59 TOGETHER AGAIN

Judah finished his emotion laden and logically persuasive speech, then he and his brothers waited for  a response from the prime minister of Egypt. Would he or would he not be lenient and merciful or would he be angry and make more demands? Therefore they could not but be absolutely surprised and amazed to discover, instead of the gravity of a judge, they would hear the natural affection of a father or brother from their lost brother probably in their own language, Hebrew. What a shock!

Joseph was not vindictive, but recognized God’s plan. 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 kind, loving, and understanding. Those are the marks of great character. 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. Strive to be that kind of tool in God’s hands.

Joseph ordered all his attendants to go somewhere else. Genesis 45:1 certainly is a pivotal verse in this story. “Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.” The private conversations of friends are the most free. When Joseph would put on love he puts off state, and it was not appropriate for his servants to be in on this intimate time Joseph would have with his brothers. In much the same way Jesus speaks to us intimately and graciously shows Himself and His loving-kindness to His people, out of the sight and hearing of the world.

We need not question Joseph’s sincerity in this matter. This was no play acting. Tears were the preface or introduction to his discourse. Verse 2 proves this, “And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.” He had held off this release of his emotions and dammed up this stream a long time, but now it swelled so high that he could no longer contain it so he let go and wept aloud. The servants whom he had forbidden to see him could not but hear him. These were tears of tenderness and strong affection, and with these he threw off that outer facade of cold accusations with which he had until now acted towards his brethren. He could bear it no longer. This represents the divine compassion towards returning penitents, as much as that of the father of the run-away son. Do you remember the story of the father who welcomed his long lost but now returning son? It is in Luke 15:20,  “So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

He seem to very abruptly tell them who he was: I am Joseph. They knew him only by his Egyptian name, Zaphnath-paaneah, as probably his Hebrew name was lost and forgotten in Egypt. But now he teaches them to call him by his Hebrew name: I am Joseph, undoubtedly speaking now for the first time to them in Hebrew using his Hebrew name. They could not suspect it was another person of the same name, he explains himself,  “Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!’” I am Joseph, your brother. This would humble them yet more for their sin in selling him, and perhaps also might encourage them to hope for kind treatment, or fear revenge. In the same way, when Christ wanted to convince Paul he said, I am Jesus; and when He would comfort His disciples He said, It is I, be not afraid. This simple identification of himself would, at first, startle Joseph’s brethren; they started back through fear, or at least stood still astonished. But can you envision Joseph calling kindly and familiarly to them: Come closer? Once again, when Jesus shows Himself to His people He encourages them to draw near to Him and not be afraid. Perhaps, being about to speak of their selling him, lest the Egyptians should overhear, he did not want to speak aloud, If the Egyptians would hear of their selling him it would make the Hebrews even more an abomination to them. He wanted them to come near, that he might whisper with them, which, now that the tide of his passion was a little over, he was able to do, whereas at first he could not but cry out.

He immediately wanted to soften their grief for the injuries they had done him, by showing them that whatever they had designed, God had meant it for good, and had already brought much good out of it. Verse 5 says, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Sinners must grieve, and be angry with themselves, for their sins, even though God by his power brings good out of them. No thanks are due to the sinner for this: but true penitents should be greatly impressed and grateful when they see God so  wisely bringing good out of evil. It does not mean our evil was not evil, but it does show the greatness of God. And it can help us be more lenient with others who may have offended us when we realize that God intended it and used it for His eternal purpose. Joseph does that here as his brethren did not need to fear that he would take vengeance. No, no vengeance here. Vengeance would undo something God’s wisdom had made to turn out so much to his advantage and that of his family.

Then Joseph tells them how long the famine was yet likely to last in verse 6 “For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping.” Now they could begin to see God’s plan. And they could appreciate that God was in charge, Verse 8 says, “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.” See what a favorable interpretation Joseph places on the injury they had done him: God sent me before you. God’s Israel, more than Egypt, is the particular care of God’s concern. Joseph reckoned that his advancement was not so much designed to save a whole kingdom of Egypt as to preserve a small family of Israelites: for the Lord’s portion is His people; whatever becomes of others, they shall be cared for. 

