We have been looking at the life of Joseph and his brothers in our study of Genesis. And I would like to try to conclude this story in this message today. But to do that I would have to cover so much scripture that it would not be possible to adequately deal with it all in one sitting. So today we will look at the next two and a half chapters and see if we can’t come to a reasonable conclusion. There will be some other details of the lives of Jacob and Joseph and the eleven brothers that we will not cover, but our intention in studying Genesis was not to do an in depth verse by verse study, but to cover the highlights in Genesis.
And so you will remember that the brothers have visted Egypt to buy grain during the famine, and they met Joseph, who hid his real identify from them, they were accused of being spies, their brother Simeon was kept in prison pending their return with Benjamin, and they went back to Canaan with food and provisions, and confronted their father with the verdict of Joseph that they must return with Benjamin to prove their innocence. And you will remember that we said that Joseph did not do all of that in order to take revenge upon his brothers, but to bring them under conviction of their sin, to bring them to repentance, and ultimately to bring about reconciliation and deliverance.
Now in chapter 43, vs 1 we read, “Now the famine was severe in the land. So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go back, buy us a little food." Judah spoke to him, however, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.' "If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you do not send [him,] we will not go down; for the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'" Then Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had [another] brother?" But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you [another] brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?" Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. "I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him [back] to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. 1 "For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
It’s likely that the brothers went to Egypt for grain in the first year of the famine. Joseph knew it would last seven years, but his brothers did not. They probably thought it was one bad year, but the second year of famine came quickly. Perhaps Jacob originally thought they had enough to survive the famine and they would never need to go back with Benjamin, and never need to go back and get Simeon. But the famine wore on, and eventually they ran out of food.
So necessity drove Jacob to do something he would normally never do. We could speculate that Jacob prayed earnestly for the famine to break, and asked God to send relief. We could speculate that Jacob might have became angry with God for not answering those prayers. But God had a plan which was so much better for Jacob than he could ever imagine.
Notice also that Judah shows signs of having a truly repentant heart. Judah was willing to put his own life on the line as a guarantee for Benjamin. Previously, Judah was the one who had proposed the sale of Joseph. But now he shows works in keeping with repentance.
Look at vs 11. “Then their father Israel said to them, "If [it must be] so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double [the] money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." So the men took this present, and they took double [the] money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, "Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon." So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house. Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, "[It is] because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”
It’s particularly poignant that Jacob, or Israel says, “may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man.” Were it not for the mercy of God, then none of us would have a hope of salvation. Without divine mercy there can be no reconciliation. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. None of us deserve salvation. It is a gift of God. And these brothers deserved death for what they had done. At the very least, they deserved a life in prison. And yet though Joseph is working to bring them to repentance, already his mercy has spared their lives, and planned for their deliverance and reconciliation.
Then notice that when Joseph sees them, he wants to invite them to eat with him. Eating a meal together is symbolic of fellowship, of communion. Joseph is presented here as a type of Jesus: He wants to dine with us, meaning that Jesus wants fellowship with us. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” And one of the first things we are told will happen after the second coming of Christ is that we will dine with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Vs19 So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, and said, "Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks." He said, "Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. So they prepared the present for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.”
The brothers thought it was wise to explain all the things that had happened last time to the steward of Joseph’s house before they had to explain it to Joseph himself. The brothers expected to be seized as slaves and have everything taken from them. Yet Joseph treated them with kindness. This love and mercy from Joseph would win them over and bring them to full repentance. And in the same way, though our sins caused Jesus to be crucified, yet He does not seek revenge upon us, but in HIs mercy He forgives us, and desires us to be reconciled to Him.
Vs 26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, "Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." They bowed down in homage. As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son." Joseph hurried [out] for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought [a place] to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, "Serve the meal." So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians. Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.”
Joseph was visibly moved at seeing his only full brother, Benjamin, whom he last saw as only a small child. He was so overcome with emotion that he went into his chamber and wept.
It’s also important to notice the segregation that is shown with his family. As far as anyone could tell, Joseph was an Egyptian, and the Egyptians did not eat with other nationalities or really have any social intercourse with them. And so here we see the wisdom of the plan of God. Through this event, God would bring the entire family of Israel into Egypt, where they were isolated from the surrounding people for some 400 years. In that time, they multiplied greatly, increasing to the millions. If God had allowed them to remain in Canaan, they would have probably assimilated into the idolatrous societies of Canaan. God not only had to take the family of Israel out of the corrupt environment of Canaan, but He had to put them among a racially separated people who would not often intermarry or mingle with them. And so to provide for the posterity of the nation of Israel, God had sent Joseph on ahead to prepare the way.
Notice that Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs: This was another test, to see how they would react when the younger brother was favored, because they had resented it so much when Joseph was favored by his father. Maybe Joseph wanted to see if there was a change in the heart of his brothers, or if they were the same men who threw him into a pit and were deaf to his cries for help. That’s what repentance is, a change of heart. And it would seem that his brothers did in fact exhibit a change of heart.
