Joseph: Powerful Mercy (Part II)

• Review
• The brothers and their families have been suffering under a famine
• Egypt is the only country on the earth with food available – so every country around is traversing there to buy food
• Joseph is the one who was promoted to the position of distributing food for the Egyptians as well as the other countries around
• Joseph’s brothers (who had sold him into slavery) made the journey from Israel to Egypt to buy food for their families
• Joseph accuses them of being spies
• Joseph held Simeon in prison until they could produce their other brother and prove their words had integrity
• Problem: Jacob wouldn’t trust them with his last favorite son

• Finally, Jacob agrees to let Benjamin go. Why?

• Once the brothers return to Egypt, Joseph greets them by not only letting Simeon go, but also with a feast. Who was treated particularly well at the feast? Why?

• As the brothers recover from their party, Joseph plays a final game with his brothers
• He hides his golden cup in Benjamin’s sack
• He sends out a search party to find them and produce the golden cup
• The brothers deny the accusations and offer themselves as slaves and the guilty party to be killed if the accusations were true!
• The search party finds the cup in Benjamin’s sack and accuses him of thievery
• As we left them, the brothers have begun their long journey back to Egypt to have what they think will be their “final audience” (literally) with “the Man.”

2The Brothers Stand Condemned Before “The Man”

• The brothers are trapped by their own words Gen.44:7-9
  • They would voluntarily become
  • The guilty one of them would be
  • They were so certain that they were innocent that they
  • solidified their own terrible fate!
• Judah leads the way to plead for mercy Gen.44:14-16

3Literally: “Fell” to the floor

• Joseph insists that they have been found out because he is such a powerful “diviner” – this only scares them even more
• They know that they are not guilty but they have no way of proving their innocence
• They know that even though they are not guilty, “The Man” is convinced that they are…that is enough to seal their fate!
• Judah does not argue their innocence; instead, he seems to admit their guilt (v.16)!
• The Egyptians would have understood Judah as admitting his guilt by using this phrase
• Could it be that Judah is confessing to the greater crime that they did toward Joseph some 20 years earlier? (This would agree with the theme that they attributed all the evil happening to them with God getting back at them!)
• When they discovered money in their sacks
• When their brother was held hostage
• Fear they had over the invitation to lunch
• The shock of the arrangement of table guests
• Finally culminated at the discovery of the cup in Benjamin’s sack – they tear their clothes and return to the city
• The brothers wanted to understand a “ God”
• Joseph was about to introduce them to a “God of ”

• QUESTION: What is the difference?

4Let the Games Begin…(Part III)

• Joseph still feels like he cannot be certain of their change of character, so he puts them through yet another very similar test Gen.44:17
  • He offered to keep Benjamin as the guilty party
  • He offered to let the other brothers go

  • This would finally tell Joseph if they had changed. Would they give up their other half-brother for their own freedom?

  • The brothers would either choose freedom or slavery – all for the last of the sons of Rachel!
• Judah’s response is historical Gen.44:18
  • Judah begins the longest and most impassioned speech in Genesis
  • Judah’s speech pays respect to their father (he mentions Jacob times!)
  • Judah highlights a new love for ALL the brothers…including ’s sons
  • “22 years earlier, Judah engineered the selling of Joseph into slavery;
  • Now he is prepared to offer himself as a slave so that they other son of Rachel can be set free.”
  • “22 years earlier, he stood with his brothers and silently watched when the bloodied tunic they had brought to Jacob sent their father into a fit of anguish;
  • Now he is willing to do anything in order not to have to see his father suffer that way again.”

5-Alter, Art of Biblical Narrative, p.174-175

• Judah recounts to Joseph the conditions for bringing Benjamin to Egypt Gen.44:19-24
  • “Joseph now hears for the first time what happened at home when the brothers came back without him.”
  • “He hears of his father’s lament and grief that still persists; he hears the father’s cry ‘torn to pieces, torn to pieces!’ which still echoes in the brothers’ ears.”
  • -Westermann 3:136
• Judah simply explains to Joseph what will happen if the brothers do not return with Benjamin. He even offers to stay behind as “the Man’s” slave! Gen.44:30-34

6Joseph Reveals His Identity

• Joseph’s plan has succeeded as Judah’s words have revealed something about the brothers to Joseph. What do you think were some of the things that Joseph learned?

