The Joseph Experience – Changed, Blessed, And Wise 05 Series

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Homework: Is anyone reading the chapters at home?

Last week we talked about reading 1 Corinthian 2:1-5 in different translations. Did anyone do that this past week? Do you feel like you have a better understanding of Biblical humility and where your life is going in Christ?

So far, we’ve seen Joseph’s transformation from an Attitude City teenager to a man with a humble servant’s heart. This week Joseph’s brothers are going to show up to buy food. We’re going to see if Joseph has really changed.

Genesis 42 NKJV

1When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.”

This kind of makes me chuckle. How did his brothers not know there was grain in Egypt? Jacob was a little perturbed with them, “Why do you look at one another?” Maybe it sounds a little like Joseph’s sassy mouth? Chip off the old block, maybe?

3So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin.... 6Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.

In this moment, one of the prophetic dreams Joseph had back in Canaan was fulfilled and the second one was already underway. Their food bowed to Joseph’s food, fulfilled. The other dream was an authority over the family. The brothers bowed, and what Joseph is about to do shows his authority over the entire family. We’ll see that his father has to bow to his wishes as well.

7Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them.

Joseph sounds like he’s taking a bit of revenge on his brothers. Makes us wonder, did he completely change? Is he justified?

Joseph goes on to call his brothers spies, because he remembered the dreams and then it seemed like he remembered the difficult time they gave him. He’s trying to put them in the same prison he lived in, but this time as spies.

10And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”

“Your servants,” they are submitted to his authority!

After some back and forth, (13) “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”

Still lying about Joseph being dead and right to his face this time.

14But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15In this manner you shall be tested: … you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16Send 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, … surely you are spies!” 17So he put them all together in prison three days.

Joseph is not exacting revenge on his brothers, as most of us have been taught. We need to have supernatural wisdom to understand what’s actually taking place here. Let’s read a little farther first.

18Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: He requested that one of the brothers stay back in the prison until they come back with the youngest brother to verify their story.

But Joseph really wants to see Benjamin.

21Then 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.”

Now they start to have a change of heart, when the situation was turned back on them. Joseph is giving them a prison experience, like he had, so they can do some soul searching and have a change of heart too! While we might be interpreting this situation as Joseph being mean, taking the upper hand or even revenge, Joseph wanted to make sure their hearts were in the right place as well before he revealed that he was governor and basically ruled Egypt. They too were going to be even more wealthy and hold a place of honor in Egypt. It wasn’t just Joseph that had some attitude to break off, so did his brothers. If you go back up to verse 13, “and one is no more,” stop for a moment and think, none of his brother searched for him or went to see what became of him. They all collectively decided to treat him as dead, even though they knew he was not “no more.” They never admitted guilt to each other or made things right before the Lord, and that point becomes more and more clear as we read on.