Last week, Scott Hayes spoke from Genesis 41 - where Joseph—once a slave and prisoner—had been lifted to second in command in the most powerful nation of the world. We know that Pharaoh tried to Egyptianize Joseph: he changed his name, clothed him in royal garments, married him into an Egyptian priestly family who served foreign gods, and paraded him before the nation who bowed before him. However, though Joseph lived in Egypt he didn’t forget who he was nor did he forget his God.
Joseph’s naming of his sons was a crucial indicator of his loyalties. He chose Hebrew names for his sons—Manasseh (“God has made me forget my trouble”) and Ephraim (“God has made me fruitful”) because he remained faithful to the One and only True God who delivered him out of his troubles and exalted him for His own purposes.
It’s one thing to be faithful in the pit; it is another to be faithful in the palace. Many are humbled by suffering; fewer are humbled by success. But Joseph remained disciplined, sober-minded, and God-centered. Every season of Joseph’s life—dreams, pit, slavery, prison—had been divine preparation for the great responsibility given him. By the time the famine had begun, Joseph was around 39 years old and the famine wasn’t local; it spread over the entire known world.
Let’s read:
Genesis 42:1–24 (SL 2)
1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2 Then he said, “Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may happen to him.” 5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, because the famine was also in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.” 10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12 Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!” 13 But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” 14 Yet Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies; 15 by this you will 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 have him get your brother, while you remain confined, so that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, you are certainly spies!” 17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.
18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; for that reason this distress has happened to us.” 22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now justice for his blood is required.” 23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
Joseph’s brothers were facing:
1. The Famine
2. Their Brother
3. Themselves
Let’s see how they faced:
1. The Famine
Jacob’s opening rebuke in this chapter to his 11 sons was, “Why are you just staring at each other?” They’re in the midst of a global famine and the brothers seem paralyzed. Most likely, the thought of going to Egypt wasn’t an attractive prospect, even if it meant saving their lives. It may have been because the thought of Egypt triggered memories of how they sold their brother into slavery.
Jacob must have pushed them out the door at this point but refuses to send Benjamin. His favoritism resurfaces, painfully so. Jacob’s fear exposes both his unresolved grief over Joseph and his distrust of the older sons’ character. They feel the pain and their conscience is pricked: their father favors Benjamin and views them as expendable. But little do any of them know that God was sovereignly using this famine to move an entire family toward reconciliation.
The brothers join the caravans traveling south—just as Joseph had been taken south twenty-two years earlier. They are older now, graying, weary, carrying the heavy weight of family responsibility… and of a secret. They would soon face far more than famine—unknowingly they would be: (SL 5)
2. Facing their brother
We see in verse 6 in this chapter that Joseph governs all the grain distribution, which means everyone must pass before him. The moment the brothers arrive, they bow down—partially fulfilling Joseph’s dreams but they do not recognize him. Why? Because Joseph is 22 years older, looks like an Egyptian official, is speaking Egyptian and using an interpreter, and they just cannot imagine their enslaved brother as the prime minister of Egypt. But Joseph recognizes them instantly, begins interrogating them, and then accuses them of being spies.
Why does Joseph speak harshly? Why the accusation of spying? Joseph knew they were his brothers and wanted to know what was in their hearts. He has reason to test them… These men had a sordid and violent past. They had…
? slaughtered a city in vengeance (Gen 34)
? committed sexual sins, dishonoring the family (Gen 35, Gen 38)
? sold him, their own brother, into slavery (Gen 37:26–28)
? lied and covered up this evil for decades (Gen 37:31–35)
And they did all these things without any remorse. So Joseph was being tough with them because he needed answers:
? Is Benjamin still alive? Did they kill or enslave him because he now was the favored child?
? Is his father still living? Had they harmed him out of anger or resentment?
? Would they sacrifice another brother for survival as they did before? Have they changed?
If Joseph revealed his identity too soon, he would never know the truth. Joseph’s testing is therefore purposeful and redemptive.
Joseph accused them of spying four times. Some scholars observe that the language of “nakedness of the land” may echo the “stripping” of Joseph—reminding the brothers, even indirectly, of their past cruelty of stripping him of his robe. His questions were awakening their conscience. Out of defensiveness they offered unsolicited information: we’re 12 sons, one is still with the father and “one is no more.” They are speaking to the very brother they believed was dead (because of them). Joseph presses them—forcing their buried guilt to the surface.
