Faithfulness Towards God: Genesis 43:16-25
God’s people should always leave evidence to the character of God as we live our lives. Since we are human, we cannot accomplish this perfectly. Our goal, however, is to live our life so that when people look at us, they see God’s character shining through as clearly as possible.
Joseph notices the return of his brothers and tells his steward to prepare a feast for them. The brothers are invited to Joseph’s house, and they prepare the gift they brought with them to give to Joseph. As they prepare the gift, their focus is on speculating why the Egyptians have singled them out.
It is a shame – but completely understandable – the brothers are focused on their guilt as they are invited in. One of the most significant Egyptians in Egypt has placed his attention upon them. There are so many hints that God is trying to bless them.
Instead, the brothers have their head set in their conceived reality. They believe they have been singled out because of the incident with the silver. They convince themselves they have been singled out so the Egyptians could deal with them privately and take their belongings as retribution. The brothers completely miss God’s blessing, and the set-up for a bigger blessing, because of their guilty focus on prior sin and misfortune.
It is absolutely a set-up for God’s blessing. The words of the steward indicate as much. Being careful to not take the words of the steward necessarily as a profession of faith, the steward tells the brothers that the silver in their bags was a gift from God. In fact, the steward claims the original money was added to the treasury. Either the steward is lying, or more likely, it means Joseph paid for the grain out of his own pocket. Either way, it is God’s greater provision.
This is a demonstration of how we are the hands and feet of God. When Joseph tells the steward to put the brothers’ money in the bags and likely pays for the grain himself, he is doing the work of God. In Joseph’s obedience to God’s desire for him, Joseph teaches others about God.
Joseph’s love for God has spread to those around him. He gave his children Hebrew names, even while living in Egypt and being married to the daughter of an Egyptian priestess. He told the steward enough about God for the steward to make the claim he makes here – regardless of whether the claim is a personal attestation of faith or not. As Joseph lives in Egypt his words and his actions spread God’s character. We can’t expect him to cause all of Egypt to convert to following God, especially because that wasn’t God’s plan. Joseph does leave God’s fingerprint all over the lives of the people he touches in Egypt. God’s people should always leave evidence to the character of God as we live our lives.
