As we’ve journeying through our family history in the second half of Genesis, we’ve heard how God has been working on the lives of Joseph’s unrepentant brothers.

Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, because he was the first child of Jacob’s favorite wife. Jacob did not hide his favoritism toward Joseph, such as when he gave Joseph the fancy coat. As time passed, Jacob’s other ten sons became extremely jealous and angry at Joseph. Their rage grew to the point of murderous intent. They sought to do what ought not be done—murder an innocent human being, a fellow soul made in God’s image. In the end, they decided not to murder him. But… still wanting nothing to do with him, they sold Joseph into slavery and allowed their father and sisters to believe an animal had killed him. The group of ten brothers proceeded to live that lie—live in that state of unrepentance for the next twenty-plus years.

Then there’s the twelfth son of Jacob, Benjamin (Joseph’s full-blooded brother). He was a young boy when the older brothers sold Joseph into slavery. He had nothing to do with it. So, the brothers kept their secret from their father, their sisters, and their youngest brother all these years.

As we heard last week, they have admitted they shouldn’t have done it to Joseph, but they still blame one another for the sin. They haven’t yet been willing to confess their sin as their sin.

Even so, the Holy Spirit has been at work on them. Through a word of Law by Tamar, the Spirit brought Judah to repentance for his other sins. He’s experiencing a change in heart. Sometimes repentance of the heart comes about instantaneously, and sometimes it’s a more gradual process. The Holy Spirit works as He wills—and He’s working on these brothers, bringing them to a repentance that leads to life by means of the words of Joseph. 

When the ten brothers first went down to Egypt to buy grain during the severe famine, Joseph had told them not to come back ever again unless they bring their youngest brother. They had no idea they were dealing with Joseph. They thought he was just an Egyptian leader who was paranoid that they were spies.

Upwards of a year or two has passed. The famine is hitting especially hard so that if something doesn’t happen, they all face the possibility of starving to death. We’re having to learn how to juggle different themes at once, because there are so many elements to this part of Scripture. Joseph is alive but his family thinks he’s dead, right? There’s the unrepentance of the brothers, as the Holy Spirit works on their hearts by means of their interactions with Joseph. There’s the fact that Joseph went from favorite son to slave to prisoner to Egyptian ruler. And then, oh yeah, there’s the reality of a very severe famine that threatens the lives of Jacob’s family—and the salvation of the world because the Savior has been promised through Jacob’s family.

While the famine had grown in severity, the family used up the food they bought. Things were looking dire, and Jacob was really struggling with God again. His sons said they have to bring Benjamin in order to get more food, but he doesn’t want to risk it. However, he’s put it off long enough, because the family is at a crossroads. So, Jacob must think: do I risk losing Benjamin or do I lose him anyway through starvation? His fourth son, Judah, speaks up. He says they need to go, they need to bring Benjamin, and to the best of his abilities he will make sure Benjamin is safe. If not, he’s willing to bear the guilt. Picturing our Lord Jesus Christ, Judah offers to be the scapegoat should something happen to Benjamin.

Jacob feels forced into it, and yet he allows for Benjamin to go with them. He knows that the hand of the Lord is behind everything. He says, “If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” The statement is made with both a hint of grief and faith in the Lord’s wonderous works. God is in control and He will accomplish His purposes. If the Lord calls Benjamin home for whatever reason, then he will still trust in the wisdom of the Lord. Jacob’s faith is in the Lord, as revealed by his prayer that “God Almighty” (one of the ways God identified Himself to Abraham)… Jacob prays that “God Almighty” would grant his sons mercy as they appear before the Egyptian ruler.

Before they leave, Jacob has an idea to try to butter up the Egyptian ruler in a similar way he did with Esau. The family gathers together various delicacies as a present for the Egyptian ruler. They are still very confused and a bit nervous about the fact that the last time they went to Egypt, they paid for their food and then they found the money back in their bags. They are afraid of being accused of stealing. So, Jacob has them bring double silver to pay for both food purchases. 

The fear of being accused of stealing gnaws at the brothers, especially when they arrive in Egypt and are brought to Joseph’s house. They aren’t sure of the Egyptian ruler’s intent. He spoke harshly with them the last time they were there, demanding the youngest brother be brought down and imprisoning Simeon to make sure it happens. And now, they’re brought to his house! What if he’s up to no good!?!

The brothers sold Joseph for sliver—and some of the guilt may be haunting them as they worry about being accused of stealing silver. They can’t wait anymore, and explain everything to Joseph’s servant.

