A Reckoning | Genesis 42

INTRO

Noel Coward, a famous playwright, once allegedly pulled an interesting prank. He sent an identical note to twenty of the most famous men in London. The anonymous note read simply: "Everybody has found out what you are doing. If I were you I would get out of town." Supposedly, all twenty men actually left town! Whenever we sin, there will always be a reckoning.

As we open Genesis 42, today we will see the guilt that Joseph’s brothers have been carrying for over 20 years finally catches up with them. Back in chapter 37, when Joseph had come to find them pasturing Jacob’s flock in Dothan, they had conspired together to kill him. Reuben talked them out of murder and instead motivated them to throw him into a pit. When he arrived, Joseph’s brothers stripped him of his colorful robe and eventually sold him as a slave to traders on their way to Egypt.

This was all motivated by their envy and hatred of Joseph. Their younger brother was born to Rachel, Jacob’s true love. They, on the other hand, were sons of Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah - all women who were joined with Jacob but who were not loved by their husband. Joseph’s dreams of his brothers bowing down to him sparked their anger and finally they snapped and fabricated a lie to their father that Jacob had been killed by a wild animal.

Though they did not kill their brother, for decades they had been carrying the guilt of their sin: of lying to their father, of stealing property, of selling their family member into slavery, and even of profiting from his plight. Certainly his screams and petitions as he was dragged away would have haunted them at various, inopportune times.

But guilt, if left unresolved, if not properly dealt with, will always catch up with us. This morning we are going to see three sections in the text together:

The dreams of Jacob fulfilled (vv.1-17).

The guilt of the brothers revisited (vv.18-28).

The sorrow of Jacob multiplied (vv.29-38).

And as we study this chapter together today, it is my desire that we confront our sinfulness, and reckon it today, rather than the great and terrible day of judgment that is fast approaching. This morning, may we humbly bring our shame, our guilt, and our brokenness because of our sin to the only true sin-Bearer, the only One who can remove our guilt.

So with that in mind, let’s begin by looking at this first section:

EXPOSITION

The dreams of Jacob fulfilled (vv.1-17).

When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

We’ve now seen the seven plentiful years in Egypt and elsewhere pass, and that season is now replaced by this famine. In Canaan, Jacob’s family is also hit hard and the news of Egypt having grain to sell reaches him.

In verse 1, Jacob sees the solution in Egypt; his sons only see each other! So he commands them to go down and buy grain in Egypt. That word would certainly have invoked painful memories for Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Levi, and the rest of Jacob’s sons. Egypt was the final destination that Joseph, sold into slavery, had been heading in when they saw him for the last time.

Jacob loved Rachel, who had died as she gave birth to Benjamin. Jacob refuses to allow him to go because he feared that harm would come to him. Jacob is the parent who wrongly believes they can protect their children forever, rather than doing their best but also entrusting their children to a sovereign and gracious God. Notice verse 6:

6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 

This Hebrew word “governor” is a strong word, and describes the preeminence of Joseph. His interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, and his wisdom on what to do about the coming famine had caused him to be exalted by Pharaoh above every other name, and for every knee to bow before him. Now, that includes his brothers. Verse 7 says:

7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 

Joseph’s brothers come but don’t recognize him, because

a) he’s much older now - 20 years have passed since they last saw him

b) he is now “Egyptianized” - he is dressed in Egyptian clothing, ostensibly wearing makeup and a headdress, and most likely speaking in a foreign language

c) Why would they expect to see him in this governmental, authoritative role?

Suddenly, Joseph remembers his first dream of his brothers bowing down to him. In God’s smiling providence, he had fulfilled what Joseph had seen all those years ago. But in both of his dreams, his entire family was there. So he calls them spies in order to draw out their honesty.

10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

Well they may not have been spies, but I don’t know if we can agree that they are honest men!

12 He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.” 13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.” 

So now they begin to share this specific, sensitive information with Joseph. There are 12 of us, from Canaan, with one father, and our youngest brother is back with our dad, and one of our brothers is ‘no more’.

Joseph’s schemes have provoked the first hint that their evil deed, accomplished long past, may yet still rise up against them.

This is news for Joseph, so he wants to ensure that Benjamin comes back with them. To do this, he has to hold one of the brothers hostage.

14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.

