a. Jacob’s numb heart. We are told that the brothers went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. When they meet their father they tell him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Now Jacob readily accepted the story that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal but to convince him that Joseph was alive and ruling in Egypt, that would take more work. When hears about Joseph his heart became numb and he would not accept their story. Many factors could have driven Jacob to this numbness. He had been so convinced of the idea of Joseph’s death that mourned greatly for a long time. It is hard to overcome grief like that so quickly. Just hearing Joseph’s name may have been enough to numb his heart. Also, we have seen the lack of trust that Jacob had in his sons. He felt that they had treated him badly and, in fact, they had. Trust is easily lost and is long in being won. b. It is enough. Seeing that their father was not quick to believe them, the brothers go about trying to convince him that what they are saying is true. They tell Jacob all that Joseph had told them, which probably included all the events of how Joseph ended up as ruler in Egypt. Then they showed him the wagons that they traveled in and were waiting to take him to Egypt. Jacob must have already noticed the fact that both Simeon and Benjamin had returned and that they were all wearing new clothes from Egypt. Yet, when he saw the wagons that revived his spirit. Jacob’s heart is now convinced that what they are saying is true. “It is enough,” Jacob says. “Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”