The Life Of Joseph - From Prison To Prime Minister - Part 10
Passing The Test! Genesis 42 verses 33-44
As we have looked at the life of Joseph, we have seen him trusting God in almost impossible situations and finally, by God’s providence, he had been promoted to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt, the greatest nation of the day. Famine had hit the entire area, and his brothers, who sold him into slavery many years earlier, had returned to their father, Jacob, in Canaan, with the generous supplies of food provided by Joseph, but also with some startling news. They are faced with…
A problem. The brothers explained to their father that this powerful courtier, whom they had not recognised as their long-lost brother, had kept Simeon as an hostage until they returned with their youngest brother, Benjamin. Jacob was distraught, confidently assuring them that there was no way he would allow them to take his youngest son back to Egypt. Such bold talking was all very well as long as they had supplies of food, but as they began to run out, the brothers again put pressure on Jacob, saying “The man warned us solemnly ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you’” (Genesis 43 verse 3). What a lesson this is for us! Many years before, Jacob had deceived his brother, Esau, and his father, Isaac, now he is reaping a little of the wild oats he had sown. God was testing him to see if he had learnt his lesson. Perhaps you have hurt someone close to you, and you think you have got away with it. It seems that there is no possibility of your sin ever catching up with you. We must never forget that God is the One with whom we all have to do! Even if our sin is not revealed during our earthly life, the Word of God assures us that ultimately we will all have to give an account to God. If we do not know Him as a personal Saviour and Friend, we will stand before the Great White Throne of God and, as Revelation 20 verse 12 tells us, the dead will be “judged according to what they have done as recorded in the books”. Even if we are true believers, “Each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14 verse 12) at The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5 verse 10). This is not to judge us for our sins, but to determine the nature of our reward.
To return to our story, we will see next …
A proposition. It is to the credit of Judah, Jacob's fourth eldest son, that he manfully undertook responsibility for Benjamin’s safety, saying “I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him” (Genesis 43 verse 9). At long last the brothers were beginning to “stand up and be counted”. As you listen to this programme, may I ask you a personal question? How do you respond when “the chips are down”? When the pressure is on, and the road is uphill and rough, do you stand up for truth and righteousness, or do you simply follow the crowd? Finally, after a great deal of persuading by his sons, Jacob agreed to let Benjamin return to Egypt with them, as they went again in search of more food supplies.
As the brothers set off for Egypt, they not only took money for the food but also presents for Joseph. When the travellers arrived at Egypt they were given special treatment, being shown into Joseph’s house, where a sumptuous meal was prepared for them. You can imagine their consternation! They said, one to another, “He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys” (Genesis 43 verse 18). These were, of course, the very men who had dealt so treacherously with Joseph, their brother, selling him into slavery. Now, like their father, they were being given a stern lesson which they would never forget. Sometimes we, as Christians, need to be disciplined. God’s Word reminds us that fathers discipline their sons in order to teach them lessons, then it proceeds to say that in the same way “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness” (Hebrews 12 verse 10). When we feel God’s hand upon us in discipline, we should always endeavour to discover what He is trying to teach us. God was really working in the lives of these tough men, and they were quick to approach Joseph’s steward to inform him that although they had paid for the food supplied on their previous visit, their money was discovered in their sacks on the homeward journey. The Egyptian steward then gave a quite remarkable testimony: “It’s all right, don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver”. Then he brought their brother, Simeon, out to them, and to their amazement, he took them into Joseph’s own house, giving them water to wash their feet and food for their donkeys.
Eventually Joseph came into the room. It was a very touching scene as he saw his younger brother, Benjamin, and he hurried into a side room in order to weep. Here was the Prime Minister of Egypt, with major international responsibilities, yet he was deeply moved as he saw the youngest member of his family. Here, too, is a challenge for us. There are times when we become so ambitious and materialistic, that family matters come a long way down our list of priorities. There are many husbands who neglect their wives and families in order to succeed materially, and many family members who couldn’t care less what happens to their brothers and sisters. We must remember that it is God who has established the family unit, and we will always lose out if we allow our relationships to be weakened.
Finally we see …
A plot. There were to be more tests for the brothers, however, before Joseph would be satisfied that they had learnt their lesson.
First of all, to their amazement, he sat them down in order of age. The Bible record says “They were astonished”. Then, as the food was being served, Joseph instructed his servants to place special portions before his younger brother, Benjamin. No doubt he remembered that it was the way in which his father had favoured him as a young lad, that had fuelled his brothers’ jealousy. This act of giving Benjamin special treatment was to lead up to the final test! Thankfully they appear to have stood up well to this examination, for their is no record of any dissension.
Then followed the crunch line. This was to be the final trial to see how well they had passed the tests! As Joseph’s servants filled the sacks of his brothers with food, they returned their silver payments in the mouth of each sack, and then placed Joseph’s special silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. As soon as the new day dawned the men were sent on their homeward journey, and they hadn’t gone far when Joseph’s steward caught up with them and accused them of stealing his master’s silver cup. The brothers were indignant in their denials, but as the sacks were searched, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s, their distress knew no limits. When they faced Joseph, who doubtless looked very stern, they threw themselves on the ground before him as Judah remarked “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves - we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup” (Genesis 44 verse 16). They are beginning to pass this test with flying colours, although we will have to wait until our next study in order to see the final outcome! No doubt Joseph, knowing that his brothers were really innocent, was thrilled to hear them back their young brother so wholeheartedly. What a different group of men this was from the one which had plotted and schemed to kill him as he visited them in the fields of Dothan. God had worked in their hearts in an amazing way, and so far they had passed all the tests put to them by Joseph.
What an encouragement it is for those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, to read the words of 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but…He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”. These words were not only written for the Christians living at that time, but are a promise we can claim with complete confidence. God is faithful; He will give you the strength to resist temptation, if you will depend upon Him totally.