Now, at this point, we have to ask: Why the ruse? Is Joseph testing them, or is he so upset about how they mistreated him that he seeks to mean them harm? Some believe the latter, that Joseph purposely wanted them to go through what he endured, putting them in prison (like he had been), holding Simeon hostage as revenge for trapping him in the pit, but that at the last second he is overwhelmed with conviction so he changes his mind and doesn’t murder or enslave all of them and then head home to see his father Jacob alongside his little brother Ben.

I believe there are multiple reasons why this simply can’t be the case.

First, Joseph shows great emotion and pain over his brothers’ sorrow, multiple times. I doubt that would be the case if he meant them harm.

Secondly, Joseph sends them back to Canaan with all the grain they purchase, as well as the money they used to purchase it. If he meant them harm, he would not have sent $ back with them!

Finally, Genesis 45:15 tells us that once he revealed who he was to them, Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. When Jacob dies years later, the brothers are afraid this is all just an act, but Joseph reassures them that what you meant for evil, God meant for good.

Putting them into prison for three days reveals to them that the man they are dealing with means business. I believe the reason Joseph held Simeon back was to draw out their concern for one of their brothers who had been seized and held in Egypt. They had done this to Joseph years ago and didn’t come to his aid; have they truly changed and will they come to Simeon’s defense?

Spurgeon

Perhaps you will think that Joseph seemed for a while to afflict and tantalize his brothers. By no means! He was seeking their good. The love he bore them was wise and prudent. God, who is far more loving than Joseph, frequently afflicts us to bring us to repentance and to heal us of many evils. Joseph wished to bring his brothers into a right state of heart. And he succeeded in it, though the process was more painful to him than to them.

So no, Joseph is not testing them to harm them - he is the vessel God is using to bring about their good even though it appears like it is trouble. Step by step, action by action, God through Joseph is drawing out their contrition and confession, because our God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

We’ll see this theme continually coming up through this narrative until the end of the book of Genesis - that what we determine must be trouble or difficulty, God determines as good. Think about it:

Suffering conforms us to the image of Christ (Phil 3:10, Rom 5:3-4)

Affliction teaches us more about God (Psa 119:71, Job 42:5)

Acknowledgement of our sin drives us to the cross (Rom 7:24-25)

Ignatius of Loyola believed the cannonball that broke his leg was essential to his spiritual awakening. For Martin Luther, it was the threat of lightning. Since God promises in Romans 8:28 that he works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes, perhaps you’ve had the wrong perspective all along on your situation. That is certainly the case with Joseph’s brothers here.

As Joseph’s dreams have now been fulfilled, at least in part, we will now see secondly:

The guilt of the brothers revisited (vv.18-28).

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 

When Joseph says “I fear God”, this doesn’t mean he is admitting he is a Hebrew worshiper. He’s merely stating that as a governmental ruler, he knows his station is not to be corrupt but to uphold righteousness and justice. At this point, we get the first glimpse of acknowledgement, as well as some news we didn’t read about in Genesis until now:

21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 

The brothers of course do not think that Joseph can understand them, as they speak to one another in Hebrew. They say “we are guilty”. That word in the Hebrew means offense, fault, trespass, wrong, injury, and penalty. Notice they link the distress of Joseph with the distress they are now facing.

Derek Kidner says

“A taste of retribution was awaking feelings which a brother’s and father’s tears had left totally untouched.”

Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 1, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1967), 211.

Apparently Joseph had begged them from either the pit they cast him in, or when he was being dragged away by the slave owners, and they had seen the distress of his soul and yet did not listen and rescue him. Reuben then speaks up, pointing out that a reckoning for his blood has now come. That word for reckoning means to investigate, to seek, to search, to require a balance. You might use this word for a master coming to reconcile his accounts and demanding payment. It has been twenty years of suppressing their guilt, and now it’s time to pay up. Verse 23 says:

23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

So they are sent back to Jacob, and secretly Joseph orders that not only are their bags filled with the grain they had just purchased, but he also instructs his servants to sneak the money they spent on the grain back into their sacks. Joseph (again) is drawing out their contrition.

26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

How unnerving this must have been. They tried to convince the Egyptian governor that they were not spies, but he didn’t believe them. He imprisoned them for three days and then sent them back to get their precious younger brother while Simeon was held hostage. Now, it looks like they really are spies and thieves. Will the governor find out and kill Simeon? This simply adds to their concerns and also sparks a sense of urgency in them. But notice their question: “What is this that God has done to us?”

When our guilt is unresolved, it causes multiple problems. Let’s take a few moments to jot four of them down together.

