Genesis 45.12-15-Joseph Embraces and Talks to His Brothers
Sunday March 4, 2007
Genesis: Genesis 45:12-14-Joseph Embraces and Talks to His Brothers
Lesson # 290
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 45:1.
This morning we will continue with our study of Genesis 45.
By way of a review of this chapter, we have noted the following thus far:
In Genesis 45:1-4, we saw Joseph revealing his true identity to his brothers after hearing Judah offer himself as a substitute for Benjamin so that his father would not have to suffer the loss of another child.
On Tuesday we noted Genesis 4:5-8 and in particular we noted the “magnanimity” of Joseph towards his brothers.
On Wednesday evening we studied this same passage, where we saw Joseph reassuring his brothers that he will not exact revenge upon them.
Instead he reveals to them that their cruel treatment of him twenty two years before was a part of God’s plan to deliver their family from starvation.
Thursday we studied Genesis 45:9-11 and read where Joseph sends a message to his father Israel through his brothers to find refuge from the famine in Egypt.
This morning we will note Genesis 45:12-15 and read of Joseph embracing and talking to his brothers before their departure for Canaan.
Genesis 45:1, “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.”
Genesis 45:2, “He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.”
Genesis 45:3, “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.”
Genesis 45:4, “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.’”
Genesis 45:5, “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”
Genesis 45:6, “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.”
Genesis 45:7, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.”
Genesis 45:8, “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.”
Genesis 45:9, “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.’”
Genesis 45:10, “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.”
Genesis 45:11, “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.”
Genesis 45:12, “Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you.”
The statement “Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you” means that there could no longer be any doubt among Joseph’s brothers as to his identity and his intentions towards them.
The most obvious proof to Joseph’s brothers that he indeed is speaking to them is that he is speaking to them without an interpreter in their native Hebrew tongue!
Up to this point to conceal his true identity, Joseph presented himself to his brothers as the lord of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh in authority and power in Egypt who spoke through an interpreter to them.
However, now, Joseph speaks in his native Hebrew tongue to his brothers in order to reveal his true identity to them.
The message that Joseph will convey through the sons of Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah and Benjamin will seem incredible to Israel since he believes that Joseph is dead.
Therefore, Joseph emphasizes to his half-brothers and lone full brother that they are eyewitnesses to the fact that he is now the lord of all Egypt.
“Behold your eyes see…that it is my mouth, which is speaking to you” emphasizes the personal eyewitness testimony of Joseph’s half-brothers, the sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah who were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
In case, Israel does not believe the testimony of the sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah because of their past conduct, Joseph also offers Benjamin as an eyewitness whose testimony would be beyond reproach in the eyes of his father since Benjamin was his favorite.
Joseph’s statement “the eyes of my brother Benjamin see…that it is my mouth, which is speaking to you” emphasizes that his lone full brother, Benjamin is a personal eyewitness to the fact that he is now the lord of all Egypt and will lend credibility to the eyewitness testimony of the sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah.
Genesis 45:13, “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.”
Joseph’s statement “Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen” emphasizes to his brothers that their knowledge of his situation is not derived from rumor but from firsthand knowledge.
“Splendor” is the noun kavodh (dw)dK*) (kaw-vode), which refers to Joseph’s position of authority, the honor given to him, his reputation and respect paid to him by the people of Egypt and his prestige in Egypt.
Therefore, Joseph stresses with his brothers the importance that they give testimony to their father as to Joseph’s position, authority, and prestige in Egypt in order to convince their father to believe Joseph’s message to relocate to Egypt and that he truly has the means to support their family in Egypt.
The purpose of communicating this information about Joseph to their father is not to be self-glorification on Joseph’s part but to convince their father that Joseph possesses sufficient resources and power to execute that which he has planned for the family.
Joseph wants his brothers to communicate to their father that he has a position of power and authority, which enables him to provide for his family and to accomplish his plan.
Bob Deffinbaugh has a great comment on this verse, he writes, “In these verses there is a noticeable emphasis upon the glory and splen¬dor which Joseph has attained in Egypt. For some this appears to be out of char¬acter for Joseph, who has previously been marked by modesty and humility. Why would he now flaunt his position before his brothers? There are several explana¬tions, one or more of which may satisfy our concerns. First, the glory which Joseph now possesses would serve to encourage his brothers, who are guilt ridden for the wicked deed they committed against him by selling him as a slave. Joseph would thus be reminding them that his humiliation and suffering were the means to his promotion and exaltation. Look what their sin had brought about in Joseph’s life! Second, it would comfort Jacob and as¬sure him of Joseph’s ability to provide for the entire family during the famine. Finally, it was a glory which Joseph desired to share unselfishly with his broth¬ers. His motive would thus be Christ like” (The Book of Genesis, page 349, Biblical Studies, 1997).
