Joseph: The Testing Finally Pays Off

 

In our last episode, Joseph: Let the Testing Begin (Genesis 42), our story took an unexpected turn when, twenty-two years after selling him into slavery, Joseph’s brothers suddenly appeared before him seeking to buy much needed grain for their family back in Canaan. Instead of revealing himself to them, though, Joseph accused them of being spies and threw them into prison. After three days, he released them and agreed to let them go on condition that one brother, Simeon, remain in prison while the others returned home and brought back Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin.

In this episode, we will pick up where we left off—with Simeon still in prison and the rest of the brothers at home, waiting for Jacob to give them permission to take Benjamin to Egypt. Although it will make for a much longer episode than usual, in an effort to maintain the continuity and the drama of our story, we will attempt to cover all three chapters of Genesis 43-45 in one lesson, with…

• • Chapter 43 as our More Tests to Come segment;
  • Chapter 44 as our The Final Exam segment; and,
  • Chapter 45 as our The Big Reveal segment.

…and an overall review and summary at the end of the final segment.

 

Episode #6 of Biopic #4
Cast:     Narrator     Jacob/Israel     Joseph     Brother/brothers     Judah     Steward     Pharaoh

Part 1—More Tests to Come

In Egypt, when the rains in the north that would usually fill the lakes and tributaries didn’t fall, the Nile wouldn’t rise and water the farmland.  Because of Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, the people in Egypt knew what was happening, but in Canaan, Joseph’s family had no idea why there was a famine or how long it would last.  In this segment, with starvation a very real threat, Joseph’s brothers were forced to go back to Egypt to obtain food.

Narrator:  Now the famine was severe in the land.  And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them…

Jacob:  Go back, buy us a little food.

Judah:  The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’   If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.   But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 

Israel:  Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?

Brothers:  The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?

Judah:  Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.  I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.  For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.

Israel:  If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.  Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.  Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man.  And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!

 

 

Narrator:  So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph.  When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house…

Joseph:  Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.

Narrator:  Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.  Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said…

Brothers:  It is because of the money which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.

Narrator:  When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, and said…

Brothers:  O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand.  And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.

Steward:  Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.

Narrator:  Then he brought Simeon out to them.  So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.  Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.  And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth.  Then he asked them about their well-being, and said…

Joseph:  Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?

Brothers:  Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.

Narrator:  And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.   Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said…

Joseph:  Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?  God be gracious to you, my son.

Narrator:  Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.  Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said…

Joseph:  Serve the bread.

Narrator:  So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.  And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another.  Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

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Part 2—The Final Exam

After observing his brothers’ generally good attitude toward Benjamin at dinner, Joseph sets a final test into motion—one that will demonstrate whether or not the brothers will sacrifice Benjamin in order to save themselves.

Narrator:  And he commanded the steward of his house, saying…

Joseph:  Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.  Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.

 

 

Narrator:  So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.  As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.  When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward…

Joseph:  Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?  Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ 

Narrator:  So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.  And they said to him…

Brothers:  Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.  Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?  With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.

Steward:  Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.

Narrator:  Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.  So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.  Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.  So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground.  And Joseph said to them…

Joseph:  What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?

Judah:  What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.

Joseph:  Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.

 

 

Judah:  O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh.  My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’  And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’  Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’  And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’  But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.  And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’  But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’  Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since.  But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.  For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’  Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.  For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

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Part 3—The Big Reveal

Satisfied that his brothers have changed, Joseph finally reveals his true identity to them and explains God’s purpose for allowing things to happen as they did.

Narrator:  Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out…

Joseph:  Make everyone go out from me!

 

 

Narrator:  So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.  And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.  Then Joseph said to his brothers…

Joseph:  I am Joseph; does my father still live?

Narrator:  But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.  And Joseph said to his brothers…

Joseph:  Please come near to me.

Narrator:  So they came near. Then he said…

Joseph:  I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.  But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.  For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.  And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry.  You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.  There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.”’

And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you.  So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.

 

 

Narrator:  Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.  Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.  Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.  And Pharaoh said to Joseph…

Pharaoh:  Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan.  Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.  Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come.  Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

Narrator:  Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey.  He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.  And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey.  So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them…

Joseph:  See that you do not become troubled along the way.

Narrator:  Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him, saying…

Brothers:  Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.

Narrator:  And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them.  But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.  Then Israel said…

Israel:  It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.

