Genesis 43:11 So their father Israel finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Load your donkeys with the best products of the land. Take them to the man as gifts---balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio, nuts and almonds.
[Living Bible Translations]
Summary:
Israel fathered many sons. But, Israel’s favorite sons were the sons of his favorite wife, Rachel. Rachel had two sons: Joseph and Benjamin. She delivered Benjamin, the youngest, right before she died. Joseph was the first of Rachel’s sons and Israel’s favorite son of them all. Because Israel loved Joseph so much and loved him more than his other children, Israel gave Joseph a “special gift” [Gen 37:3- Living Bible] ----a fancy coat of many colors. In his new, fashionable clothes, a cut far above the ordinary work clothes worn by his older half-brothers, Joseph strutted around like a peacock.
But, in addition to his special clothes, Joseph also had a spiritual gift---the gift of interpreting dreams. This gift was a gift from GOD. But instead of Israel shepherding and helping Joseph to understand the importance of spiritual gifts and explaining to Joseph that any special gift from GOD is to be used to serve God (“every good gift and every perfect gift” comes from GOD (James 1:17)), Joseph’s fancy clothes and his spiritual gift caused Joseph to place more emphasis on himself. Instead of acknowledging GOD, Joseph “boasted” and talked about “my latest dream,”—not about the dream GOD had given to him. Joseph was proud. The gift GOD had bestowed on Joseph was not glorifying anyone but Joseph.
As a result of their father’s obvious partiality toward Joseph and Joseph’s boasting and insensitivity to his brothers, Joseph’s older half-brothers hated Joseph. Had it not been for Reuben, the oldest, they even would have killed Joseph. But instead, they brothers sold Joseph into slavery. To cover up their wrong, they splattered Joseph’s coat with animal blood, showed the coat to their father and convinced him that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Believing that Joseph was dead, Israel grieved greatly.
Years passed. Joseph, through trials and tribulations, matures. Then, there is a famine in the land. To keep from starving, Israel sends the older sons, but not Benjamin, whom he dared not risk losing, to look for food in Egypt. By this time Joseph had risen from the ranks of slave, to felon, to the minister of agriculture over all of Egypt. Joseph looked like an Egyptian now and he was in charge of all the food distribution.
When the brothers came before Joseph begging for food, Joseph recognizes his brothers, but the brothers did not recognize Joseph. As a high Egyptian official Joseph questioned the brothers and then ordered them to go home and get their other brother, Benjamin. The brothers told their father, Israel, who became frantic. Israel believed that he had already lost one son of his heart and could not bear the thought of losing another. But the brothers pressured their father, explaining that unless they obeyed the high Egyptian official (whom they did not realize was really their brother Joseph), they would all die of starvation. So, finally Israel agreed to let Benjamin go to Egypt. But Israel insisted that his sons take a “gift” to “the man.” Israel ordered his sons to load up their donkeys with the best products of the land--- balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. The brothers were to give this gift to the Egyptian….
NUTS
Only two kinds of nuts are mentioned in the Bible—almonds and pistachio nuts. In Genesis 43:11, we are told that these products were among the best products of the land. Israel, attempted to use these products as a “gift” and as leverage to save Benjamin, “the child of his heart.”
Today, nuts are still good for the heart. According to MayoClinic.com:
Most studies on people who eat nuts as part of a heart-healthy diet have found that
nuts lower the LDL, low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol level in the blood. High LDL is one of the primary causes of heart disease, so nuts’ ability to lower LDL cholesterol seems to be quite beneficial.
Some of the other benefits of eating nuts include:
- They reduce your risk of developing blood clots that can cause a fatal heart attack;
- They improve the health of the lining of your arteries;
- They have “unsaturated fats”---“good fats”---both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—and lower bad cholesterol levels;
- They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s are a healthy form of fatty acids, preventing dangerous heart rhythms that can lead to heart attacks;
- They have L-arginine, which is a substance that improves the walls of your arteries and make them more flexible and less prone to clots that can block blood flow;
- They contain fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and makes you feel full, thus causing you to eat less. Fiber is also thought to play a role in preventing Type 2 diabetes;
- They contain Vitamin E, which is thought to help prevent plaque in the arteries;
- They contain plant sterols, a substance that helps lower cholesterol.
See, “Nuts and Your Heart: Eating nuts for heart health,” by Mayo Clinic staff, www.MayoClinic.com.
Nuts contain a lot of fat (about 80% of a nut is fat), so although most of this fat is healthy fat, you should eat nuts in moderation—without salt—and best raw. According to MayoClinic.com, you will end up canceling out the heart-healthy benefits of nuts if you cover them with chocolate, sugar or salts.
Almonds
Raw almonds are a good choice if you are looking for food that is high in protein and low in saturated fat. According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory, one almond contains 0.25 grams of protein. So, eating 10 almonds provides about 2.5 grams of protein. About 23 whole almonds, one serving, is appropriately 1 ounce. A 1-ounce portion of almonds gives you a little less than 6 grams of protein. See, “How Much Protein Is There In 10 Almonds?, www.Healthyeating.sfgate.com
A full 1-ounce portion of almonds also contains about 14grams of total fat and about 3 grams of fiber. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, women should aim for 25 grams of fiber and men should shoot for 38 grams of fiber each day. In addition to fiber, almonds are also a source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and vitamin E. Id.
The Dietary Guidelines for American 2015-2020, Eighth Edition states, in the discussion of “Protein Foods,”
Some individuals, especially teen boys and adult men, also need to reduce overall intake of protein foods…by decreasing intakes of meats, poultry, and eggs and increasing amounts of vegetables or other underconsumed food groups.
Id at 52.
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf.
The Guidelines note that “everyone has a role in helping to create and support healthy eating patterns in multiple settings nationwide,” from home and church, to school, to work and to our communities.
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE
Every Wednesday, we give ourselves a “gift.” We give our physical bodies some of the best products in the land—raw vegetables, fresh fruit, clean water, tea, and nuts. Every Wednesday, we also receive a “special gift” when we allow GOD to enter our minds and our hearts through HIS LIVING WORD, the Bible.
Every Wednesday, we attempt to create and support healthy eating patterns by supporting one another in prayer and we can use our special gifts from GOD on our jobs, in our places of worship, in our homes, at schools and in our communities.
Everyone can help. Everyone can pray.
Pray for growing gifts and loving hearts that glorify GOD. And, BE BLESSED!
