R.C. Sproul

In the meantime, he's having children from Leah.

But the real love of his life is Rachel, and he longs to have offspring from her.

But what happened to Rachel?

Initially, she was barren.

And finally, her womb was opened, and she brought forth a son.

And the first son born to Rachel was Joseph.

And then the second son born to Rachel, who was the last son of Jacob, was Benjamin.

So, Benjamin was the youngest of the sons of Jacob.

And if Jacob doted on Joseph because he was the son of his old age, how much did he then dote upon Benjamin, who was the son of his older age?

And not only that,

Great pain came into the household of Jacob with the birth of Benjamin because through complications of that birth, Rachel died.

So there's all of that drama.

Now also keep in mind that when we talk about Joseph and his brothers, we are using a kind of shorthand and speaking somewhat in general terms because it is true that these ten men who came down to Egypt

were Joseph's brothers.

Technically speaking, they were his half-brothers.

They shared the same father, but they did not share the same mother.

The only full brother that Joseph had was Benjamin, his baby brother.

And Benjamin does not go.

And the reason Benjamin does not go is that Jacob is willing to risk his other ten sons.

He's lost one as far as he knows, Joseph.