The Great Forgiver: Genesis 42:18-24
Joseph’s ability to find forgiveness through God’s help is what makes him ready to save his family now. God’s people should seek forgiveness for our sake in addition to the sake of the relationships around us. When we hold onto grudges and refuse to forgive, we are limited in how God can use us. When we hold onto our anger, we struggle to show grace.
Joseph tells his brothers he fears God. He’s doing more than giving his brothers a hint the Egyptian leader before them follows the same God they do. Joseph’s claim indicates his brothers have a right to expect certain behavior from him.
People who follow God are obedient to His will. People who follow God try to act in manners that represent His character. God is not changed because we follow Him; we are the ones who are changed. Our claim to follow God is a reminder for us to bring our behavior in line with God’s ways.
Having indicated to his brothers he would deal with them righteously, Joseph tells them they will need to return to their home and bring Benjamin to him. He agrees to sell them food so they can take provisions home. While Joseph is certainly vying for an opportunity to meet his only brother who shares his mother, Joseph does this under the guise of testing whether they are spies or not. This is what enables Joseph to get away with his hidden scheme of reuniting his family. To the brothers, Joseph’s plan looks like nothing more than an attempt to assess the truthfulness of their word.
After Joseph details his plan, the brothers’ guilty consciences eat at them. Joseph has said nothing about himself, but the brothers bring it up as they discuss. When Joseph requires Benjamin’s appearance, they know they will be required to make Jacob relinquish his sole remaining connection to Rachel. Their buried guilt about Joseph convinces them to believe this situation is divinely organized payback for their actions against Joseph. Their guilt frames their decision-making process to help them make the right decision in the end.
What they don’t realize is Joseph can understand them. As a powerful Egyptian, his clean-shaven adult appearance would be considerably different than the adolescent rough bearded herdsman the brothers knew. Joseph spoke Egyptian through a translator to keep his Hebrew accent a secret. Joseph heard sorrow in their discussion and knew it was honest.
God had previously brought Joseph to a place of forgiveness regarding the actions of his brothers. Joseph didn’t need to hear their repentance before forgiving them. He forgave them before they entered his presence. His son’s name was Manasseh to commemorate that process. Had Joseph not already forgiven them, he would be working through the turmoil of forgiveness during the moment. Joseph’s ability to find forgiveness through God’s help is what makes him ready to save his family now.
