Genesis 42:1-25

When Jacob saw that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you stare at one another?”

² And he said, “See, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and purchase grain for us there, so that we may live and not die.”

³ So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to purchase grain in Egypt.

⁴ But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, because he said “what if something bad might happen to him”.

⁵ So the sons of Israel came to purchase among the others who came, because the famine was in the land of Canaan.

⁶ Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.

⁷ Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to purchase food.”

⁸ So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

⁹ And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the vulnerability of the land.”

¹⁰ They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to purchase food.

¹¹ We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.”

¹² He said to them, “No, it is the vulnerability of the land that you have come to see.”

¹³ And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and see, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.”

¹⁴ But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies.

¹⁵ This is how you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you will not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

¹⁶ Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”

¹⁷ And he put them all together in custody for three days.

¹⁸ On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:

¹⁹ if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households,

²⁰ and bring your youngest brother to me. So your statements will be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so.

²¹ Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

²² And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.”

²³ They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

²⁴ Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

²⁵ And Joseph gave orders, and they filled their bags with grain. He also commanded them to replace every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them.

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there comes a reckoning

Joseph’s ten brothers go to Egypt to buy food during the famine and encounter governor Zaphenath-paneah. He appears to mistrust them, and takes Simeon as prisoner. He insists that they return to Canaan and fetch their youngest brother, Benjamin – to prove that they are not spies. The other brothers know that this is happening because of what they had done to Joseph. They recognize not only their guilt, but God’s hand in this consequence that has come upon them. Joseph seeks to fulfill his dream (9). He is being used to bring his entire family to Egypt, according to God’s plan.

LORD, help us to lead others to recognize their guilt – and then to see your grace, and promise of rescue.