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58. How old was Benjamin when his clan migrated to Egypt? Genesis 44:20, 22 vs. Genesis 46:8, 21

At least it seems someone actually read the text this time. Although it doesn’t seem to have helped.

Genesis 44:20
And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age (Benjamin), who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mothers children, and his father loves him.

Genesis 44:22
But you said to your servants, Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.

Genesis 46:8
Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacobs firstborn.

Genesis 46:21
The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

None of these verses give any numerical indication of Benjamin’s age.

I’m assuming that the critic takes issue with Benjamin being referred to as “young” in Genesis 44, and then as having 10 sons in Genesis 46. Which issue would be more reasonable in a modern, western history, but that’s not what we’re reading.

First, let’s remind ourselves that “young” and “old” are relative terms.

When I was seven, I thought I’d never be old enough to drive. Now that I’m 28, 30 is looking younger and younger.

Benjamin’s father, Israel, was 130 when he moved his family to Egypt. What’s “young” to a 130 year-old man?

Benjamin didn’t stay home with his father in Genesis 44 because he was too young to make the journey. Joseph, Israels’ favorite son, was presumed dead, and Benjamin was the only other son Israel had by his favorite wife, Rachel – now deceased. He didn’t want to lose his second-favorite son just yet, if they happened to meet with trouble during the journey (Genesis 42:4).

If Benjamin had been a child, this reason for not sending him with his brothers would be weird and unnecessary. Who needs to give a reason for not sending their five-year-old on a cross-country tour for food? This wasn’t about age; it was about favoritism.

So about how old was Benjamin?

We can do a little research and come up with an estimate. First of all, we know how old Joseph was:  Continue Reading…

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56. Should we believe everything? 1 Cor 13:7 vs. Prov 14:15, Thes 5:21, 1 Jn 4:1

Would it matter? *ahem*

1 Corinthians 13:7
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Proverbs 14:15
The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.

1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test all things; hold fast what is good.

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

No. Obviously. Obviously any religious text would not advocate that a person believe “all things.”

So the real question is, What’s up with 1 Corinthians 13:7?

1 Corinthians 13 is the “love chapter.” Verses 4 through 7 describes the character and nature of love. The language is increasingly poetic, and verse 7 is the climax.

A little bit of common sense would tell us that verse 7 is not to be taken literally.

It’s impossible to bear, believe, hope or endure “all things.”

I can’t bear, or endure, some things in love because love forbids their forbearance. See: Jesus turning over money changers’ tables in the temple. His love for the Father’s house, and for the people being corrupted, led Him to perfectly not endure their market.

We can even take love out of believing, or hoping, all things. It’s impossible for me to hope for peace and hope for war. It’s impossible for me to believe that the Bears and the Packers are going to win the next Superbowl.

So there have to be limitations to what is meant by “all things.” We can assume the writer means “all things” within the scope of God’s will and law. The preceding verse says that love rejoices in truth. We can’t reasonably jump from God’s truth to an all-inclusive (and impossible) “all things” in the same sentence.

What does it mean, then to believe all things that pertain to God’s truth?

This whole conversation starts with a rejection of the idea that we can do religious deeds just to rack up some kind of scorecard with God. If we don’t do our good deeds out of love, they’re worthless. God is looking for transformed people, and that only happens when we love.

Verses 4 and 5 tell us that if we love, we humble ourselves. Verse 6 tells us that if we love, we love truth. Love is fleshed out in our relationships to one another, and to God.

In this context, believing God’s truth means believing His word – about Himself and about others. We choose to believe that everyone is made in His image, that everyone is worth the cross to Him, that He is faithful, etc.

Love doesn’t do, do, do, work, work, work, strive, strive, strive. We do things because we have love, but the love in us – the love that God is – just is. It is that quiet endurance and hope, that bears what we are called to bear and believe what He asks us to believe.