Genesis 43:16 – 34 “When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.” The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house. But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food. But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us. We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon. When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep. Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
They served Joseph’s brothers separately from him and the Egyptians who ate with him, because Egyptians would not eat with Hebrews, since that was detestable to them. They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at each other in astonishment. When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
(This is a long passage, but the Bible tells the story so well that it’s useless to paraphrase it.) Talk about feeling guilty! While Joseph is preparing a royal welcome for his brothers, his brothers are terrified that they will be taken as slaves. Evidently Joseph paid for the grain his brothers collected last time himself because the steward knows nothing about their money being returned to them. And the steward receives them into Joseph’s house as honored guests, giving them water to wash their feet and food for their donkeys. Everything that can be done for the brothers is complete. Joseph makes sure that his brothers are well fed but he can’t help surprising them a bit by sitting them in order of their birth and then giving Benjamin a portion that is 5 times as big as anyone else’s. All this time Joseph maintains his haughty Egyptian persona, a necessity in a society in which intrigue is rife. Joseph weeps tears of joy. After all these years he is getting to see Benjamin and he hears that Isaac is still healthy.
APPLICATION: What would you do if you had the chance to get back at someone who had blighted your career, perhaps causing your family to lose your house and wind up in a homeless shelter? If God allowed you to make a complete financial recovery and then made someone you had considered your enemy vulnerable to you, what would you do?
Jesus tackled this question with his disciples. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:32-36) Joseph could easily have made things terrible for his brothers, throwing them all in prison, but he didn’t. Somewhere along the line, Joseph managed to forgive his brothers. Whom do you need to forgive?
PRAYER: Father God, thank your for your forgiveness of our sins and for sending Jesus to die on our behalf. Help us to see those whom we need to forgive and to keep choosing to forgive them as many times as we have to until we are free of all resentment. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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