 

 

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Our Review

For our review, let’s go back over some of…

 

The Most Important Points in this Episode

Part 1—More Tests to Come

— Go back, buy us a little food—as the food supplies began to dwindle, Jacob ordered his sons to go back to Egypt to buy more food. However, Judah—speaking for the brothers—refused to do so if they couldn’t take Benjamin with them. He promised to ensure Benjamin’s safety and take responsibility for him if anything went wrong. This is the same Judah who had fathered twins by his daughter-in-law in an earlier episode, and the one who had suggested that the brothers sell Joseph into slavery to begin with—so it seems he may had done something of a turnaround during the ensuing years.

Although twenty-two years have passed, when reading this story there is a tendency on our parts to think of Benjamin as being much younger than he actually was. If we flash forward to the next chapter, we’ll discover that at the time of his move to Egypt, he had already fathered ten sons…

And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons…the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. (Genesis 46:8,21)

— If we had not lingered—Judah reminded his father that they could have already made two roundtrips to Egypt by this time, if only he had agreed to let Benjamin go with them. If a one-way trip took three weeks, a round trip would have taken six weeks, and two round trips twelve weeks—meaning that Simeon had been in prison for at least three months at this point.

— Take some of the best fruits of the land—always a man with an angle, Jacob (here referred to by his “spiritual” name of Israel) instructed his sons to take a gift to the “Man.” As you may recall, he did something similar back in Genesis 32:14-15 when he learned that his brother, Esau, was on his way to meet him accompanied by four hundred men. Then, he took…

…two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals…

…and sent them ahead in an attempt to curry favor with his brother.

The items that he chose this time…

…a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds…

…were things that were not produced in Egypt. Ironically, these were the very same things that the slave traders were carrying to Egypt when the brothers sold Joseph into slavery…

…And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. (Genesis 37:25)

I doubt that the irony went unnoticed by Joseph.

— These men will dine with me…they were afraid—although the brothers had come with Benjamin and brought back the money they had found in their sacks, they were terrified when they were taken to Joseph’s house, as they had no idea what would befall them there. Would they be accused of being thieves, pounced upon and all thrown into prison or enslaved? However, when they attempted to explain things to the steward over Joseph’s household, they were assured that they had nothing to fear.

— He brought Simeon out to them—imagine their surprise, not only when Simeon was brought out to them but when they were treated as Joseph’s honored guests. When Joseph arrived, they not only presented him with their gift but they also bowed down before him two more times!

— They sat before him…Benjamin’s serving was five times as much—to their amazement, the brothers were seated at their table in descending birth order, from the eldest to the youngest. When they were served, Benjamin’s portion was five times as great as his older brothers—no doubt, another test to see if the brothers would be as jealous of Benjamin’s special treatment as they had been of Joseph’s. But, in this, they all seemed to pass the test because…

…they drank and were merry with him. (Genesis 43:34)

 

Part 2—The Final Exam

— Put my cup…in the sack of the youngest…follow the men—in this, Joseph was testing to see if the previously hateful, jealous brothers who had sold him into slavery would abandon Benjamin in order to save themselves.

— They tore their clothes…they fell before him on the ground—but instead of leaving Benjamin to bear the guilt alone, they all humbled themselves before Joseph once again.

— What deed is this you have done…God has found out the iniquity of your servants—When Joseph confronted the brothers, Judah stepped in, acknowledging their guilt and offering up all of them as slaves to Joseph. Rejecting the offer, Joseph declared that he would only keep Benjamin as his slave. At this point, out of a seemingly genuine and heartfelt concern for his father, Judah appealed to Joseph to take him as his slave and let Benjamin go free.

 

Part 3—The Big Reveal

— Joseph could not restrain himself…I am Joseph you brother, whom you sold into Egypt—convinced at last that his brothers had truly changed, an emotional Joseph sent all of his servants out of the room while he revealed himself to his stunned brothers. Reassuring them that God had a plan in everything that had happened, he instructed them to bring their father and their families to live with him in Egypt so that he could provide for them.

— Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house—word spread quickly to Pharaoh that Joseph’s family had come and in response, he offered them the best land in Egypt and made provisions for their return trips.

— Joseph is still alive…it is enough—when told that Joseph was still alive, Jacob nearly had a heart attack. But once convinced that this was true, he and his entire family set out for Egypt—which is where we will up pick this story when we return for Joseph: The Grand Finale—Part 1!

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In Summary

 

— What, if any, Life Lessons does this episode/story provide for us?

