Joseph Test His Brothers

Today we are going to look at another lengthy narrative as we are nearing the end of our study on Genesis. We will not read the narrative in it entirety for the sake of time today but we will highlight different aspects of the account.

Now we remember last week that God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams. It was his pride in the dreams that ended up getting him into trouble but after God humbled Joseph it was the same gift of interpretation that God used to lift him out of the pit of prison to prominence in Egypt.

The Famine come in its full strength and his family begins to seek out the supply found in Egypt.

But before we get to far. I want to ask you a question. What are you willing to risk on God? When is the last time you have risked anything for God? I am not talking about foolishness. But rather when you were forced to make decision that was difficult did you autmatically do what was easiest or did you seek God’s will even if it seemed risky?

Today we are going highlight a point of the account that I feel is almost never mentioned. A comparative look at the lives of Abraham Jacob and Joseph.

So lets look at the text together.

Genesis 41:57 CSB

57 Every land came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, for the famine was severe in every land.

This verse sets the scene for todays events.

Genesis 42:1–4 CSB

1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at each other? 2 Listen,” he went on, “I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will 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 thought, “Something might happen to him.”

Notice that Jacob is still up to his old tricks. He still is favoring the son of Rachael. Jacob is unwilling to risk anything that he loves. Now we see the tests.

Test #1 you are spies

Genesis 42:5–38 CSB

5 The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan to buy food,” they replied. 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land.” 10 “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food,” they said. 11 “We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies.” 12 “No,” he said to them. “You have come to see the weakness of the land.” 13 But they replied, “We, your servants, were twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no longer living.” 14 Then Joseph said to them, “I have spoken: ‘You are spies!’ 15 This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days. 18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live. 19 If you are honest, let one of you be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this. 21 Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.” 22 But Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!” 23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man’s silver to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. 26 They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there. 27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver there at the top of his bag. 28 He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us?” 29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: 30 “The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him, ‘We are honest and not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of the same father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. 34 Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.’ ” 35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!” 37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.” 38 But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Notice that Jacob is willing to leave simeon, also his son, in a foreign prison to protect what he loves.

Test #2 You are thieves

For time sake I will summarize this test. So Jacob once again refuses to send Benjamin until things get really desperate. Either Benjamin goes with them back to Egypt or they starve. They have run out of food. It is only once Jacob’s life is in danger does he agree to send Benjamin to Egypt with the rest of his brothers. Keep in mind that Simeon is in prison this whole time waiting for their return. So when they come to buy grain. Joseph this time has the bothers come to his house for a meal.

When Joseph see his bother Benjamin for the first time since being sold. Joseph is overwhelmed by emotion. So Joseph devices another test.

Genesis 44:1–13 CSB

1 Joseph commanded his steward, “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver at the top of his bag. 2 Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with the silver for his grain.” So he did as Joseph told him. 3 At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wrong!’ ” 6 When he overtook them, he said these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” 10 The steward replied, “What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.” 11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

Then something unexpected happens in 18 - 32.

Judah steps up and say’s, I will take the boys place. This is the same Judah that slept with Tamar, his daughter in law believing that she was a prostitute. Judah’s line would be the line of Kings and for the first time we see a glimpse of a King like quality come from Judah. We see a leader of his brothers willing to lay down his life for the sake of his family.

So why did Joseph put his brothers through all of this? Was he being Cruel Why didn’t Joseph immediately tell his brothers who he was.

In the ancient near east family loyalty was everything. In fact, in most places in the world this is true. Joseph was testing his brothers to see if they had learned this trait.

It would seem that through all of the circumstances, mistakes, and time God was also working in the lives of Jacob’s children.

Often when somebody wrongs us. We fail to consider that through the circumstances and natural consequences of sin ,God may be working in others just as much as he is working in us.

Judah was a vain man. Vain men live with many regrets. Sometimes the reward of sin, the consequences of it, having to live with yourself after making ungodly choices is the very thing God will use to change our hearts.

It seems evident here that this is the case with Judah. Finally he moves from selfishness to selflessness.

No doubt Joseph recognized this for look what he says next

Genesis 45:1–14 CSB

1 Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants, so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. 2 But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. 5 And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. 7 God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 “Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. 10 You can settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you, your children, and your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and all you have. 11 There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.” ’ 12 Look! Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin can see that I’m the one speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.” 14 Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder.

In this narrative we see one of the greatest accounts of family forgiveness and reunification written in scripture.

Joseph is willing to forgive because he can see the goodness of God in his circumstances despite his suffering.

In fact, as we looked at several weeks ago we see it again. Joseph gratitude to God for all that he had done was a shield against sin.

It was the recognition of God’s goodness that kept Joseph from sexual temptation.

It was the goodness of God that kept Joseph from despair in prison.

And now it was the goodness of God that allowed Joseph to forgive his murderous brothers who at one point thought Joseph’s life was not worth anything more than 20 pieces of silver.

But as I mentioned at the beginning there is one thing that is often missed when we look at this account.

In order to see it we must compare the faith of Jacob and Joseph.

Throughout Jacob’s life we see that time an time again he was unwilling to risk anything on God. Jacob only trusted God when he was forced into it. His faith was one of “ I will trust you God when , I don't’ have any other options. Because of this Jacob’s life was one of selfishness and self-centered behavior. Jacob protection of Benjamin really wasn’t about Benjamen, but about protecting himself from hurt. Throughout Jacob’s life he only trusted when forced into it and because of it he never learned to enjoy God.

Then there is Joseph, who seemed to trust God for anything and everything. He saw God’s goodness in both the good and the bad. He saw God’s plan was good even if it caused him pain. Joseph enjoyed knowing God.

So as we look at these two characters this morning, which one are you?

Do you enjoy your life with God? Do you see a risky faith as an opportunity for God to show up in your life or do you only focus on the pain of the current situation?

When trials come are you like Jacob and default to self-protection mode or do you default to remembering the love and goodness of God and trust that he is working. Do you anticipate and rest in the movement of God in your life.

At times Both Jacob and Joseph exercised faith but Joseph’s faiht was one that allowed him to enjoyed God and lived in the shadow of his goodness. Jacobs’s was one that dreaded what God was going to do next.

Where do you land today?