54 JOSEPH'S BROTHERS VISIT

It appears that Joseph did not immediately forgive his brothers, but neither did he take revenge against them. In this chapter we see Joseph meeting those who betrayed him. In the chapters ahead we will see him working his way through to eventually forgiving them completely. Forgiveness is a mark of greatness. The foolish always try to prove they are right, seek to be vindicated, and desire to be recognized or honored. The mellowed and humbled Joseph was no longer bragging about his dreams and proudly proclaiming his superiority. He was gruff at first but eventually became kind, loving, and understanding. Those are the marks of great character. When famine overtook the land of Canaan, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food two different times. Joseph recognized them both times, but did not immediately reveal that he was their brother. Joseph recognized that God had worked providentially through the betrayal of his brothers, the temptation by his boss’s seductive wife, the unjust prison years, and his successful administrative years as Egypt’s prime minister. God can use those who recognize His handiwork. Those who blame others and carry grudges are not good tools in God’s hands. Those whose character is a reflection of His compassionate, forgiving, and gracious heart, those who are easy to get along with and are easily entreated, are those who best represent Him. Those are the tools He uses the most. As Joseph did, let us also strive to be that kind of tool in God’s hands. 

Though Jacob’s sons were all married, and had families of their own, yet, it should seem, they were still incorporated in one society, under the conduct and leadership of their father Jacob. So they do what Jacob says when he gives them orders to go and buy corn in Egypt. Verses 1 and 2 say, “When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, ‘Why do you just keep looking at each other?’ He continued, ‘I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.’” The famine was grievous everywhere including the land of Canaan. Notice with me that all three of the patriarchs, to whom Canaan was the land of promise, met with famine there. This was not only to try their faith, whether they could trust God even if He should starve or slay them, but to teach them, and, through this story to teach us to seek the better country, that is, the heavenly one. Hebrews 11:13-16 makes it clear that God wants us to learn this through their experience. “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own (heaven). If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” We seem to need something to wean us from this world and make us long for the better one. If a Christian leader is not seeking and living for his or her heavenly home, he or she is not qualified to lead the people of God who should also be seeking it.

When there was famine in Canaan, there was corn in Egypt. In this way God arranges it, that one place should be a help and supply to another since we are all brothers. The Egyptians, the descendants of accursed Ham, have plenty, when God’s blessed Israel are in great need. In this way God, in dispensing common favors such as corn, may cross His hands. Yet observe that the plenty Egypt now had was a result, under God, of Joseph’s prudence and care. If his brothers had not sold him into Egypt, but respected him as they should have, is it possible that he might have done the same thing for Jacob’s family which he had now done for Pharaoh? Would the Egyptians have then have come to them to buy corn? But anyone who in jealousy drives away wise and good men does not know what they are doing.

“Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt” (1). Perhaps he saw the corn his neighbors had bought there and brought home. It is a motivation to action to see where supplies are kept, and others supplied. Spiritual leader, shall others get food for their souls, and we starve while we could be feasting at Jesus’ banquet table? Jacob reproved his sons for delaying to provide corn for their families. “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” (1) When we are in trouble and have needs, it is unwise for us to stand looking at one another, that is, to stand desponding and despairing, as if there were no hope, no help, to stand discussing who will have the honor of going first or who will have the safety of moving last, to stand deliberating and debating what we shall do, and doing nothing, to stand dreaming under a spirit of slumber, as if we had nothing to do, and to stand delaying, as if we had time at command. Let it never be said of us Christian leaders, “We postponed until tomorrow what we could have and should have done today.” Though Jacob had himself also been inactive, yet here he criticizes his sons for doing nothing. At any rate he did tell them to go to Egypt: Go down there and buy some for us (2). Masters of families, churches, or church organizations must not only pray for daily bread and convenient food, but must make decisions themselves as to what to do to provide it.

The brothers obeyed their fathers instructions as we see in verse three, “Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.” They did not send their servants, but prudently went themselves, to lay out their own money. Let us not think ourselves too great or too good to give attention to the things that need our attention for the sake of God’s flock. Masters of families, churches or organizations should see with their own eyes and be cautious about leaving too much to servants. Yes, a leader must delegate if he or she is to continue to see the bigger picture and lead well, but let us also discern when not to delegate, but to do it ourselves. Only Benjamin did not go with them. Understandably, he was his father’s darling. So to Egypt they came, among others, and, possibly because they intended to buy a large supply they were brought before Joseph himself. Is it possible that Joseph expected they would come and watched for them? Verse six tells us, “Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.” The empty sheaves bowed before Joseph’s full one. We can compare that with Isaiah 60:14 which says, “The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” We may also contrast it with Revelation 3:9 which says, “I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.” There is a time to humbly bow under whatever yoke of discipline or correction God allows and there is a time to humbly receive respect. May we not be haughty but humble in both kinds of circumstances.

