Joseph - Repentance that Leads to Restoration

 

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him. (Genesis 45:4–15 ESV).

 

The repentant heart of Judah brings him to a beautiful conversion. In one of the most eloquent speeches in Scripture, he pleads with Joseph to accept him as a substitute—and to spare not only Benjamin but also the life of his aged father. Judah knows his father’s heart: if Jacob loses Benjamin, it could bring him to his grave in sorrow. So this once proud, now broken man sincerely offers up his life as a slave, to spare a favored son and a devoted father. What a change from the Judah who said they should sell Joseph, their father’s favorite, into slavery! Now he offers himself as a slave in place of the remaining favored brother, Benjamin.

 

Our reading today reveals a deeply emotional Joseph who finally tells his brothers his identity, forgiving them for selling him into slavery. This passage is significant in many ways. Perhaps one of the greatest of these is how Joseph sees God’s providence in using their actions to preserve life during the famine. He instructs them to bring their father, Jacob, and their families to Goshen in Egypt, for safety.

 

We should look at this carefully! Here we have another picture of the mission of Christ. This offer of Judah points to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, who, knowing the Father’s ardent love for us, took “the very nature of a servant [slave]” (Philippians 2:7) — to rescue us from our slavery to sin and wondrously to spare his Father the unbearable grief of losing us, his dear children! “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Is this not the great message of our celebration of Easter!

Joseph - Confrontation that Leads to Repentance

 

When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.” (Genesis 44:14–17 ESV).

 

Guilt can be priceless. This may sound strange; however, it is the call to repentance. St. Ambrose of Milan, one of the early Church Fathers wrote:

 

“But nothing causes such exceeding grief as when anyone, lying under the captivity of sin, calls to mind from where he has fallen, because he turned aside to carnal and earthly things, instead of directing his mind in the beautiful ways of the knowledge of God. So you find Adam concealing himself, when he knew that God was present and wishing to be hidden when called by God with that voice which wounded the soul of him yourself? Why are you concealed? Why do you avoid Him Whom you once longed to see? A guilty conscience is so burdensome that it punishes itself without a judge, and wishes for covering, and yet is bare before God.”

 

When we have exhausted our efforts of evasion, denial, suppression, blaming, minimizing, rationalizing, and justifying, all to avoid facing up to our sin we are left with repentance. When all the devices of our crafty hearts are used up or cast aside, the horrible reality of our own guilt meets us head-on. It is that moment we come face-to-face with our greatest need. At that eye-opening moment we face the stark, liberating truth. As an old spiritual song says, “It’s … not my father, not my mother … not my brother, not my sister … not the elder … not the preacher … but it’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.” Over the years we build up a thick wall of immunity to facing our guilt; this is why redemption comes hard.

 

With great wisdom and love, Joseph confronts his brothers: “What is this you have done?” And Judah, knowing they have no other options, asks plaintively, “What can we say to my lord? … God has uncovered [our] guilt.” With cleared vision, they finally see God’s hand upon them. With their guilt exposed and bowing low, the brothers surrender. This is the moment true deliverance and restoration begins. Have you reached that moment yet? Now is the time!

 

Joseph - Another Call to Repentance

 

Then he [Joseph] commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’” (Genesis 44:1-5 ESV).

 

Nothing has yet convicted the brothers to confess. Not harshness. Not imprisonment. Not returned silver. Not relentless famine. Not father Jacob’s anxiety. Not even Joseph’s lavish kindnesses. Worse, as the brothers leave Egypt, with sacks full, spirits light, and Benjamin and Simeon with them, it seems they might get away with their secret after all. But the love of God won’t let them go. Joseph’s steward comes charging after them, raising a cloud of dust. The steward, scowling, dismounts, strides over, and accuses the brothers of repaying good with evil. After all his master has done for them, how could they run off with the governor’s silver cup?

 

What a charge! The brothers are accused of treating pure goodness with thievery and deceit. Joseph has framed them again, now putting Benjamin in peril. As the old idiom declares they are between a rock and a hard place! They have a choice to make. Either leave Benjamin as a slave in Egypt and lie again to their father or confess their sin.

 

This time their response is different. They have finally had enough of running from their sin. The brothers tear their clothes and return to the city. Here they expect to face a vengeful, harsh judgement. Instead, they find a brother who is willing to forgive and restore. Is this not exactly what Jesus did for us? Is this a time for you to turn back from your rebellious ways?

 

Joseph - Kindness and Grace

 

When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him. (Genesis 43:26–34 ESV).

 

This portion of Joseph’s story is so poignant. We see an amazing cascade of kindnesses! Despite their anxieties about being invited to the ruler’s home for a meal at noon and fearing the worst, the brothers are inundated with hospitality! The steward assures them that he received their silver, and he suggests that God himself put treasure in their sacks. Then Simeon is released to them. The brothers also receive water to wash their feet and food for their animals.

