Joseph and his brothers in Egypt (Gen.42-47).

The command to Adam to “be fruitful and multiply” is restated to Noah and it becomes a promise to Abraham (Genesis 1:28, 9:1,12:2). God will give Abraham a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. In the Joseph story, Abraham’s descendants are in the land and have become a large family through Jacob’s twelve sons. Jacob favors Joseph, the sons are full of jealousy, and Jacob’s family is in no position to bless the world. Watch or listen to the story here and read the comments below.

 

Famine brought Joseph’s family to Egypt where God had elevated Joseph so that he managed Egypt’s food supply. Unknowingly, the brothers bow before Joseph as in Joseph’s dream (42:6-8). Joseph tested his brothers to determine whether they had changed in the twenty years that Joseph had been in Egypt. He gave them the opportunity to leave Simeon in Egypt with their pocket full of silver. Then they are given the opportunity to solve their problem by abandoning Benjamin in Egypt and grieving their father. Yet, through these tests they were reconciled to Joseph, to each other and to God.  Joseph’s brothers intended to harm Joseph but Joseph realized that it was God who sent him to Egypt and elevated him to prominence in order to bless Jacob’s family and the world (42:24, 28, 45:7).

Jacob sent his sons, without Benjamin, to buy grain in Egypt. Jacob didn’t trust his sons to take care of the youngest son, Benjamin, Joseph’s brother. In Egypt the brothers bow before Joseph, but fail to recognize him. But Joseph recognizes his brothers and he accuses them of being spies. The brothers claim they are the honest sons of one father, and their youngest brother was with their father in Canaan, but one of them was no more. Joseph put his brothers into prison for three days to test them. Joseph shows them kindness by letting the brothers return with food to their families. He sets up a very specific test by holding Simeon and refusing to let them return to Egypt without Benjamin. The brothers acknowledge that they are being punished for what they had done to Joseph (42:21). Reuben had told them not to kill Joseph and Judah had said they would be better off selling him to the Ishmaelite traders. Reuben’s plan to rescue Joseph failed and Reuben became an accomplice by going along with their plan to make it look like Joseph had been killed. Joseph imprisons Simeon, puts their silver in their sacks and sends his brothers home (42:37-38).

Joseph orchestrated his test to see if they would act differently. Given the opportunity would they abandon Simeon in exchange for silver (37:28, 42:33–34)? The brothers tell their father that they were accused of being spies. Being accused they explained to the man in Egypt that they were twelve sons of one father; the youngest son was with their father in Canaan and one was no more. Joseph refused to let them return to Egypt without their youngest brother. But Jacob refused to risk losing Benjamin as he had once lost Joseph. Reuben proposes that Jacob put Reuben’s two sons to death if Benjamin didn’t return. But why would Jacob be consoled by killing two of his grandsons? Jacob’s responded, “Joseph is dead, Simeon is gone and if anything happens to Benjamin you’ll bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow (42:37-38).”

When their food ran out Jacob tells his sons to go to Egypt. Judah reminds his father that they can’t go back to Egypt without Benjamin. Judah takes responsibility saying that if anything happens to Benjamin Judah would bear the blame all his life. So Israel tells them, “Go; take gifts for the man, double the silver and Benjamin and may God be merciful so that you all return (43:2-15).” In Egypt the brothers tell Joseph’s steward they had brought back the silver they found in their sacks. The Steward tells the brothers that their God had given them treasure. Then Simeon is returned and they are taken to Joseph’s house where they bow before Joseph. Much to their surprise, they are seated in their proper birth order and when their food was served Benjamin’s portion was five times that of his brothers. Benjamin is shown special favor (like Joseph was) but now the brothers were able eat and drink together without being jealous.  

Joseph filled his brother’s grain sacks, put their silver back and put his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. Joseph sent his steward who caught up with the brothers and said, “You have stolen my master’s silver cup.” This they denied but when they opened their sacks and the cup was in Benjamin’s sack. The brothers bow before Joseph and Judah says, “We are all now your slaves.” But Joseph said, “Only the one with my cup will become my slave.” Joseph gave his brothers the opportunity to become angry with Benjamin (44:16–17) and to abandon him in Egypt. Judah said that Benjamin is their father’s youngest son, the only son of his mother left and if he is harmed they would send their father’s gray head down to the grave in sorrow. Judah pleads to be made a slave in Benjamin’s place for he could not bear seeing the misery that would come upon his father (44:18-34).  Overwhelmed with how much his brothers had changed Joseph reveals himself as their brother, who they sold into Egypt. Moreover, Joseph sees what they did as God’s plan to save lives. Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin, kissed his brothers and wept over them.

Joseph tells them to bring their father and their families to Egypt where Joseph would provide for them during the famine. Joseph gives them abundant provisions for the journey and tells them not to quarrel. Jacob didn’t believe that Joseph was alive and ruling in Egypt until he saw all the gifts Joseph sent. Then Jacob said, “My son Joseph is alive and I will go to him before I die.” Later God would tell Jacob that in Egypt He would make Israel into a great nation and they would return them to Canaan. In Egypt, Joseph threw his arms around his father Jacob and Israel said, “Now I am ready to die, since my son Joseph is still alive.” God had made it clear to Jacob that this temporary migration was all according to plan (46:3–4). The Israelites multiplied in Egypt and when it was time for Israel to die, he made Joseph promise to carry him out of Egypt and to bury him with his fathers in Canaan. Joseph swore to Israel, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff with hope in a future resurrection (Heb.11:22).

The story reveals how God orchestrates the events of his world to fulfill His good purpose for His people. The Sovereign God used the flawed character of His people to accomplish that good purpose. What the brothers meant for evil, God meant for good (45:7, 50:20). God was fulfilling His covenant promise to multiply redeemed images to bless the world. Wherever Joseph was he was a blessing, but the brothers needed to be reconciled and the Israelites needed to be multiple. Joseph willingly forgives his brothers for he looked beyond their treacherous acts to the sovereign hand of God. The story helps us to know and trust that God is in control of everything that happens in our lives in this world. Consequently we can see beyond our personal struggles to God’s bigger plan to fill the world with redeemed images who will do God’s will on the earth.