Chapter 44, vs 1Then Joseph commanded his house steward, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph had told him. As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.’ ”
So he overtook them and spoke these words to them. They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” So he said, “Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.
This is probably the best test of whether or not the hearts of his brothers had changed or not. When they had sold Joseph into slavery, they had showed no regret upon seeing him taken into captivity and sold to a foreign country. So it would seem that Joseph wanted to see how they would respond when Benjamin was to be taken captive. Would they have the same regard for Benjamin as they had for Joseph? But the fact that they tore their clothes, that they showed such grief, and returned to the city without considering the cost to themselves was a good indication that they had a true change of heart.
Vs14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him. Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?” So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.” But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Judah says to Joseph, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants.” With these words, Judah revealed God’s work of repentance among the brothers. Even though they might have claimed innocence, or that the cup was planted in the bag, they have begun to recognize the hand of God in all of this. God is bringing back their sin to haunt them. They know that God has seen their iniquity, and their sin is the cause of all this trouble.
Vs18 Then Judah approached him, and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.’ But we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ You said to your servants, however, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. Our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’ But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces,” and I have not seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’ Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?”
Judah’s impassioned speech to Joseph is a model of a heartfelt, desperate appeal. Of Judah’s speech, F.B. Meyer wrote: “In all literature, there is nothing more pathetic than this appeal.” H.C. Leupold wrote, “This is one of the manliest, most straightforward speeches ever delivered by any man. For depth of feeling and sincerity of purpose it stands unexcelled.” Barnhouse called it “the most moving address in all the Word of God.” Perhaps we should see it as a great example of a humble, heartfelt prayer for mercy.
Twenty years before, Joseph’s brothers didn’t care about their father when they reported Joseph’s supposed death. Judah’s appeal showed they were now greatly concerned for the feelings and welfare of their father. This was further evidence of a change of heart. Paul, in Acts 26:20 speaks of his preaching to the Jews and Gentiles, that they should repent, and do deeds appropriate to repentance. Repentance then is more than just feeling sorry, but making restitution when possible, doing the opposite of the evil which you have done before. And we see this evidence of repentance in Judah’s speech.
Chapter 45, vs 1. Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard [it,] and the household of Pharaoh heard [of it.] Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
Joseph ordered all the Egyptians out of the room and then was alone with his brothers. His great emotion showed the depth of his love for his brothers and that he did not cruelly manipulate them out of spite. He was directed by God to make these arrangements, and it hurt him to do it. But 20 years of pent up hurt came bursting out of him in an outcry that reached the ears of Pharaoh, and shocked his unsuspecting brothers. They were dumbfounded and unable to even speak at his revelation.
Vs4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine [has been] in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
Joseph remembered their sin of many years before. Yet in mercy, Joseph did not want to punish them, nor for them to be grieved or angry with themselves. Yet he did not diminish what his brothers did. But he saw that God’s purpose in it all was greater than the evil of the brothers.
All Joseph’s sorrows were for a greater purpose. God used them to preserve his family and provide the conditions for it to become a nation. Joseph was a victim of men, but God turned it around for His glory. None of it was for a loss. After his father Jacob died, Joseph assured his brothers that he would not cause them grief for their sin against him. He would say on that occasion, in Genesis 50:20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, [but] God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”
What is noticeably missing on the part of Joseph is a victim mentality. I think the whole world is sick with victim mentality today. Everyone is always focused on me, me, me, poor pitiful me. Everyone focuses on the wrong or the perceived wrong they are suffering under. But Joseph was willing to endure the sufferings that he went through for the sake of the benefit of others. And that is the attitude that we should have as Christians.
Heb 12:2-3 tells us that Jesus was willing to suffer for our sakes and that we should follow His example. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
So we see that God used man’s evil for HIs good purposes. Charles Spurgeon said, “How wonderfully those two things meet in practical harmony – the free will of man and the predestination of God! Man acts just as freely and just as guiltily as if there were no predestination whatever; and God ordains, arranges, supervises, and over-rules, just as accurately as if there were no free will in the universe.”
Joseph realized God ruled his life, not good men, not evil men, not circumstances, or fate. God was in control, and because God was in control, all things would work together for good.
Vs 9 "Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine [to come,] and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished."' Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin [see,] that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here." Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.”
Well that passage concludes with the kisses of full reconciliation and the frank communion, tears answering to tears as they fall onto each others neck. Full reconciliation has taken place. You can certainly see in this incident the benefits of divine discipline. Peace finally comes to the family after 20 years of having Joseph’s crime upon their hearts. Conviction has come and now finally repentance and works made for repentance are done and the result is they find themselves in the hand of a loving God, who gives them peace, who gives them protection through the prime minister, who will supply all of their needs, deliver them from death, and provide for their future.
And that of course, is a picture of the Lord Jesus who works to bring us to the conviction of our sin, which is followed by true repentance, having a change of heart which we call conversion. And when we are given forgiveness of our sins by the mercy of God, then we can have full reconciliation with God, so that we might have fellowship and communion with the Lord who will supply and provide for all our needs, and provide for our eternal inheritance.
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