Northern Kentucky's Evening Interdenominational Community Bible Study Text of Presentation, Lesson 23, Gen 43:1-45:15 Click Here for Lesson 23 Photos Click Here to return to GENESIS Home Page

Genesis 43:1-45:15
Family Reconciliation: Repentance and Responsibility

Last week – because of his ability to interpret pharaoh’s dreams – Joseph was elevated to what the bible describes as “governor of Egypt” (42:6) . . . second-in-command to pharaoh himself. His principle task was to accumulate surplus grain during 7 years of plenty, and sell it to the hungry during 7 years of famine (both of which were ordained by God). In this capacity, Joseph was reunited with his 10 older half-brothers, who came from Canaan to buy grain for their family. Intent on humbling his brothers, Joseph accused them of being spies, imprisoned Simeon, and vowed to keep him there until they returned with his younger brother Benjamin.

Their father Israel refused to allow Benjamin to go to Egypt, so Simeon languished in prison! But the famine continued, and again the family’s food runs out. Israel is faced with a difficult decision: stand by while his entire family starves to death, or allow Benjamin to go to Egypt. Seems like a no-brainer . . . but Israel still resists!

Last week #1 son Reuben tried to convince Israel to allow Benjamin to go to Egypt; this time #4 son Judah, ancestor of Jesus, takes the lead. He points out the obvious: "The (governor) warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you’” (43:3) . . . without Benjamin, they might as well not go at all. Judah then “guarantees” the safety of Benjamin, and agrees to accept “blame” if anything happens to him (43:9). Israel vents at his sons – accusing them of causing this trouble by telling the governor they had a brother at home – but he finally relents.

Yet they are concerned about the silver that was returned from their previous grain purchase . . . they fear they will be accused of stealing it (42:25, 35-36). So Israel suggests they take double the silver when they return, along with “some of the best products of the land” as a good will offering (43:11-12) – reminiscent of the good will offering Israel sent to Esau when he met him returning from Haran (cf Gen 33).

The bible skips over details of the trip and gets to the main event: “The (brothers) . . . hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph” (43:15). The bible gives the impression Joseph is expecting his brothers – perhaps he ordered the border guards to be on the lookout for them – and “when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, ‘Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon’” (43:16). It naturally confuses and “frightens” (43:18) the brothers to be taken to Joseph’s home; they fear they are about to be charged with stealing the silver, and will be enslaved right then and there – without trial or other formalities! So before they actually enter the grounds of Joseph’s estate – when they can still bolt and run – they ask Joseph’s household steward, “What’s up?” He assures them everything is OK; he may even chuckle under his breath!

Simeon is released – which surely must have been comforting: why would Joseph release Simeon as a preliminary to overpowering and enslaving everyone? The reader is left to wonder about Simeon’s condition: how long was he there? . . . was he treated like a prisoner or a brother? Nevertheless, the reunited 11 brothers must have had an interesting discussion while waiting for Joseph to come home for lunch!

The brothers “bowed down before (Joseph) to the ground” when he joins them. He leads the discussion into small talk about family; the brothers don’t even have the opportunity to present their gifts. Joseph is so moved about the sight of Benjamin that he almost cries – but since powerful people don’t weep in public, he excuses himself and goes to a private place. There’s almost a 15 year age difference between Joseph and Benjamin, who was a small child when Joseph left; they can’t have been really close . . . but probably Benjamin and Israel were the only two in the family Joseph got along with.

Regaining his composure, Joseph returns and orders that lunch be served. He and his brothers sit at separate tables, and Joseph’s Egyptian companions sit at a 3rd table – as is appropriate for Egyptians eating with Hebrews. (This is another reason to suggest Joseph’s pharaoh is not Hyksos.) As the brothers sit down, they are mystified to be seated according to their ages (43:33) – how could that happen? And Joseph “tweaks” them by giving Benjamin 5 times as much food. Nevertheless, the bible says “they feasted and drank freely” (43:34) – literally, they got drunk. Yet Joseph remains silent about his identity; for all the brothers can tell – though it might seem strange – the governor is merely serving them lunch as a way to say “I’m sorry I accused you of being spies and threw one of you in jail for no reason!” Joseph has their donkeys prepared for the trip home . . . but he’s not through playing his “mind games.” Again he returns their silver in the sacks with the grain they “purchased” . . . but this time he also puts his own silver drinking cup in Benjamin’s sack (44:1-2).

