Village Schools of the Bible

Genesis: A Devotional Study
by Max Frazier, Jr

Ah, now the story of Joseph gets very interesting, as we approach Genesis 42. The young man who had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, then cast into an Egyptian prison through the false accusations of a jealous woman, and then left in that prison through the thoughtlessness of an ungrateful butler, has now risen to sit alongside of the Pharaoh of Egypt. He has been put in charge of Pharaoh's entire agricultural and welfare programs, preparing the nation for the upcoming years of famine. Suddenly, life is not too bad for Joseph. Married and with a growing family, Joseph is recognized as one of the most powerful and influential individuals in the kingdom. We might say that Joseph has finally arrived. Yet, I believe he is still bothered by what happened nearly twenty years previously. He thinks to himself, "I wonder what happened to Father? I wonder if my brothers were honest with him? I wonder if they have changed any?"

Well, in Genesis 42, we, along with Joseph, are reintroduced to those brothers. It is a reunion that is unknown to them, and that is probably as it should have been. So Joseph uses this opportunity to see if his brothers have changed. Let's look at the text together.

Genesis 42

Key Words: "honest"

Key Verses: Verses 21 and 28 share with us the consciences of the brothers as being pricked and their memories of the past dealings with Joseph now return to haunt them. God has now gotten their attention.

Purpose Statement: The first step in the process of healing between Joseph and his brothers was their conviction of wrong doing.

Outline: Joseph is Confronted by His Brothers

I. Joseph's brothers go to Egypt (vs. 1-5)
II. Joseph's encounter with them (vs. 6-24)
III. The brothers return home (vs. 25-38)

Thoughts to Ponder: Guilt is an awful chain to wear. For over ten years Joseph's brothers had woven the chain. Although they perhaps never talked about it, it was still there. Now, in a moment of crisis, that scene at that empty well-pit came back to haunt them. God was finally going to punish them. So they did what came so naturally for all of us - they began to cast blame. Guilt - oh it is so ugly!

I also find in this text a contrast. Joseph's brothers, when accused of being spies, proclaimed that they were honest men. But in the relating of their family background to Joseph, they stated that they had a brother who "was no more," that he was dead. Over the years these brothers had come to believe the lie they had told their father. They had recited it so many ties that it became truth for them. Isn't that Satan's plan - to accept lies as being the truth? When we begin to believe the lie, oh the hurts we cause in others.

Before reconciliation can take place there must first be the admission of wrongdoing. To date, the brothers had covered up their actions with Joseph and had forgotten about them. But now, when they were being so harshly treated, they remembered. A pricked conscience never harmed anyone. If we list to it only good can come.

I might have thought that Joseph's remark in verse 18 that he feared God might have caused his brothers to ponder who this man really was. After all, this was Egypt the land of a thousand gods. I believe they were so enshrouded with their own feelings of fear and guilt that they missed this clue as to the identity of their brother.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: The greatest burden we have to carry in life is self; the most difficult thing we have to manage is self. (Hannah Whitall Smith)

Genesis 40-41 Return to Table of Contents Genesis 43_44