• Joseph clears the room for this time of honesty between brothers Gen.45:1-2
• Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers Gen.45:3
  • They were “dumbfounded” = paralyzed with [like in war]
  • Judah had painted such a terrible picture of the duress of their father that Joseph’s first question was whether these years had killed him with sorrow
• The brothers are too terrified to respond Gen.45:5-7
  • Joseph clearly indicates that he has no desire for
  • Joseph attributes with the responsibility of putting him in Egypt
  • Four times, Joseph makes the point: “God sent me before you to preserve life.”
  • Joseph believed that even though his brothers sold him in an evil act, God was the one working out His perfect will
  • After so much has been said about human actions, in 2 verses, Joseph summed up the fact that is the real subject of this story…not the weaknesses or strengths of
• Joseph is quick to put a strategy together to save his entire family Gen.45:8-13
  • He points out that there are still 5 more years of famine to come in case Jacob was reluctant to move
  • The famine would drain his money and he might even be forced to sell some of his household into slavery to survive (IE: “become destitute”)

7The Emotional Reunion

• Benjamin is the first to hug Joseph Gen.45:14-15
• Pharaoh and his entire house rejoiced with the news of Joseph’s family arriving Gen.45:16-20
  • Joseph offered them Goshen so that they could be near him
  • Pharaoh offered them better than Joseph – the best of the land and the best of the food!

  • Pharaoh threw in carts for the youngsters, wives, and Joseph’s father. What are we to think of Pharaoh here?

• Finally, Pharaoh seems to follow Joseph’s reasoning…perhaps Joseph’s family will not make the trip due to their long journey and traveling with belongings. So Pharaoh throws in the fact that whatever they need will be provided for! v.20
• Joseph sends them to retrieve his father with a condition: Don’t quarrel! Gen.45:24
  • Perhaps Joseph was concerned that during the long journey, the brothers would begin to rehash old regarding what happened that day they sold Joseph
  • Perhaps this is better interpreted “ ?”
  • Perhaps Joseph is telling them not to their for fear of what might happen as they move to a strange country?
• The brothers return with the greatest news Jacob would ever hear in his lifetime Gen.45:25-28
  • Jacob’s heart “stopped” = “became ”
  • Jacob’s spirit having been ‘dead’ for 22 years; now revived
  • The misery that he felt over the news of Joseph’s death now paled in comparison to the elation of the news of Joseph’s life!
  • And Israel said, “I am convinced!”
  • “My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

8-Israel (Jacob), Genesis 45:28

• Conclusion:
  • The key to understanding the Joseph story is wrapped up in God’s incomprehensible (Gen.45:8; 50:20)
  • is hard to accept – is understandable
• Even after the brothers and their families had moved to Egypt, established themselves, and gotten to know Joseph again, they are still suspicious that once Jacob is gone, Joseph will pour out wrath and vengeance upon them Gen.50:15-21
  • Grace is a difficult concept for human beings
  • God’s are fulfilled in spite of human , whether or not those are morally right. (God can even use evil humans and their deeds for His own glory – Amos 3:6)
  • Mysteries make humans uncomfortable – so we rationalize
  • / OR /
  • From the very first introduction to this story, God’s sovereignty is proclaimed
  • The dreams that foretold of his brothers bowing to Joseph shows that God was in control of Joseph’s career

  • NOTE: If God does not order our affairs, why pray for daily bread, healing, or world peace?

  • Throughout this story, man’s responsibility for choices is proclaimed
  • The brothers were free to make their choice to sin against Joseph or free to choose not to be hateful – although God used their sin for good, they are never excused for that sin…it still needed to be acknowledged and repented of.
    • NOTE: The brothers had to live with the consequences of their choices for 22 years

9Next session: God’s Unthwarted Sovereignty and Man’s Responsible Choice