First,

Guilt unresolved misjudges circumstances.

In v.21, the brothers link their own distress with the distress Joseph had endured. In a sense, they were giving credit to karma. Our culture today believes in karma: that fortune or misfortune will revisit a person depending on if you are good or evil in how you treat others. Don’t worry, karma will settle the score. Karma is not the same as “you reap what you sow”. That’s simply called justice. Justice is when we get what we deserve. If you sped in the school zone, justice would be receiving a sizable speeding ticket. Mercy is when we don't get what we do deserve. You sped, but the officer decided that because it was your first offense, you would be given simply a warning. But grace is when we get what we don't deserve. So the officer would not only not ticket you, but he would give you a credit for any future traffic infractions in case you were ever having to pay for a ticket down the road.

Karma says, “do this, and it will be done back to you”. But grace says, “Even though you did something, favor and mercy will be given to you.” But when you have unresolved guilt, it causes us to misjudge each and every circumstance. But this doesn’t deal with guilt rightly.

Guilt unresolved justifies and blames.

In verse 22, Reuben justifies his behavior while blaming the rest of his brothers. “I told you so! If you would have listened to me, none of this would have happened!” We blame others and heap the guilt upon them so we don’t have to endure it. Then as we compare ourselves with others, that little inner attorney in our mind comes to our own defense and brings a case of our own self-justification. That’s why courtroom, police footage, fail videos, talk shows and reality tv is so appealing - we watch each of these and instinctively believe “I’m not as dumb or corrupt as those people”. But this doesn’t deal with guilt rightly.

Guilt unresolved maligns God.

In verse 28, the brothers ask “what is this that God has done to us?”

In the garden, Adam blames the woman, but also God. “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” Ge 3:12. It’s your fault, God.

Often people want to only deal with the effects of guilt, not guilt itself. So we rationalize sin in order to explain it away. “I had a bad day”, “You made me angry!” in order to relieve guilt. Or worse, we call sin a sickness - a mental illness, a disability, a disorder. But in the end, if we’ve sinned against a holy God, the only way to deal with guilt rightly is reconcilation with God. If left unresolved, it will:

Guilt unresolved multiplies to others (vv.36-38).

It won’t only affect you. It will impact your spouse, your children, your parents, your friendships, your church community. That’s what we see in the final section, as the brothers return back to their father in Canaan:

The sorrow of Jacob multiplied (vv.29-38).

29 When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them

The last time one of their brothers went missing, they lied to their father. Now they lay it all out truthfully. This is a necessary first step: confession. Honestly. Truth-telling. And at this point they know that the one brother who emptied his sack on the journey home found his money, but now as they empty all of their sacks, they each find their own bundle of money. And this is not lost on Jacob. He too recognizes that they are in great trouble. Notice verse 36:

36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.” 

In Jacob’s mind, the fact that they came home with all the money means that the Egyptian governor most likely killed Simeon, supposing them to be thieving spies. Jacob rightly blames them: you keep losing my sons, one by one! At this rate, I won’t have any sons left! And now notice what seems to be an odd offer from Reuben, the firstborn:

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” 38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

Track with me: dad, I am the firstborn, and I am ultimately responsible for all that has taken place. Under my watch, you have lost two sons. I offer my own two sons in exchange for my failures, but I will not fail you again. I can be trusted with Benjamin’s life.

This is not only confession, but active repentance. It is an inappropriate offer, since killing Jacob’s grandsons won’t do anything to bring back the sons he perceives to have lost - but it is nonetheless a picture of the heart change that Reuben has had. He’s seeking to make it right, to reconcile his wrongs.

At the same time, imagine the weight of sorrow in Jacob’s heart at this time. It’s one thing to lose one son, but three? In his grief, Jacob believes two big lies. First, he mistakenly believes all of this is against him. In truth, God is working on behalf of Jacob. Secondly, because twenty years of bitterness and sorrow have now surfaced, Jacob mistakenly believes Benjamin is his only son left - even though he has nine of his sons standing right in front of him. What he doesn’t know is that Simeon is still alive, and so is Joseph. We won’t see how any of this will be reconciled until we keep reading the rest of the story, which we will pick up again next Sunday. I encourage you to read ahead, chapter 43 and prepare your hearts to receive from God’s Word next Sunday.

GOSPEL

Now, as we consider this chapter in light of the Gospel, we recognize that

1. A day of reckoning awaits all mankind.

Just two chapters later, in Genesis 44 verse 16, we read Judah admitting to Joseph:

Genesis 44:16

God has found out the guilt of your servants...