 

On top of all that, when Joseph comes home, he speaks kindly to them instead of harshly! Joseph asks about their father, Jacob, and pronounces God’s blessing on Benjamin. Then he provides a lavish feast, with Benjamin’s portions “five times as much as anyone else’s.” The brothers’ apprehension begins to ease. They must have wondered what Joseph showed such kindness to them. They were paupers in front of the prince; they were insignificant in comparison in their minds. They had been humbled finally.

 

Then, after all this bounty from Joseph shows us a clear picture of God’s grace pouring out of his heart toward his guilty brothers. Indeed, at the sight of Benjamin, Joseph must excuse himself and find a place to weep privately. It is a love that can come only from God, Joseph showers kindnesses to thaw his brothers’ hard hearts and lead them to the point where they can finally break their guilty silence and confess their wrongdoing.

We would do well to listen to the Apostle Paul:

 

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. (Romans 2:1-5 ESV).

 

Lent is the season to look inwardly at our hearts and marvel at the kindness and grace of God in the work of Jesus on the cross! It ought to lead us to repentance just as Joseph’s kindness led his brothers to finally confess their sin and repent. Turn your heart toward Jesus today!

 

Joseph - the Dilemma of His Brothers

 

Now the famine was severe in the land. And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’” Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.” (Genesis 43:1–10 ESV).

 

As long as the grain from Egypt lasted, an uneasy peace settled over the tents of Jacob’s clan. But two relentless forces bore down on them: the cruel famine parched the earth, and the food supply dwindled. Before long, they would need more grain.

 

But two other mighty forces were also squeezing the hardened sons of Jacob. On one side was that stern ruler, with his unyielding demand to see their youngest brother. And on the other side was their father, who could not bear the risk of letting his “only” son go. It was a dilemma they could not avoid any longer.

 

This pressure finally reaches a crescendo, however, the brothers do not yet come clean and confess their deep secret to their father Jacob. Sinful secrets are not easily exposed. It is so hard to admit doing wrong. Judah even tries to reprimand his father, saying they could have made two round trips to Egypt by now if Jacob had not delayed them. Finally, Judah strikes a deal with Jacob, offering to take full responsibility for Benjamin. And Jacob finally relents, telling his sons to bring many gifts to “the man” in Egypt, along with double the amount of silver they found in their sacks. So the brothers hurry off to Egypt—not knowing they are finally on their way to coming clean for their sin from so long ago.

 

Is God bringing you to such a place in your hidden sin? Now is a great time to turn to Him and receive forgiveness and restoration!

 

Joseph - a Father's Intervention

 

As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me.” Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” (Genesis 42:35–38 ESV).

 

The story of Joseph is a constant amazement in how God works all things together for good. In our reading today we see that it was father Jacob’s turn to confront his sons. His tone might not have been as harsh as Joseph’s, but his charge was heavy: “You have deprived me of my children.” (vv. 35-36). Remember that many years earlier he had been inconsolable after hearing of Joseph’s disappearance. “All his sons and daughters” had tried “to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted” (Genesis 37:35). Joseph’s older brothers were forced each day to face a heartbroken father. Yet they kept their secret hidden. Indeed, they lied to themselves that they were honest men.

 

This is such a common theme in humanity. We are all guilty of believing our own lies if we tell them to ourselves often enough. But now God turns up the pressure. The brothers are forced to face a father whose grief is now multiplied. First it was Joseph, and now Simeon is gone, and Benjamin could be next! Jacob reminds them that Benjamin is “the only one [of Rachel’s sons] left.” This blatant favoritism may well make them bristle. The surely were thinking “the only one left… how about us, the other nine? Don’t we count?” Still, Jacob could be right! Benjamin could be taken too. Where would that leave the brothers? The pressure rises, but they still won’t crack.

 

Yet God still has more planned for their conviction. We will see them go back to Egypt and facing Joseph again the will no longer be able to avoid the truth of their sin. It I then that Joseph will declare that what they had done was indeed meant for evil, but God meant it for good! And, that is all that matters!

 

Joseph - the Gift for a Guilty Conscience

 

And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them. Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?” When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land. But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’ Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way. Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’” As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack. And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. (Genesis 42:25–35 ESV).

 

Guilt. What a gift for a seared conscience! For 20 years these men had been slinking along through life, hoping their dirty secret would never be exposed. But now, as they stopped to rest for the night, one of them opened his grain sack to feed a donkey and got the shock of his life. There lay his silver, staring him in the face. Later, back in Canaan, the jolt reverberated as each brother opened his sack with their father, Jacob, watching. Each one saw their own silver—“evidence” that could be used against them to show that they were not “honest men”!

 

When a truly guilty person wonders if some serious adversity may be a sign of God’s prodding them to repent, they may very well be on the right track. When we are truly guilty but our hearts are still hardened against coming clean, then God, who sees all we have done, may roar at us through some adversity so unnerving that we cannot help trembling. If something like that happens to us, it is a sign of God’s grace, a gift leading us back to God. It is God working good in our lives.

 

Each one of us will do well to ask ourselves honestly today, “Is there something I need to confess to God?”