egypt. So, the sons of Jacob came into Egypt. They joined the other travellers buying grain for their families, and journeyed to the grain market in Zoan.
Joseph sat and observed the steady stream of foreigners. His usual habit whilst in Zoan was to supervise the selling of grain; today seemed to be no different to any other. The people buying grain came and bowed down before him, with their faces to the ground.
Ten men, leading their asses, came and bowed themselves down before him. Joseph’s heart skipped a beat. It was his brothers! He pretended not to know them, and spoke curtly to them in Egyptian, using an interpreter to translate.
“Where are you from?”
“We have come from the land of Canaan to buy food.”
They did not recognise him. Joseph remembered his dreams; how their sheaves bowed down to his sheaf, and how the Sun, Moon and the eleven stars bowed down to him. He said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see where our country is weak.”
They said, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. We are all from the same family: we are honest men, we are not spies.”
Joseph said to them, “No, you have come to see where our country is weak.”
They replied, “We come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is with our father in Canaan, and one is dead.”
“It’s just as I said, you are spies and I am going to find out who you really are. I swear by the life of Pharaoh you won’t leave here, until your youngest brother comes here. Choose one of you to go and fetch your brother. The rest of you will be kept in prison; that will show whether you are telling the truth. But if you are lying, I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you are spies!”
The brothers looked hopelessly at one another. This was not what they were expecting!
Joseph spoke to Ontis, the captain of his guards, “Take these men, under guard and put them in prison.”
Ontis took a squad of soldiers and marched the brothers off to prison. Joseph made arrangements to stable and feed their animals.
‘I’ll give them a taste of prison life for a few days.’
Ontis handed the prisoners over to Zanak.
“The Grand Vizier has ordered that these men be held in prison. They could be spies.”
Zanak looked at the ten men, they were foreigners.
He spoke to them, “Where are you from? What are you doing in Egypt?”
Judah spoke up, “My lord, we are from the land of Canaan. We are brothers from the same family. We came into Egypt to buy grain for our families. The famine is very severe in Canaan. The lord of the land has accused us of being spies. We are not spies; we are shepherds trying to buy grain for our families, so we don’t starve to death.”
Zanak could not understand what they were saying. He heard the word Canaan, and called for an interpreter. Judah repeated what he had said to the interpreter. Zanak spoke to them via the interpreter.
“Whether you are spies, or not, is of no concern to me the Grand Vizier has ordered that you be held in prison. Until I have further orders, this is where you will stay.”
Zanak ordered the guards to put them into the cells. The brothers were taken to the main prison area and locked up. The cell door closed with a heavy thud.
The ten brothers looked at each other in despair. It seemed like a dream, but, this was very real! They were shepherds living in tents, moving about with their flocks to find pasture. Now they were locked up in an Egyptian prison accused of being spies. What was going to happen to them?
Judah spoke to his brothers, “God is punishing us. The lord of the land took a dislike to us as soon as he saw us. He thinks we are spies. We must be careful not to upset the guards; otherwise we won’t get out of here. The lord of the land wants to send one of us back home to fetch Benjamin. The rest of us he wants to keep here in prison.”
Simeon spoke up, “If Benjamin is not brought to him; it will prove to him that we are spies. He will probably kill us all.”
They sat on their straw mats looking very dejected. The guards kept a close eye on them; the Grand Vizier, himself, had put them in prison.
Joseph sent word to Zanak to treat them as normal prisoners for three days. Joseph’s brothers hated being in prison, they were used to the wide, open countryside. They knew they were being punished. ‘How long will we spend in this dreadful Egyptian prison? The lord of the land can do what he likes with us.' They were powerless to change the circumstances.
On the third day, in the afternoon, Joseph had his brothers brought to him. They bowed before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph spoke to them via an interpreter.
“I fear God. I will give you an opportunity to save your lives. If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in prison. And the rest of you can take grain home for your starving families. But, bring your youngest brother here to me; then I will know you are telling the truth and you won’t be put to death.”
They said to one another, “We are being punished because of Joseph. We saw his anguish at what we did to him; when he pleaded with us, and we would not listen. That’s why these terrible things are happening to us.”
Rueben answered them saying, “Did
n’t I tell you not to harm the lad? But you wouldn’t listen, and now we have to pay the price for our actions.”
They did not realise that Joseph understood them. Joseph was overcome with emotion; he turned and went into an adjoining room, and wept. The memory of their callous act was painful. His brothers now realised what they had done to him was the cause of their present predicament. Joseph took a few minutes to compose himself.
He returned to his brothers and spoke to them via an interpreter; then he selected Simeon and bound him in front of them. Simeon was led away, back to the prison.
Joseph privately commanded his servants to fill each brother’s sacks with grain. Put each man’s money back into his sack, and give them provision for their trip home. When this was done, their asses were brought to the nine brothers.
Rueben, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, Asher, Dan, Issachar, Zebulon and Gad saw their laden asses; and with heavy hearts took them, and started out on the long journey back to Canaan.
“What will Father say when he hears the news?”
When they stopped for the night to make camp, one of them opened his sack to give his ass some grain. He saw his money at the top of the sack.
Zebulon said to his brothers, “Here’s my money! Look, its right here in my sack.”
They were trembling with fear and said to each other, “What is this that God has done to us?”
Their mood was serious and sombre on the journey home. Simeon was waiting expectantly for their quick return.