Joseph was now safely entrenched as second ruler in Egypt, and skillfully managing the massive project of storing food in the seven years of abundance to provide for the seven years of famine. The scene was set for “phase two” of God’s rescue plan.
God always has His own people in mind in world affairs. I love the way Eugene Peterson, in The Message Bible paraphrase, interprets Ephesians 1:20-23.
Ephesians 1:20-23 MSG
[20-23] “All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.”
God had a family in Canaan, torn apart by hatred and internal strife, in danger of perishing during the worldwide famine. This family had an eternal destiny hanging in the balance. However, God had a rescue plan, prepared from before the world began, that was bound up in the life of this family.
Now, the question remains, was this family ready for its grand destiny? Had the wounds of the past been healed? Had the brothers learned their lessons and closed ranks around their father and younger brother after their evil deed?
The answer to these questions lay
with Joseph. The famine sent these ten men straight into Joseph’s arms but they had no idea who the man was who was driving them so hard. His Egyptian identity plus the twenty-odd years that had gone by were the perfect disguise for Joseph to test their genuine transformation or not. Had the years of living with their father’s inconsolable grief changed them?
Genesis 42:7-9 NLT
[7] Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.” [8] Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him. [9] And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”
Joseph’s hostility puzzled the brothers. What had they done to deserve his rough treatment? Joseph had to make sure that they were no longer the men who heartlessly sold him into slavery all those years ago.
So, he accused them, he imprisoned them, he spoke harshly to them, all the while watching, listening to their reactions. How hard it was for him to be cruel when he longed to throw his arms around them and to disclose his identity.
Cruel when with them, kind and generous behind their backs, the tests continued until he was sure of their genuine repentance and willingness to protect Benjamin even to the point of imprisonment and sacrifice. Joseph demanded they bring Benjamin to him on their next visit, knowing that to part with his beloved son would break their father’s heart.
Jacob initially refused to let Benjamin go but finally relented since, without him, their tormentor would refuse to see them and there would be no food supply.
Pleading with their dad, both Reuben and Judah pledged to protect Benjamin to their own cost.
Genesis 42:37 NLT
[37] Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back.”
Genesis 43:8-9 NLT
[8] “Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones. [9] I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever.”
On their arrival, the mystery deepened as Joseph invited his brothers to a feast at his house. He dropped little clues along the way, seating them according to age and favouring Benjamin with extra food, but they still didn’t get it!
Joseph set up the final test, accusing Benjamin of theft and threatening him with slavery in Egypt. (What a reminder of what they did to him)! This test cut to the heart of the brothers’ attitude to their father and his favourite son, Benjamin.
How heart-rending was Judah’s plea for his little brother and the old father whose grief over Joseph had finally broken their hearts.
Genesis 44:14-34 NLT
[14] “Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. [15] “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?” [16] Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.” [17] “No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.” [18] Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself. [19] “My lord, previously you asked us, your servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ [20] And we responded, ‘Yes, my lord, we have a father who is an old man, and his youngest son is a child of his old age. His full brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him very much.’ [21] “And you said to us, ‘Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.’ [22] But we said to you, ‘My lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for his father would die.’ [23] But you told us, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes with you, you will never see my face again.’ [24] “So we returned to your servant, our father, and told him what you had said. [25] Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’ [26] we replied, ‘We can’t go unless you let our youngest brother go with us. We’ll never get to see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ [27] “Then my father said to us, ‘As you know, my wife had two sons, [28] and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since. [29] Now if you take his brother away from me, and any harm comes to him, you will send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.’ [30] “And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life. [31] If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave. [32] My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’ [33] “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. [34] For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”
At last, Joseph was convinced of his brothers’ repentance. Judah was willing to give himself as a slave in the place of Benjamin. Joseph was free to disclose his indentity and give in to all his pent-up emotion.
Genesis 45:1-4 NLT
[1] “Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. [2] Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. [3] “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. [4] “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt.”
How best could he prove to them that he was indeed Joseph? ” ‘Please, come closer,’ he said to them. So they came closer.” The sign of the covenant!
To be continued…