The 11 brothers surely had a pleasant evening – now finally able to relax, knowing their fears and apprehensions were for naught, and they can return home to their father, “mission accomplished.” It must be a joyful procession as they start on their way the next morning . . . but imagine how quickly their joy turns to concern when they see horses approaching in a cloud of dust . . . and to deep despair when Joseph’s steward dismounts and shouts: “Why have you repaid good with evil? . . . This is a wicked thing you have done” (44:4-5). He accuses the brothers of stealing “the cup (the governor) drinks from and . . . uses for divination” (44:5). This would be critical; divination was extremely important in the ancient Middle East.

The brothers are genuinely perplexed, and vigorously deny their guilt: “Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! We even brought back to you . . . the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?” (44:7-8). Then, in a manner reminiscent of Jacob accused of stealing Laban’s household gods (31:32), they underscore their denial in a really substantive way: “If any of (us) is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves” (44:9). However, the steward – presumably briefed by Joseph – doesn’t have quite such a radical punishment in mind. “Very well, then,” says the steward, “let it be as you say” (44:10). But, he modifies their rash promise: “Whoever is found to have (the cup) will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame” (44:10).

Surprise . . . the cup is found in Benjamin’s sack (44:12). This is a doubly serious matter. If the culprit had been Issacar or Gad or Dan, the brothers would have probably bid him a tearful farewell, and left him to his fate. But not Benjamin! The brothers saw how Israel reacted to Joseph’s death (37:35) . . . he has told them how he will react if anything happens to Benjamin (42:38) . . . and Judah – who is now assuming the mantle of leadership – has guaranteed Benjamin’s safety in Egypt (43:8-9). What to do . . .? The brothers do the only thing they can do: they tear their clothes in despair, and follow the steward back to the city with Benjamin – to plead for mercy with the governor (44:13).

Joseph didn’t go to work this morning; he stayed at home, knowing the confrontation he has so carefully orchestrated is about to occur. The brothers prostrate themselves before him, and Joseph – continuing the ruse – pretends he knew about the “theft” of his cup “by divination” (44:14-15). (Strange if his divination cup is gone . . . but, oh well!)

Again Judah takes the lead. “What can we say to my lord?” he says “God has uncovered your servants’ guilt.” The brothers aren’t guilty of the crime of theft – but they have been carrying a heavy burden of guilt for 22 years, and they deserve punishment. The chief steward said only the man with the cup will be enslaved, but on the way back to Joseph’s house, they have apparently decided slavery in Egypt is preferable to facing Israel without Benjamin. So Judah continues: “We are now my lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup” (44:16).

But Joseph pretends to be merciful – just as he did months earlier, when he changed his mind and allowed 9 brothers to return to Canaan to get Benjamin (42:16-20). “Far be it from me to do such a thing!” he says. “Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace” (44:17). The issue, as Joseph now frames it, is whether the brothers will – in effect – sell Benjamin into slavery as they did Joseph . . . !

This may be a good time to work in some Christian theology. We are not responsible for what other people do to us; we are only responsible for how we respond to it. Israel’s blatant favoritism for Joseph – and later for Benjamin – was reprehensible. It turned Joseph, a person of great natural ability, into an arrogant know-it-all who mentally tortured his 10 older brothers. Israel allowed this . . . he even seemed to encourage it! But that did not give Joseph’s brothers the right to sell him into slavery! If Joseph needed to be punished for his sinful arrogance – and he did – that was for God to do. The 10 older brothers committed a worse sin by trying to usurp God’s punishment role – and now they must be punished for their sin of selling their brother into slavery.

In fact, God was in control all along. Joseph’s 13 years of slavery knocked the arrogance out of him, and later chapters of Genesis seem to show it filled him with genuine humility; furthermore, God orchestrated Joseph’s years of slavery to bring him to where he is today: in a position to save his family from starvation, and hence perpetuate God’s promise to Abraham.

And as far as Joseph’s brothers were concerned . . . they have been punished by guilt for over 22 years now (42:21-22). Punishment by guilt is indeed from God . . . but that’s not what God wants. God wants the guilt taken away with repentance and forgiveness . . . which is why He sent Jesus the Messiah to die for the sins of mankind as the ultimate fulfillment of His promise to Abraham.