God’s wise plan looks a long way forward, and has a far-reaching aspect. Even long before the years of plenty, God was preparing for the supply of Jacob’s house in the years of famine through Joseph. The psalmist praises God for this in Psalm 105:17, “and he sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave.” God sees His work from the beginning to the end, but we do not. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” How admirable are the projects of providence! To use Ezekiel’s vision, What wheels are there within wheels, and yet all directed by the eyes in the wheels, and the spirit of the living creature! Let us therefore judge nothing before the time.

God often works by contraries. The envy and contention of these brothers threatened the ruin of a family, yet, in this instance, they prove the occasion of preserving Jacob’s family. Joseph could never have been the shepherd and stone of Israel if his brethren had not shot at him, and hated him; even those that had wickedly sold Joseph into Egypt themselves reaped the benefit of the good God brought out of it. Similarly, those that put Christ to death were many of them saved by His death. God must have all the glory of the seasonable preservations of His people, by whatever way they are effected. It was not you that sent me here, but God. As, on the one hand, they must not fret at it, because it ended so well, so on the other hand, they must not be proud of it, because it was God’s doing; not theirs. They designed, by selling him into Egypt, to defeat his dreams, but God by it designed to accomplish them.

Joseph promises to take care of his father and all the family during the rest of the years of famine. He wants his father quickly to be made glad with the news of his life and dignity. His brothers must hurry to Canaan, and inform Jacob that his son Joseph was lord of all Egypt, as verse 9 says,“ Now hurry back 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; don’t delay.” He knew it would be a refreshing oil to his father’s grey head and a sovereign encouragement to his spirits. If any thing would make him young again, this would. He makes them actual witnesses of the truth of what he is saying as we see in verse 12, “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you.” If they would fix his image in their minds, they might remember something of his features, speech, etc., and be satisfied.

Joseph is very eager that his father and all his family should come to him to Egypt as he invites them in verse 9, “Now hurry back 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; don’t delay.” He seems to have the power to give them Goshen, that part of Egypt which lay towards Canaan, this possibly so that they would remember Canaan from which they were to come. He promises to provide for them in verse 11, “I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’” Our Lord Jesus being, like Joseph, exalted to the highest honors and powers of the upper world, it is His will that all that are His should be with Him where He is. This is how Jesus prayed in John 17:24, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” This is His commandment, that we be with him now in faith and hope, and a heavenly conversation; and this is His promise, that we will be forever with Him.

Pleasant thoughts were interchanged between him and his brethren. He began with the youngest, his own brother Benjamin, who probably was about a year old when Joseph was separated from his family, and gave him special attention. Verse 14 says, “ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping.” Joseph perhaps thought of their mother Rachel, who died in travail giving birth to Benjamin. We don’t know but can imagine. After he had embraced Benjamin, he, showed his affection to each of them as it states in verse 15, “And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.” Then his brothers talked with him freely and familiarly of all the affairs of their father’s house. I wonder what made them laugh together. What sobered them? What stories did they tell each other? What a time they had now that they were together again!

Until now in this series we have thought much about how Joseph tested his brothers. Now let’s think a moment about the great advantages he had and anyone of us may have, if we forgive others. God has forgiven us much. That should help us be forgiving. I like it when others forgive me. Others would too if we forgive them. God won’t forgive us if we won’t forgive others. That is a real responsibility. Un-forgiveness destroys us; not the other person. I don’t want to be destroyed by any un-forgiveness in my heart. God says to forgive. I want to obey that. Others are God’s servants; not ours. We do not have the right to judge others since they are responsible to God, not us. Forgiveness frees me. Grudges bind me. I want to be free.

May God help us to be forgiving. This is a major lesson from the story of Joseph.