He replies to them, “Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.”

Now, the servant gives an answer that’s interesting for two reasons. The first reason is that he acknowledges they paid. So, either Joseph didn’t charge them and his servant knows, or Joseph paid for their grain himself and his servant is under the impression that they paid.

The second reason his answer is of interest is important. The servant speaks of their God. So, maybe Joseph has told his servant about God. Or maybe Joseph’s servant has seen Joseph’s life of devotion to God and the servant himself has begun to model it. Maybe… just maybe… Joseph’s servant has even begun to worship the one true God. We don’t know which of these is the correct answer. But what Joseph’s servant says becomes a reminder to the brothers of who they are supposed to be—servants of the Lord rather than servants of themselves. If they are servants of themselves, then they reject the Lord. If they are servants of the Lord, then they live in His gracious mercy and strive to follow His ways.

When the brothers tricked the Shechemites as we heard quite a while ago, they were servants of themselves. When they became jealous of Joseph, they were servants of themselves. When they conspired to kill him, they were servants of themselves. When they sold him into slavery, they were servants of themselves. When they lied to their father and lived the lie, they were servants of themselves.

How have you been a servant of yourself in your attitude towards God and others? Has your heart sought to serve yourself or the Lord? Have your thoughts, words, and deeds sought to serve yourself or the Lord? When we disobey God, we serve ourselves. When we live selfishly, we serve ourselves.

Through His death and resurrection, Christ Jesus has broken the shackles by which we human creatures constantly, continually reject the Lord and His ways. Jesus has set us free by His Word of Good News, flowing from His shed blood, to forgive you, renew you, and lead you. The Holy Spirit creates within every sinner who receives God’s message of death because of sin but new life through Christ’s sacrifice… the Holy Spirit creates a new heart and renews a new spirit within each believer that seeks to live for God. When we seek to live for God, trusting His gracious mercy, then fruit of faith is born and enlivened. The servant—knowingly or unknowingly—was reminding Joseph’s brothers and us of our relationship to our God.

Scholars say that in Hebrew culture the evening meal was the day’s big meal, while in Egyptian culture the noon meal was the big meal. So, Joseph comes home from work to partake of the noon meal, and things get a bit interesting.

There’s no mention that he really acknowledges their gift. He may have known his father was behind the gift, since that was his mode of operation. Nevertheless, they give him the gift and bow down before him once again—fulfilling the dreams Joseph had many years before. Like he did the first time they came down to Egypt, Joseph carefully asks his brothers about their father, so as not to reveal himself. Upon seeing Benjamin, he gives a blessing.

Having finally spoken to Benjamin after all this time, Joseph can no longer control his emotions. The reading says that “his compassion grew warm.” Usually when we think of compassion, we think of feeling sorry for someone else’s bad situation to the point we want to help them. Here the meaning is simply that he was overcome with emotions to the point it affected him physically. So, he quickly leaves the room to cry. The reason for the weeping could have ranged significantly—joy at seeing Benjamin (for sure), anger or frustration or sorrow that he was taken away from home so long before, a longing to see his father, and so on.

When the meal is served, Joseph eats by himself because he is not only a high government official but he did marry into a priestly family, so he’s now a part of that social group; the servants eat by themselves because the Egyptians did not eat with foreigners; and the brothers all eat together facing Joseph—seated by their ages! This simply stuns them. How did the Egyptian ruler know? They may assume, perhaps, it’s because he practices dark arts.

As another test of his brothers, Benjamin gets five times the amount of food the rest of the brothers receive. Will they be jealous? Will they become angry in the same way they were jealous and angry at Joseph many years before? While they may have been curious why Benjamin was demanded to be brought down to Egypt, then given a unique blessing, and then given more food than the rest of them, none of the other brothers complain or say a word about it.

Instead, we are told that “they drank and were merry with him.” The brothers who more than twenty years before, hated Joseph so much that they refused to even talk to him anymore, and then conspired to murder him, and then sold him into slavery, now at this very moment dine and fellowship with Joseph—unknowingly—and they have a great time! They aren’t blinded by their sinful hatred, and they actually enjoy spending time with Joseph. That’s the damage sin does.

But the Holy Spirit is working on the hearts of Joseph’s brothers through Joseph by means of the compassion and work of our Lord Jesus Christ who makes all things new. The same Holy Spirit works on our hearts through the power of Christ Jesus’ Good News of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Amen.