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14 But Joseph said to them, "It is as I spoke to you, saying, 'You are spies!' 15 In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!" 17 So he put them all together in prison three days. 18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die." And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us." 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy;' and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us." 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. ~ Genesis 42:14-23
Today, we return to our study of Genesis 42 where we are witnessing the unfolding of the two dreams that Joseph had when he was a teenager back in Canaan. In those two dreams God made it clear to Joseph that his brothers would serve him even though he was the youngest among them at that time. These brothers who had shoved him into a pit to die and who had sold him into slavery now stood before their brother and they didn't even know it. It had been at least 21-22 years since they had last seen Joseph and even though he recognized them, they did not recognize him.
In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 But Joseph said to them, 'It is as I spoke to you, saying, 'You are spies!' 15 In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.'"
The fact that his brothers did not recognize Joseph gave him the opportunity to test them. I'm sure Joseph wondered in his heart if his brothers had changed since they sold him as a slave. Joseph accused his brothers of being spies, and he told them that they needed to bring their youngest brother as proof that they had spoken the truth about their background. Having been falsely accused himself, Joseph knew how to navigate this situation with his brothers. This is one of those small moments in the Bible where it is underscored that "All things work together for our good!"
In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "'16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!' 17 So he put them all together in prison three days."
The requirement that Joseph placed upon his brothers was demanding. For them, time was of the essence because back in Canaan there was a dire need for food. The amount of time that it would have taken for one of the brothers to travel back to Canaan and retrieve the youngest brother would have been quite a bit. And, if Benjamin didn't come to collaborate the brothers' story, they would have been sent to prison and possibly to death. But more so, without Benjamin being sent, there would be no more food to sustain the family. Everything was against them at this point. Without Benjamin, "the son of my right hand," they had no hope at all. They were as good as dead. Yet again, we see another hint at the coming Messiah. There is no other name by which we may be saved than that of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The irony of it all! The very same brothers who threw Joseph into a pit to be sold off in a foreign land, now found themselves in prison. The Scriptures are clear, whatever we sow we reap. When we are selfish, proud, unjust, vengeful, and bitter, we are "sowing to the flesh," and destruction awaits. But when we are selfless, humble, generous, kind, and forgiving, we are "sowing to the Spirit" and will reap life of the eternal kind. Faith in the Lord Jesus and the pursuit of godliness is "sowing to the Spirit." Sowing to the flesh, depending on ourselves and our ability to find our own way without God’s help, will reap nothing but a dead end. But when we place our trust in Christ, we reap life with the touch of eternity on it.
In v.18-20 of today's passage we read, "18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, 'Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.' And they did so."
It had now been three days since Joseph had left his brothers bound in prison. By now Joseph's brothers had time to reflect while confined. Through retrospection they gained a proper perspective. It was at that moment that Joseph highlighted the fact that he not only believed in God, he also feared Him. That which we fear will define us most. Of course, there is a fear that drives us away from God that is obviously not good. But there is a fear that drives us to God causing us to grow in intimacy with Him. This type of fear germinates in the heart of the humble and sensitive of heart toward God. And, of course that which softens our heart is the grace of God which is most often discovered best in the dungeons of life.
In Proverbs 28:14 we read, "Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity."
Joseph said to his brothers, "If you are honest men..." He knew they weren't and he also knew their lives would go no where with such discard to the truth tucked deeply away in their souls. It was at that point, on the third day they had been in prison that Joseph said nine of them could go back home and one would stay in prison. Then he told them they could carry grain to their families because of the famine. There’s no doubt he intended to let them go all along because he knew his family would need food, but by keeping them in jail for three days, Joseph knew it would impress on them that they were completely at his disposal.
We are told in the Scriptures that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Joseph had garnered all of the wisdom that he exercised through his fear of God. This is the type of fear that leads to awe and worship of God. And, that which we worship is that which defines us best.
In v.21-23 of today's passage we read, "21 Then they said to one another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us." 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy;' and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us." 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter."
In the entire book of Genesis which covers 2500 years of history, this is the only time that sin is personally acknowledged. This underscores that personal acknowledgement of sin before God is rare. The brothers of Joseph short time in prison had served them well for it led to one of the most prominent examples of the power of the conscience in the entire Bible. At that point in time, it had been between 21 to 22 years since the day they had sold Joseph into slavery. The conscience God gave us is a powerful force.
Throughout the Bible, there are examples of people who are conscience-stricken over guilt. Then there are people whose consciences are seared to the point where nothing, no matter how wicked it is, bothers them at all. In them the conscience will have all eternity to sort out the actions left unattended in this life.
When we are put into the same position as those we have harmed, it can lead to an understanding of what they went through and a remorse in the conscience. The brothers of Joseph threw him into the pit and then abandoned him to his fate. They have now been thrown into prison themselves and one of them will be abandoned to a sad fate if they don’t act rightly. The tables have been turned and now they see the error of their ways.
Interestingly, Reuben never agreed to the deed of harming Joseph. While the others sold Joseph off to the Midianites, Reuben was in the fields tending to the flocks. He specifically told them not to harm Joseph because he knew that the justice of God would be measured out upon them. All the while Joseph understood every word his brothers spoke to one another in that prison that day. The grace of God shows up on the doorstep of our lives in some of the most unusual ways. May we be sensitive enough to be defined by God best in those moments.
