“And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: (How heartening that Jacob, as a true ‘Israel’ here surrenders to reason and objective truth; choosing no longer to persist in his wilful ignorance and denial, but rather to do the hard thing: what must seem to him the willing and obedient sacrifice of his beloved son, not unlike Abraham with Isaac before him and ultimately God the Father with His Beloved Son, Jesus the Christ) Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels (what a beautiful picture we see here of the greatest gift we have to offer others: that of the beautiful fruit of the Spirit we yield through our lives as willing, surrendered sacrifices unto God [Romans 12:1]; as vessels for His exclusive use and the manifestation of these said beautiful Fruits of His very own Spirit) and carry down a present for the man — (again we see a parallel here of the greatest gifts of all: the gifts of the Spirit) a little balm (that which soothes, heals and anoints) and a little honey (a picture throughout the Scriptures of the sweet, true & altogether righteous judgments of God [Psalm 19:9-10 NKJV]), spices and myrrh, (also known as ‘Tears of a Tree’ for the manner in which it is harvested, myrrh always points to suffering; sacrificial Love poured out) pistachio nuts and almonds. (It is worth making a study of the Book of Song of Songs in The Passion Translation for greater revelation into the symbolism and prophetic significance of all the elements listed here.) Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. (Here we see further tangible evidence attesting to the fact that Israel has fully come to his senses and is no longer reasoning irrationally from a place of fear; he wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that this strange foreigner would go out of his way to bless them deliberately, but since surrendering his will and entrusting the life of Benjamin to the hands of the Lord, he is now at least open to the suggestion that the reason behind the money discovered in the sacks might be one of innocent explanation as opposed to the bad omen he previously believed it to be.) Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. (From the place of Peace that acceptance and surrender always inevitably brings in the Kingdom of God, Israel has now fully evolved into a man of action, acting with deliberation and conviction, no longer confused or double-minded in fear, but determined in Faith.) And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, (and here we have the beautiful words attesting to the fact that a man has arrived at that precious place where he fully recognises his utter and complete dependence upon God, knowing that he is left with no other option but to Trust Him in Faith) that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!” (We see a similar sentiment when Queen Esther expresses: “If I perish, I perish!” This is a theme interwoven throughout the Scriptures where a man or woman of Faith has come to a beautiful place of full surrender, acceptance and Peace [2 Timothy 3:17], fully understanding that the will of God must be done, that the matter is now entirely up to God and if the worst should happen so be it. Time and time again these men and women of God are then fully delivered [2 Timothy 3:11] from their treacherous predicaments, save for our Beloved Brave Saviour, Who went through this same process: first pleading with the Father and then surrendering to His will in the garden of Gethsemane, and yet still had to endure the cross! 😢 Let this be a sobering reminder of how much the Father and the Son Loves us.)

“¹¹And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. ¹²Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. ¹³Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. ¹⁴And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”

– Genesis 43:11-14 (NKJV)