And that’s what’s going on today is Joseph’s house. As a preliminary to forgiveness, Joseph wants to see if his half-brothers genuinely repent of the sin of selling him into slavery. Benjamin has probably been shown more favoritism by Israel than he ever showed Joseph. In fact, as best we can tell from the bible, Benjamin has been so sheltered by his father that he is like a useless household decoration. And the 10 half-brothers must resent Benjamin like they resented Joseph. So now Joseph is tries to see if the 10 older brothers can so fully repent of their sin against Joseph that they will offer themselves as slaves in place of another resented favorite brother, Benjamin.

Recall . . . it was Judah who suggested selling Joseph into slavery in the first place (37:26-27); his intentions, of course, were merciful: to prevent the other brothers from killing him. Nevertheless, he was the one who did it . . . so it seems appropriate that he again takes the lead. Asking Joseph’s permission to speak (44:18), Judah launches into a poignant and passionate speech – the longest monolog in Genesis. His speech is impressive in its dignity and organization, showing why he has become leader (though the 4th son). He concludes not with a plea for mercy, but with a plea to be allowed to suffer – to prevent another’s suffering:

“So now, if (Benjamin) is not with us when I go back to . . . my father . . . he will die. . . . (I) guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. . . . Now then, please let (me) remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. . . . Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father” (44:30-34)

Judah offers himself as a slave in place of Benjamin, to spare the feelings of his father Israel. Jesus’ ancestor Judah has undergone a dramatic spiritual change. It doesn’t matter how unfair or misplaced Israel’s feelings are: elevating this favorite drone-of-a-son Benjamin above 10 worker-sons who put food on the family table; what matters is that Judah is getting his own relationship right with God. He recognizes how what he did contributed to Israel’s feelings, and he is doing what he can to spare Israel from a loss so devastating it will probably end his life.

This convinces Joseph the brothers are truly repentant. He’s about to lose it, and hastily sends everyone out of the room except his brothers. Naturally his servants lurk outside the doorway, hear Joseph break into loud weeping . . . and of course they spread the word (45:2). But through uncontrolled sobs, Joseph blurts out: “I am Joseph!” (45:3), and he asks how his father really is – now that his brothers know who he is.

We might think this is happily-ever-aftersville . . . but far from it. The bible says the brothers can’t speak because they are “terrified” (45:3). A cartoon on the web site describes Joseph’s revelation as the most “frightening family disclosure . . . since Darth Vader proclaimed, ‘Luke, I am your father.’” And indeed it is. In a Middle Eastern culture in which revenge may be second only to bribery as the central moral principle, Joseph has his half-brothers right where he wants them. Logically, Israel would not want to lose his 10 sons . . . but based on what we have learned since chapter 37, it’s entirely possible that if Joseph returned to Israel saying: “Hey, Dad, I just killed my 10 half-brothers who sold me into slavery, and I’m home now,” Israel might well respond, “Welcome home, Joseph; you can’t imagine how much I’ve missed you!” The brothers have probably figured this out and are right to be “terrified.”

But Joseph puts them at ease: “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” (45:5). We’ve got to imagine Joseph really must have been in touch with God these 22 years, even if the bible doesn’t mention it; Joseph has figured out God’s plan! Then Joseph reveals God’s plan to his brothers:

“For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to . . . save your lives by a great deliverance. . . . 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. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me – you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household . . . will become destitute’” (45:6-11).

Now everyone can finally prepare to live happily ever after. There is kissing and weeping all around; Joseph embraces Benjamin, and he and his 10 half-brothers have what is probably the first civil, adult conversation they have ever had (45:14-15).

Next week Israel and his entire household come to live in Egypt . . . and Moses (the author of Genesis) reveals the long term economic impact that Joseph’s policies have on Egypt. Since these last lessons don’t have a lot of “meat” in them, we will do 3 lessons in 2 weeks – continuing through chapter 48 next week (Israel’s blessing of Joseph’s sons) – lesson 24 and the first half of lesson 25. That will leave for our final week the last half of lesson 25 and all of lesson 26: chapters 49-50.