Genesis 45:14, “Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.”
Genesis 45:15, “He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.”
For the first time ever, Joseph and his brothers were a united family since all the barriers were broken down between them.
Notice that Joseph not only hugged and wept on his full brother Benjamin’s neck but also he did the same with his half-brothers, the sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah, which would convince his half-brothers of his good intentions and that he had forgiven them.
Joseph forgave each of his brothers, which resulted in breaking down the wall of fear and shame that had separated the brothers not only from Joseph but God.
Joseph had the capacity to forgive his brothers because he knew that it was a part of God’s plan from eternity past that he would be sold into slavery by his brothers in order that he might be used by God to deliver their family from famine and the corrupt influence of the Canaanites upon their family.
Unlike Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah are not said to have wept, which is due to the fact that they are still too stunned and too distant to weep.
They never really were close to Joseph and so there were no emotional bonds between the brothers as Joseph would have with his lone full brother, Benjamin.
Once the brothers were convinced of Joseph’s intentions and that he had forgiven them, they finally spoke with Joseph.
The statement “the brothers talked with him” emphasizes that the rift between Joseph and his brothers has been resolved and intimacy achieved, ending twenty-two years of non-communication.
“Talked” is the verb davar (rb^D*) (daw-var), which emphasizes the activity of speaking rather than the content of what is said.
The content of the conversation is inconsequential to the reconciliation since intimacy is visceral and not cerebral (Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis, A Commentary, page 564, Zondervan).
We can guess and not be too far off in believing that Joseph would recount everything that had happened to him in Egypt and how the Lord had worked so mightily and graciously in his life.
Joseph probably introduced his wife and two kids to his brothers whereas the brothers would have told Joseph all the news from home and about their own families and everything that had taken place the past twenty-two years.
So it was a day that Joseph and his brothers would always remember for the rest of their lives.
The reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers was made possible because Joseph forgave his brothers and he forgave his brothers because he recognized and accepted by faith that their cruel treatment of him was a part of God’s plan.
Joseph also had the capacity to forgive his brothers because he accepted by faith that God loved him, which was demonstrated in the dreams God gave him, which reveal God’s plan for his life.
The fact that God loved Joseph and had a plan for his life was further demonstrated in that God blessed Joseph while with Potiphar and when he was imprisoned and this too gave him the capacity to forgive his brothers.
Reconciliation is only possible when there is forgiveness and forgiveness is only possible when we accept by faith God’s forgiveness and love for us as demonstrated through the death of Christ on the Cross.
Forgiveness is also possible when we accept by faith God’s sovereign control over our lives so that when people mistreat us we realize that it is a part of God’s plan just it was a part of God the Father’s plan for His Son Jesus Christ to be mistreated by sinners.
This leads us to the communion service.
Therefore, could we have our deacons pass out the communion elements and let us take a few minutes to meditate upon the Lord and prepare ourselves for the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is a commandment given by the Lord Jesus Christ to every church age believer to bring into remembrance His Unique Person and Finished Work on the Cross, both of which serve as the basis for fellowship with God and each other as members of the Body of Christ.
In the communion service, the bread portrays the sinless humanity of Christ, which was sacrificed for us and the wine portrays His spiritual death as our Substitute, both of which serve as the basis for fellowship with God and each other.
The Lord’s Supper centers upon the Person and Work of Christ and requires concentration upon the Person of Christ by the believer.
Hebrews 12:2, “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.”
In the communion service, the bread portrays the sinless humanity of Christ, which was sacrificed for us and the wine portrays His spiritual death as our Substitute, both of which serve as the basis for fellowship with God.
In the communion service, we should recall that the Lord Jesus is the God-Man.
John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the uniquely born One from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
We should bring into remembrance the fact that our Lord was impeccable meaning our Lord was sinless.
1 Peter 1:18-19, “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
In relation to the wine, we are to bring into remembrance that our Lord redeemed us with His death.
Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”
The Lord Jesus satisfied the righteous demands of God’s holiness that our sins be judged with His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross.
1 John 2:2, “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
The Lord Jesus’ death on the Cross reconciled us to God.
Colossians 1:22, “yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”
The communion service is also a reminder that we have fellowship not only with God but also with each other as members of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:16, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”
1 Corinthians 10:17, “Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.”
1 Corinthians 11:23, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread.”
1 Corinthians 11:24, “and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:25, “In the same way {He took} the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink {it} in remembrance of Me.’”
1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”