The day had finally come. This devotional reading looks at the time when Joseph revealed to his brothers who he actually was.
Nuggets
- When Joseph became emotional and was going to reveal himself to his brothers, he didn’t want an audience.
- Ooo, baby! Were the brothers in for the shock of their lives!
- Joseph asked his brothers about Jacob.
- Joseph’s reveal stopped his brothers in their tracks.
- Joseph knew this was bigger than him.
- Joseph explained the famine was going to be around for a while.
- Joseph recognized that his brothers were not responsible for sending him to Egypt – but that did not erase their responsibility.
- Joseph told his brothers to quickly bring Jacob to Egypt.
The brothers had put Joseph through much pain and sorrow. Joseph had put his brothers through a period of testing to see if they had changed over the 22 years since they had sold him into slavery.
Now, it was time to reveal who he really was.
Program note: This devotion went long, so I cut it in half. I am leaving the connections and applications for the next devotion.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in the Joseph the Savior of Israel series
Joseph Reveals His Identity
“Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, ‘Out, all of you!’ So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. ‘I am Joseph!’ he said to his brothers. ‘Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them” (Gen. 45: 1-3 NLT)
Many People in the Room
When Joseph became emotional and was going to reveal himself to his brothers, he didn’t want an audience.
I guess it never registered before that there were so many people in the room. It does seem logical.
Joseph was a very important person in the Egyptian government. If he is responsible for seeing all those who have come to buy grain, that would be Egyptians and other foreigners, such as his brothers were.
There may have been people who helped the customers pay, pick up their grain, find the door out – any number of things. Then there was probably one person who was keeping an accounting record.
There may even have been what we would call security guards. If others from another country were there to overtake the Egyptians, it would fit that they have guards there to protect Joseph.
Joseph became so emotional that he had to reveal himself. It sounds like he broke down and sobbed.
I am sure that the emotion stemmed from his realization that there could be true reconciliation with his brothers.
Think about it. Joseph had been in Egypt 22 years. There had probably been a time or two that he dreamed of this moment – especially after the brothers’ first visit. He probably yearned for a time when the family could be reunited and restored.
That day had come.
I Am Joseph!
Ooo, baby! Were the brothers in for the shock of their lives!
“Hey, I’m really Joseph.”
They probably weren’t even thinking that this was #2 in all of Egypt. They weren’t thinking of dreams and bowing down.
They were probably thinking, “This is who we wronged.” We’ll talk about this again in Genesis 50.
But just think. If they were still wrestling with this after five more chapters, this was a big moment for them.
Is My Father Still Alive?
Joseph asked his brothers about Jacob.
I don’t get this. Judah had just told Joseph about Jacob not wanting Benjamin to come with them on this trip. If he was dead, that wouldn’t have happened. Did Joseph think Judah had lied to him?
Maybe Joseph was just so emotional and happy to be able to talk about it, he just asked. I think that has to be something for the UNR book – understanding not required.
His Brothers Were Speechless
Joseph’s reveal stopped his brothers in their tracks.
We do have to cut the brothers some slack. The Joseph they probably had in their mind all these 22 years was the 17-year-old tattletale. They would have never imagined he would become the #2 man in Egypt.
The brothers would never have connected that dreamer with the powerhouse that stood before them.
But isn’t that what often happens to us? Our view of today is often colored by our perceptions of the past. “Oh, he is mean because he threw a chair at me 20 years ago when he was 5.”
The boys knew they had sold Joseph into slavery. But I wonder if they had somewhat begun to believe Joseph had been killed by an animal — just of the two-legged variety.
We have to let go of the past when the present is staring us in the face. Yes, hard. But necessary.
Joseph Explained
“‘Please, come closer,’ he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, ‘I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh — the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt” (Gen. 45: 4-8 NLT)
But Don’t be Upset
Joseph knew this was bigger than him.
Oh, it probably took a minute to get to that realization. But Joseph got to this point.
Joseph knew that, as bad as being sold by his brothers was, Jehovah did that for a reason. That reason was standing in front of him.
Jacob’s family was starving, and they needed Joseph to save them. Sovereign God made sure Joseph was there to do that.
Joseph saw Jehovah working His providence through human evil.
We sometimes think only good things should happen to us when we are disciples of Christ. We think believing in Him should make for smooth sailing.
That isn’t the case.
True be known, we grow quickly in the throes of a trial. When we know we can’t rely on ourselves, we learn the lesson better that we must rely on Jehovah.
Jehovah will use both good and bad to further His kingdom. We don’t know when the bad is the best for us.
This Famine
Joseph explained the famine was going to be around for a while.
Since Jehovah had Joseph interpret Pharaoh’s dream, he knew how long the famine would last. He knew his family would have trouble in Canaan.
Joseph got it. The covenant family must survive.
Their family may have been small at that time; but if they didn’t survive, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to grow larger.
Without Joseph,
- Jacob’s family would have died in the famine.
- Israel would have never grown into a nation.
- The covenant line would collapse.
- The messianic line wouldn’t have followed.
God Sent Me Here, not You
Joseph recognized that his brothers were not responsible for sending him to Egypt – but that did not erase their responsibility.
Joseph saw God’s hand orchestrating every step of his journey. The brothers would not have sold him to Egypt if it would not have been part of His plan.
Still, the brothers made the choice to sin.
I know. We struggle with that concept.
How can it be a sin when it was what Jehovah wanted?
That is an easy answer. The ends do not justify the means.
- The brothers didn’t love Joseph.
- They didn’t follow God’s Will when he told them that they would bow to Joseph.
- They let their pride and anger rule them instead of love and compassion.
- They deceived Jacob.
- They didn’t respect a person’s life.
God’s sovereignty is above human rebellion.
The rejected son was set up to provide for the family. He can do this because he was an advisor to Pharaoh.
Sending the Brothers Home
“Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve’” (Gen. 45: 9-11 NLT)
Joseph told his brothers to quickly bring Jacob to Egypt.
Joseph even knew where the family could live. There was an area of Egypt called Goshen that was perfect for shepherding. A secondary bonus was that it was separated from Egyptian society.
Sandwiched in Jacob’s speech were the words, “I will take care of you.” He could do that because he had become the master over all land of Egypt.
Providing for the Family
“Then Joseph added, ‘Look! You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that I really am Joseph! Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.’ Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him” (Gen. 45: 12-15 NLT)
Ooo, baby, I bet the brothers didn’t know what to think at first.
Joseph didn’t flat out say that the brothers had sold him into slavery. He did, however, imply what they had done was something terrible.
But this reconciliation wasn’t about what they had done. It was about what needed to be done in the immediate future.
They needed to get on their donkeys and ride back to Jacob. They needed to pack up their households and come back.
Joseph would have seen the confusion on their faces. He knew he was basically being raised from the dead in their minds. He knew there were probably some fallout from any lingering guilt.
The tears, embraces, and kisses put them at ease. The best words of the whole story are, “… after that they began taking freely with him” (Gen. 45: 15 NLT).
I wonder if they were ever able to talk peacefully and freely with Joseph. Jacob’s favoritism was long-rooted and deep-seated. They would have grown up angry at Joseph.
Sin fractured the family. Jehovah restored communication.
Father God. We love happy endings. We thank You that You preserved the covenant line. If You hadn’t we wouldn’t be able to call You Father today. Amen.
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