Week 36, Day 3: Joseph meets his brothers
Today’s Reading: Genesis 42:1-38
Some thoughts from the reading…
I spoke yesterday about understanding what someone is thinking or reasoning before acting (Joseph could have been upset with the cup bearer for not mentioning him to Pharaoh but the cup bearer did not want to remind Pharaoh of his former offenses). I see another example of this happen in chapter 42. Joseph has hidden himself from his brothers when they come to Egypt. He speaks harshly toward his brothers, accusing them of being spies. Before releasing them to return home he hears them speaking among one another about why these things are happening to them. They say to one another that they are guilty because they “saw the distress of his (Joseph’s) soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen.” The guilt of what they had done remained upon them after all these years. They now feel that these difficulties in Egypt are coming upon them as a “reckoning for his blood”. Joseph hears all of this because the brothers did not know this Egyptian official could speak their language (Joseph had been using an interpreter). Joseph wept after hearing this. I do not know if Joseph treated them differently because of hearing their discussion but I can imagine how moving it would be to hear that his brothers feel deep remorse over their sin against him.
The challenge for us today is to act and react in a godly manner. We know that we need to be slow to anger, slow to speak and quick to hear, James 1:19. We will be challenged to do this. Can you imagine what could have been Joseph’s response to his brothers when he first saw them. He could have struck them down right then. But he would have been going against why God had brought him to Egypt and raised him to this position. Before we decide a course of action, let us endeavor to understand what is going on and to not act out of malice and anger.
Question: Would Joseph have been justified in afflicting his brothers? In other words, would it have been alright for Joseph to pay them back?
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