Joseph reveals himself

Basic background:

Joseph’s family relationship is seen best in his “coat of many colors”.

This coat shows us that he is favored by his father.

His dreams of his brothers bowing down to him sealed the problem: Joseph had to go.

Most of his brothers want to kill him, but Reuben and Judah interfere and convince the others just to get rid of him instead.

Reuben’s idea is to throw Joseph in a pit.

Afterward Judah suggests that Joseph rather be sold into slavery and report back with his blood covered coat that he had been killed by an animal.

Whilst in slavery Joseph begins as a lowly slave in Pottifers house but eventually rises up the Egyptian ranks till he is made second in command of all of Egypt.

At this point Joseph’s wisdom and God’s revelation given through dreams means that Egypt is well stocked with food for the upcoming famine.

When the famine finally hits, we go back to his brothers and Father Jacob who are also suffering because of the famine.

Like many they heard that Egypt had provision so 10 of his brothers travel to Egypt for assistance NOT KNOWING THAT THE MAN IN CHARGE IS THEIR BROTHER WHOM THEY SOLD.

The plan was now set in motion.

A. The first visit

Genesis 42:1–4 NASB 2020

1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2 Then he said, “Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may happen to him.”

Genesis 42:6–8 NASB 2020

6 Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.

Ten of the sons went down to Egypt, and Joseph recognized them even though they did not recognize him.

Certainly his appearance had changed in twenty years, and his Egyptian speech and dress would lead them to believe he was a native.

Genesis 42:9–17 NASB 2020

9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.” 10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12 Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!” 13 But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” 14 Yet Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies; 15 by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16 Send one of you and have him get your brother, while you remain confined, so that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, you are certainly spies!” 17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.

Why was Joseph so hard on his brothers?

And why did he wait so long to reveal himself to them?

On the surface it look like he is getting even and doing the eye for an eye routine.

But revenge is actually the last thing on Joseph’s mind.

Its not revenge that he is seeking. Its repentance!

Because he wanted to be sure they had repented of their sins.

To excuse people who are not sincerely repentant is to make them a worse sinner.

But not to forgive a person who is truly repentant makes YOU the sinner.

Luke 17:3–4 NASB 2020

3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

Joseph wanted to forgive his brothers, and in his own heart he probably already forgave them, but to restore fellowship repentance is required.

How did Joseph deal with his brothers?

He spoke roughly to them and accused them of being spies (7–14);

He kept them locked up for three days (v. 17);

And then he kept Simeon as hostage and bound him before their eyes (vv. 18–24).

How would m this harsh treatment help lead them to repentance?

So that they would be forced to ask why this is happening and confront their past sins.

His crowning act was to give them back their money

Genesis 42:25–28 NASB 2020

25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, but also to return every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And that is what was done for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. 27 But when one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the overnight campsite, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the opening of his sack! 28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and look, it is right in my sack!” Then their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Did Joseph’s plan work?

Well lets see:

Genesis 42:21–23 NASB 2020

21 Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; for that reason this distress has happened to us.” 22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now justice for his blood is required.” 23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.

AMEN! It absolutely worked!

This statement indicated to Joseph that their hearts were softening.

Their report to Jacob back home and their discovery of the money in their sacks only complicated their problem.

What would they do?

If they stayed home, they were thieves, but if they went back to Egypt, they had to risk taking Benjamin with them.

This is a bittersweet moment in the story.

Its sweet because we know that Joseph not only wants to forgive and reconcile with his brothers, but also that he will look after them in the famine.

But its bitter because his brothers, not to mention his poor heart broken father are in the dark about all this.

Jacob as we saw last week felt no remorse when he deceived his father, now Jacob is reaping what he sowed.

Genesis 42:36 NASB 2020

36 And their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons: Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.”

B. The second visit

(chaps. 43–44).

God made Jacob’s family hungry again, and like the prodigal son of Luke 15, these men had to go back or starve to death.

The problem however is clearly seen:

Genesis 43:1–3 NASB 2020

1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 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.” 3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “The man sternly warned us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

But these are not the same brothers who sold one of their own into slavery.

They are changed, they are repentant.

Look at how different:

Genesis 43:8–9 NASB 2020

8 So Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will arise and go, so that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. 9 I myself will take responsibility for him! You may demand him back from me. If I do not bring him back to you and present him to you, then you can let me take the blame forever.

We see here other indications of their change of heart:

Judah’s willingness to be surety, to bear the blame for young Benjamin.

Also:

Genesis 43:12 NASB 2020

12 And take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the opening of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake.

Their willingness to return the money;

Also:

Genesis 43:19–22 NASB 2020

19 So they approached Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, 21 and it happened when we came to the campsite, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the opening of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. 22 We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

And their confession of the truth to Joseph’s steward.

So was everything ready for Joseph to forgive his brothers?

Not just yet. Their actions, while good, still revealed a few mistakes.

1: They did indeed confess, but not to Joseph, only to his steward.

2: The gifts they brought indicate an attempt at subtle bribery.

Typology:

We cannot help but see in this whole episode the way God deals with the lost sinner.

God controls circumstances to bring the sinner to himself and to the end of himself.

But, sad to say, too many convicted sinners try to win their salvation by offering a present, or by confessing to a human servant, or by making some great sacrifice (as Judah did when he offered his own life as surety for Benjamin).

The only way Joseph could excuse their sins was by receiving their honest confession and repentance.

And so it is with Christ:

1 John 1:9 NASB 2020

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Luke 13:5 NASB 2020

5 No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Judah’s speech:

We cannot help but admire Judah’s speech in 44:18–34, not only for its humility and confession but also for the love that it shows toward his father and his youngest brother.

He was willing to be surety, to bear the blame, even though it would cost him his life.

What a beautiful spiritual lesson we have here.

Judah thought that Joseph was actually dead (44:20), and therefore, that he himself was guilty of murder.

What he did not realize was that Joseph was alive—and was his savior!

The lost sinner stands before God’s bar of judgment and confesses his guilt, thinking that his confession will mean certain wrath.

But Jesus Christ is alive, and because He is alive, He is able to save to the uttermost.

It was not their confession of guilt, their sacrifices, or their gifts that brought salvation to the brothers.

It was the gracious forgiveness of Joseph, a forgiveness purchased by his own suffering on their behalf.

What a picture of Jesus Christ!

III. The Power of God’s Intervention

It was now time for Joseph to reveal himself and the purpose for which God had sent him.

Joseph’s revelation of himself brought his brothers terror, for they fully expected him to judge them for their past sins.

But he had seen their repentance; they had bowed before him; and he knew he could forgive them.

He explained that five more years of famine would follow, but that he had prepared a place of refuge for them and their families there in Egypt.

A powerful verse in this story is:

Genesis 50:20 NASB 2020

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive.

I want to give you an exegesis of this verse:

What happens when people are forgiven, reconciled and restored?

Genesis 42:36 NASB 2020

36 And their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons: Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.”

vs

Romans 8:28 NASB 2020

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.