In looking back over Joseph’s story, what we have seen is the very sad picture of a really dysfunctional family. However, that dysfunction did not have its origins in Joseph’s generation—it actually began two generations earlier when Isaac and Rebekah released the spirits of favoritism, jealousy, competition, and deception into their family and their family line. With Isaac favoring Esau, the hunter who kept him supplied with delicious meat, and Rebekah favoring Jacob—most likely because of the prophecy that was given to her while she was pregnant that…

Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23)

…the seeds of jealousy, competition, and deception were sown into the lives of their sons—seeds which also produced bitter fruit in the succeeding generations. Because the sins of Isaac and Rebekah had gone unrepentant and unforgiven in their lifetimes, they were carried over into Jacob’s life and the lives of his sons, so that…

• • • • Just as Jacob had deceived his father, so he was deceived by Rachel’s father and later deceived by his own sons;
      • Just as Jacob had competed with his brother for the blessing of their father and the birthright, so his wives and concubines competed for his time and affection, as did each of the sons that they produced;
      • Just as Jacob had been favored, so he favored Joseph above all his other sons, with the intention of giving him the blessing and birthright that rightfully should have gone to Reuben, his eldest son. What this produced was a jealousy among Jacob’s sons so hate-filled that it provoked them to want to kill their own brother.

I wonder how differently things might have turned out if only Isaac had been a better father to both of his sons, and Rebekah hadn’t tried to “help” God by trying to fulfil the prophecy through her own maneuverings? I feel certain that for most of us life holds many “what ifs?”—those regrets concerning past mistakes about which we can do nothing now. But the good news is this—no matter how many wrong turns we may have taken or how badly we may have messed up, if we confess these things and repent, God can redeem them and even work them out for our good and His glory!

— What Contributions does it make to God’s One Big Story?

Back in our presentation of Abraham, we learned that when the three most important events in his life were viewed together, they created a prophetic picture for us of Jesus Christ–where…

• • • • In Genesis 21, in the miraculous birth of Isaac, we are given a foreshadowing of the miraculous birth of Christ;
      • In Genesis 22, in the sacrifice and rescue of Isaac, we are given a foreshadowing of the death and resurrection of Christ; and,
      • In Genesis 24, in the sending out of Abraham’s servant to find a bride for Isaac, we are given a foreshadowing of the Holy Spirit being sent out to find a bride for Christ, with Rebekah being a type or foreshadowing of the Church.

Likewise, when we look at the life of Joseph from a spiritual or heavenly perspective, we will find that we are given a prophetic picture of Christ as He relates to His “Brothers,” the nation of Israel. Here are just a few of the many ways that Joseph foreshadows the Lord Jesus…

• • • • Just as Joseph was loved by his father, so was Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph was sent by his father to seek the welfare of his brothers, so was Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph’s brothers envied and hated him, and conspired against him, so did Jesus’ brothers, the Jews;
      • Just as Joseph was stripped of his garments and sold for silver, so was Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph became a servant, so did Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph was tempted to sin but didn’t give in, so did Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph was falsely accused, so was Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph suffered for crimes he didn’t commit, so did Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph was eventually exalted, so was Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph began his public ministry when he was thirty years old, so did Jesus;
      • Just as Joseph became the savior of the world at that time, Jesus became and is now the Savior of the world;
      • Just as Joseph was given a gentile bride, so was Jesus; and,
      • Just as Joseph’s brothers eventually recognized him and bowed before him, Jesus’ brothers, the Jews, will also one day recognize Him as their Messiah and bow before Him.

— What, if any, Revelations of God does it give us?

Throughout most of this story, God was seldom mentioned, and He didn’t seem to be present or involved in any way. In spite of that, we now know that He was working behind the scenes the whole time in order to bring about His desired end for this family—which was, the repentance of the brothers, their reconciliation with Joseph, and his restoration to his father. In so doing, God united the family and brought them to Egypt where He, through Joseph, could protect and provide for them throughout the remaining years of famine.

However, the story of Joseph doesn’t end here—there is still more for us to learn as Jacob and his family make their way to their new life in Egypt in Joseph: The Grand Finale.

 

 

 

Featured image of Joseph and his brothers by James Tissot, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons at… https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tissot_Joseph_Makes_Himself_Known_to_His_Brethren.jpg

Original Images Courtesy of FreeBibleimages :: Home.