That doesn’t mean that God didn’t know, but then he found it out - it means that you can run and hide and avoid your guilt your entire life, but one day there will be a reckoning - either in this life, but especially in the lift to come.

Numbers 32:23

you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure that your sin will find you out.

Hebrews 4:13 assures us that “no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account”. 1 Corinthians 4:5 says that on that great and terrible day, God will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. God doesn’t need to write a note stating everybody has found out what you are doing so you better get out of town. He already knows every sin you’ve sought to hide and ignore. He sees. He knows. And one day, books will be opened, hearts and deeds will be judged, and those who are guilty and unrepentant will be cast into darkness and judgment. What will you do, sinner, knowing this day is appointed for you?

2. Guilt is a gift from God that drives us to the cross.

Whenever a check engine light or some warning indicator lights up your dashboard, you have basically two options to make that light go away:

You heed the warning, and solve the problem.

Meaning, you find out what is wrong which is leading to that indicator, and fix it.

Or,

You simply remove the light!

Tear open the dashboard, pull the light out, or disconnect the fuse box. Of course, all that does is inevitably lead to more trouble because removing the check engine light doesn’t actually solve the problem in the engine. It is essentially ignoring it. As foolish as that sounds, God has hard-wired a warning system into creation. It is called our conscience. When Adam and his wife sinned in the garden, they hid from God in their nakedness. The reason they hid was they were experiencing the shame and guilt that comes from transgressing God’s law, and their conscience condemned them.

When our conscience experiences guilt, this guilt alone is a good thing, provided by God to lead us to himself.

But guilt left alone is a terrible thing, because it will eventually cause our consciences to become seared.

John MacArthur says:

The wisdom of our age says guilt feelings are nearly always erroneous or hurtful; therefore we should switch them off. The conscience is seen by the modern world as a defect that robs people of their self-esteem.

Far from being a defect or a disorder, however, our ability to sense our own guilt is a tremendous gift from God. He designed the conscience into the very framework of the human soul.

Our conscience is like the nerve endings in our fingertips. Its sensitivity to external stimuli can be damaged by the buildup of callouses or even wounded so badly as to be virtually impervious to any feeling.

When we experience guilt, a wounded conscience, this is a gift from God that was designed to lead us to confession and repentance, to the cross.

We all stand guilty before a holy God - and what will we do with our guilt? Some seek to hide it, misplace it, ignore it, or try to compensate it. WebMD literally says if you suffer from guilty, you should try to volunteer to make amends toward something you feel guilty about!

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-guilt

But there is nothing we can accomplish that will make amends for our sinfulness, for violating God’s law and experiencing a troubled conscience.

Good works never erase guilt.

Erwin W. Lutzer

The truth is, God has graciously given us our consciences to lead us to himself. Ignoring guilt isn’t the answer. Good works isn’t the answer.

The answer to guilt is always forgiveness.

R. C. Sproul

Isn’t it wonderful to know that when we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous?

3. The very One we sinned against stands as our Advocate.

The brothers have no idea that the one who threatens to destroy them is also the only one who can save them, and he also happens to be the very one they had conspired against and given over to destruction.

And in like manner, our Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous, is the very One whom we sinned against, but he does not condemn us but instead graciously receives us. God in Christ, the sinless One, alone has the power to not dismiss guilt, but to transfer it upon himself, and forgive us eternally.

The brothers have no idea that their sacks are filled with provision, with blessing, with grace. And Joseph did this for his brothers before they were reconciled to him. Before they knew him, he first loved them. Romans 5:8 says while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 1 John 4:19 says that we love because he first loved us. You stand this morning guilty before God, but in his remarkable grace, like Reuben he offers his own Son in exchange for yours. Christ Jesus sacrificially, willingly stands in your place and carries all the guilt, and therefore all the judgment, so that you, the guilty one, may be forgiven. And before you realize you have already been reconciled to him, you come to find your sacks have been filled with more than what you ever thought possible. You can keep your money, because he has freely provided more than we could ever need.

CLOSING

In 1989, Graham Kendrick wrote a song called “Amazing Love”, and these are such fitting words for us to close this morning:

My Lord what love is this That pays so dearly? That I, the guilty one May go free

Amazing love, oh what sacrifice The Son of God given for me My debt He pays and my death He dies That I might live

Let’s stand together and pray.

PRAY