Joseph then orders them to bring Benjamin as proof, and puts them all in jail for three days. This was not revenge—it’s a time out - a time for reflection. He is recreating their own experience:
? The ones who called Joseph a “spy” are now accused of spying
? The ones who ignored Joseph’s pleas for mercy now feel the ache of helplessness.
? The ones who imprisoned Joseph are now imprisoned
The brothers faced the consequences of the famine, they came face-to-face with their brother and their past. And now the brothers be:
3. Facing themselves
Verses 21–22 contain the first record in the book of Genesis of the brothers admitting their guilt. After 22 years of silence, their conscience erupts. Many scholars highlight this moment as the “moral turning point when they came face to face with their unconfessed sin.” They finally confessed:
We saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen (Gen 42:21).
For decades, they carried the vivid memory of Joseph’s cries. They remembered their indifference and callousness. Guilt had been suppressed, ignored, yet had been festering and was ever-present. Reuben’s words reveal what they all knew deep down: Now justice for his blood is required. They were accountable—to Joseph, to Jacob, and above all, to God.
Their admission of guilt, the acceptance of responsibility for their own sins produced godly sorrow, and put them on the path of seeking forgiveness.
Joseph hears all of this transpiring but pretends he doesn’t understand. Their confession overwhelms him, and he weeps. This was the first of many tears Joseph will shed—not tears of bitterness but of love and compassion. This was also causing an emotional eruption in Joseph after all these years and though he wanted to be reconciled with his brothers he wasn’t going to settle for a superficial peace. There needed to be healing on a deeper level - through accountability, repentance and forgiveness. We can see that God had been softening their calloused hearts.
The Apostle Paul, in his epistles to the churches, wrote about this type of godly sorrow—the kind that leads to life (2 Cor. 7:10). Understanding the reality of what they did was painful, but it eventually turned them to God. We can ask ourselves, is guilt always a negative thing?
How can we discern True versus False Guilt?
Scriptures teach that guilt is not always destructive. When the Holy Spirit convicts, He is specific, honest, loving, and with the goal of reconciliation. Because God loves us, He puts His hand on the exact sin so that we can see it, own it, confess it, and receive His forgiveness and healing.
2 Corinthians 7:10 says:
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.
In other words, bona fide guilt comes from God. This type of guilt produces godly sorrow, leads to salvation & reconciliation, and results in life and freedom.
1 John 1:9 says:
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose] (1 John 1:9).
When God forgives, you’re restored and reconciled to Him, the issue is settled, done, He never brings it up again or uses it against you - He gives you a clean slate.
False guilt, however, is often vague or undefinable, produces shame not repentance, condemnation not conviction, leads to despair instead of transformation, brings regret, moves you away from God and his people, and results in death (spiritual paralysis).
Sometimes you need to speak with someone you can trust to get some perspective and objectivity about your feelings of guilt. False guilt can come from:
? Toxic families or friendships - who use guilt to manipulate or control you. Casa del guilt.
? Perfectionism
? Unrealistic expectations
? A poor self-image
? A wrong concept of God
? Cultural expectations - collective guilt
False guilt makes you feel defective as a person, not separating who you are from a wrongful act. False guilt offers no path forward. Sounds like: “You’re never enough. You always fail. God must be disappointed in you.” What is absent is God’s love, mercy and acceptance of you as His precious child.
It’s important to think about the source of your guilt. It’s interesting how as people get older or face their mortality, they begin reviewing their lives, confessing things.
Joseph’s brothers were experiencing real, Spirit-awakened guilt—a guilt that led them out of their old lives toward change because they began to realize the sinfulness of their own actions. Joseph’s actions were not meant to crush them but to reveal deeper issues, move them towards repentance and ultimately reconciliation.
When Joseph’s brothers walked into Egypt that day, they thought they were simply buying grain. They only wanted to satisfy their natural hunger but there was a deeper hunger only God could satisfy. They had no idea that God was waiting to heal their unresolved past, to bring reconciliation with Joseph, restore them as a family and prepare them for future blessings.
What can we take away from this passage?
Often God uses circumstances, “Famines” to move us toward healing, repentance, or change. Ask yourself: What difficult situation in my life might God be using to show me unresolved areas of my life, what does He want to set me from from? How is this moving me toward Him?
Learn to discern the difference between true and false guilt -Whatever God does it is because He is good done out of love for His people.
Let Him bring you from famine to freedom.
Let Him bring you out of guilt by grace.
Let Him bring you… from dust to life.
Let’s pray.