We may well wonder why Joseph, during the recent seven years he had been in power in Egypt, never contacted his father to tell him of his circumstances. Verses 45 & 46 tell us twice that Joseph traveled throughout Egypt which would have included the north-east part adjoining Canaan. “Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.” So, it is strange then, that he never made a trip to Canaan, to visit his aged father. He could have since Egypt was right next to Canaan. Perhaps it would have been about three or four days’ journey for him in his chariot. Was his memory of his brothers’ treatment there so grievous that he never wanted to to return? Was God at work to make certain that Jacob’s whole family came to Egypt as God had told Abraham? If Jacob had traveled to Canaan, would the Egypt part of God’s plan have been interrupted? It is a probable conjecture that the whole management of himself during this time was by special direction from Heaven so that the purpose of God concerning Jacob and his family might be accomplished. At any rate, when Joseph’s brethren eventually came, he easily recognized them though they did not know him. Surely they little expected to see him there. His fine clothes and facial appearance with no beard were now very different from their bearded faces and he spoke the Egyptian language. Why should they recognize him? He knew who they were but they did not know who he was. He remembered the dreams but they had forgotten them. The divine reason for the dream may now have become clearer to him. He needed time to think about this. At first he seems to be playing a pretend game. But God was definitely at work in all the brothers. One brother needed to learn to forgive and the others needed to learn to be kind. Eventually both goals were accomplished.

At first Joseph showed himself rigorous and harsh with them. Verse seven says, “he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.” Considering the position of Joseph, his garments, authority, the way his servants treated him, all this would be quite enough to frighten them. On top of that he accused them of being spies, treated them as dangerous persons, saying, “You are spies,” and also “As surely as Pharaoh lives.” Was this an oath? Or was it no more than a vehement assertion. In either case, it was more than “yea,” “yea, “and “nay,” “nay.” Had it been said in the New Testament era it would have come from evil.”According to Jesus, our words should be true, honest, forthright and not need to be affirmed by anything more than the statement. It may have been that by these words Joseph tried to confirm his brothers belief that he was an Egyptian. They knew this was not the language of a son of Abraham. When Peter wanted to prove himself no disciple of Christ, he cursed and swore.

Now let’s look at a deeper question: why was Joseph so hard on his brethren? Was it from revenge? Was he teasing them? Playing with their emotions? Was it to more completely fulfill his own dreams of his youth? Was it to make them sorry or lead them to repentance?  Was it to pull out of their hearts an account of the state of their family which he longed to know? Not seeing his brother Benjamin with them, did he suspect they had mistreated him too out of jealousy? If he had shown too much interest in his family in a friendly way they may have discovered who he was. He was not ready to disclose that yet. So in the guise of a judge, he asked harshly. For our own contemplation we may observe that God in His authority sometimes may seem harsh with those He loves. He may speak roughly even to those for whom He still has great mercy but He wants them to recognize His position, surrender to His authority and marvel at His power as a part of our training to respect and fear Him.

How did the brothers respond? They were submissive. They spoke to him with all the respect imaginable. The “No, my lord,” of verse 10 is a far cry from “Here comes that dreamer!” of Genesis 37:19. They modestly deny the charge of being spies. They tell him their business, that they came to buy food, certainly a justifiable errand, which was, of course, the same reason many strangers came to Egypt in those days. They also give a brief account of themselves and their family as stated in verse thirteen, “Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

Then Joseph threw them all in prison for three days, as stated in verse 17 “And he put them all in custody for three days.” God allowed this to happen to Jeremiah and the third chapter of Lamentations verses 26-32 gives us a good insight into this kind of treatment and its good result. “. . . it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust— there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.” God deals with the souls He prepares for special comfort and honor; he first humbles and terrifies them, brings them under a spirit of bondage contrition, and then binds up their wounds by the Spirit of adoption.

Joseph concluded with them, at last, that one of them should be left as a hostage, and the rest should go home and bring Benjamin back. In the midst of all this harsh talk it may have been an encouraging word when Joseph said to them, “I fear God,”(18) as though to say, “You may assure yourselves I will do you no wrong; I dare not, for I know that there is one higher than I.” With those that fear God we have reason to expect fair dealing. The fear of God will be a caution to those who are in power; it restrains them from abusing and oppressing others. Those that have no one else to stand in awe of surely ought to stand in awe of their own consciences before God. Nehemiah said, “But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that” (Nehemiah 5:15).

Respect for God and a fear lest we displease Him, these will have a very good effect on any Christian leader. Let us cultivate such a respectful fear and in doing so model this valuable trait for those whom we lead.