JOSEPH #22 | JOSEPH IN EGYPT #4 | JOSEPH BUSINESS STRATEGIES #3
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3618
JOSEPH #22
JOSEPH IN EGYPT #4
JOSEPH BUSINESS STRATEGIES #3
In the midst of the crisis in Egypt, Joseph’s brothers arrived from Canaan, seeking to buy food, as the famine severely affected their land also.
They did not recognize Joseph, and he did not reveal himself to them.
He dealt with his brothers largely through the language of business to test their integrity.
1. He dealt objectively with them without letting his emotions get the better of him.
Thus, he concealed his identity from his brothers.
2. Secondly, he spoke harshly to his brothers with accusations he knew were unfounded (Gen. 42:7, 9, 14, 16; 44:3-5). In short, Joseph took advantage of his power to deal with a group he knew could be untrustworthy because of their earlier treatment of him.
His motive was to discern the present character of the people he was dealing with. He had suffered greatly at their hands over twenty years prior and had every reason to distrust their words, actions, and commitment to the family.
3. Joseph’s shrewdness had the intended effect of testing his brothers’ integrity, and they returned the silver Joseph had secretly packed in the baggage (Gen. 43:20-21).
4. When he tested them further by treating the youngest, Benjamin, more generously than the others, they proved they had learned not to fall into animosity among themselves the way they had done when they sold Joseph into slavery.
5. But seeing the change in Judah's character was the game-changer.
With Joseph, the brothers’ attitude was, “Who cares what happens to him?” By the time they face the prospect of losing Benjamin for the rest of his life, their heart has changed.
Where brotherly love had been lacking, it is now present. Where concern for their father’s feelings and happiness had been absent, it is now shown in a moving way.
After the long plea from Judah, Joseph's heart was changed (Genesis 44:18-34). For the first time, Judah himself set his father’s welfare above his own and was willing to sacrifice his own freedom for that of Benjamin’s and others.
This speech made his motives clear and demonstrated that he could be trusted. And it was only at this point that Joseph revealed himself to his brothers.
Because of Judah's selflessness, Joseph was able to bless them as God intended. He disclosed to them the full truth: “I am Joseph” (Gen.45:3 ).
What is our lesson today?
In the case of Joseph’s brothers, we learn that people really can stop being “hateful and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). Like all of us, Joseph’s brothers made mistakes. At least in some instances, though, they showed that they learned from their wrongs, matured, and made better choices in the future.
From the examples of both Judah and Joseph, we see how they both pointed to Christ's future sacrifice in forgiving us all.
