After the promised seven years of plenty, the years of famine came upon the Middle-Eastern world, but thanks to Joseph, there was abundant grain in Egypt. God had sent Joseph ahead (45:5; Ps. 105:17) to preserve his family so that one day the nation Israel could give the world Jesus Christ, the “Bread of Life” (John 6:48).
These events took place during the first two years of the seven-year famine (Gen. 45:6). It was a time when Joseph’s brothers had to experience several tests that were designed by God to bring them to repentance.
Hunger (vv. 1–2). Jacob had a large family (46:26) and many servants, and as the famine continued, it became more and more difficult to feed them. Certainly the brothers knew what their father knew, that there was grain in Egypt, but they didn’t talk about it. Jacob noticed their strange attitude and asked, “Why do you keep staring at each other?” Why, indeed, did the brothers hesitate to talk about the problem or even offer to go to Egypt to purchase food?
For one thing, the trip to Egypt was long (250–300 miles) and dangerous, and a round trip could consume six weeks’ time. Even after arriving in Egypt, the men couldn’t be certain of a friendly reception. As “foreigners” from Canaan, they would be very vulnerable and could even be arrested and enslaved. If that happened to Jacob’s sons, who would care for their families and their aged father?
Perhaps too the memory of selling their innocent brother to traders going down to Egypt haunted Jacob’s sons. The brothers had done that evil deed over thirty years ago and by now were convinced that Joseph was dead (Gen. 42:13), but they hadn’t forgotten the scene (vv. 17–24). Conscience has a way of digging up the past and arousing doubts and fears within us.
As leader of the clan, Jacob made the decision to send everybody but Benjamin to Egypt to purchase food. After what had happened to Joseph, Jacob was no doubt suspicious of his sons, and that’s why he kept Benjamin at home. Now that Joseph was gone, Jacob’s youngest son was his only living link with his beloved Rachel, and the old father wasn’t about to lose the second of his two favorite sons (v. 38).
What Jacob and his sons didn’t know was that the sovereign God was at work making sure the ten brothers went to Egypt and bowed down before Joseph. In the accomplishing of His divine purposes, God can use a famine, a kidnapping (2 Kings 5:2–3), a royal beauty contest (Est. 2), a sudden death (Ezek. 24:15ff.), a dream (Dan. 2), a plague (Joel 1), and even a government census (Luke 2:1–7). “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” (Ps. 115:3).
Harsh words (vv. 6–14). As second ruler of the land, Joseph certainly didn’t participate in each individual grain transaction because he had many important things to do. Furthermore, the food supply was stored in several cities (41:46–49), and Joseph had commissioners assisting him (vv. 34–36). No doubt he provided for the resident Egyptians in a routine manner, while the foreigners had to be screened carefully lest they had plans for invading the land (vv. 56–57). In the providence of God, Joseph was on hand when his ten brothers arrived to buy grain, and he recognized them.
Even if they had expected to meet Joseph, which they didn’t, the ten men wouldn’t have recognized their brother. He was seventeen when they sold him, and in the ensuing twenty years he would have changed in appearance far more than his older brothers. Furthermore, he was now clean-shaven like an Egyptian, he was dressed like an Egyptian, and he spoke to them in the Egyptian language through an interpreter.
When the ten men bowed before him, Joseph knew that the faithful God was beginning to fulfill the promises He had revealed in the two dreams (37:7, 9). It must have been difficult for Joseph to control his emotions as he spoke harshly to his brothers, because his natural desire would have been to speak to them in Hebrew and reveal who he was. But that would have ruined everything, for he knew that all eleven brothers had to bow before him. This meant that Benjamin would have to come with them on their next trip. Furthermore, Joseph’s brothers had to be forced to face their sins and come to a place of honest confession, and that would take time.
Four times Joseph accused them of being in Egypt under false pretense (42:9, 12, 14, 16), and each time the ten brothers affirmed their innocence as “true men.” Their statement “one is not” must have moved Joseph deeply, but he rejoiced to hear that his father and younger brother were both alive and well.
Confinement (v. 17). Joseph put his brothers in confinement for three days, just to teach them what it was like to be prisoners and to give them time to think. The KJV translates the Hebrew word as “prison” in verse 17, but “in custody” would be closer to the original. The word translated “prison” in Genesis 39—40, describing Joseph’s experiences, means a prison and not just being under guard or house arrest. Joseph suffered as a prisoner in a real prison, while his brothers were only confined under guard. But it taught them a lesson. When they were released three days later, the ten men were beginning to sense that God was dealing with them because of their sins (42:21).
Surety (vv. 15–16, 18–20). Since the ten brothers insisted that they were honest men, Joseph gave them an opportunity to prove it. He ordered them to send one of their number to Canaan to bring Benjamin to Egypt. He would keep the other nine brothers in confinement until Benjamin arrived in Egypt to prove that their story was true.
But then Joseph changed the “test.” He would keep only one brother as security while all the others returned home to get Benjamin and bring him to Egypt. Joseph wisely concluded that the men would eventually have to return to Egypt for more grain and would be forced to bring Benjamin with them or else go hungry. Furthermore, it was much safer for a group of men to travel than for only two men to make the journey, and the men did have many sacks of grain to carry.
Joseph was genuinely concerned about his family in Canaan and didn’t want them to starve. At the same time, he wanted to see God’s promises fulfilled so he could be reconciled with his brothers and his father. He had God’s assurance that all eleven brothers would eventually bow before him, but he wanted to motivate his brothers to act. That’s why he kept Simeon as hostage.
Confession (vv. 21–24). This whole experience brought the ten men to the place where conviction was starting to germinate in their hearts. Without knowing that Joseph could understand them, they discussed his pleas and tears and their own hardness of heart. Reuben didn’t solve the problem by saying, “I told you not to do it,” but unwittingly he informed Joseph of his kindness in trying to rescue his helpless brother (37:21–22). But now Reuben was sure that Joseph was dead and that divine judgment was imminent, for he said, “Now comes the reckoning for his blood” (42: nasb).
At this point, Joseph’s pent up emotions simply had to come out, so he left the room and wept privately. This is the first of six such experiences, for Joseph also wept when he saw his brother Benjamin (43:29–30), when he revealed himself to his brothers (45:2), when he met his father in Egypt (46:29), when his father died (50:1), and when he assured his brothers that they were truly forgiven (v. 17). What makes a person weep is a good test of character.
Why did Joseph select Simeon to be the hostage when Reuben was the firstborn? Probably because he appreciated Reuben’s attempt to rescue him from his brothers, and Simeon was Jacob’s number two son. Simeon was also known to be a cruel man (34:25; 49:57), and perhaps Joseph hoped to teach him a lesson. We don’t know how many family secrets Jacob shared with his favorite son Joseph or what part they played in this decision.
When I think of the way Joseph behaved toward his brothers, the verse that comes to mind is Romans 11:22: “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God” (“Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God,” niv). Joseph was certainly kind to his brothers in spite of the severity of his speech and some of his actions, and what he did was for their good. His motivation was love and his purpose was to bring them to repentance and reconciliation. We need to remember this the next time we think God is treating us unjustly.