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The story of Joseph's being recognized by his brothers is the longest story in the book of Genesis, occupying three and a half chapters, from the beginning of chapter forty-two to the middle of chapter forty-five. When I was young, I thought that Joseph was too hard on his brothers. I thought that it was all right for Joseph to be hard on them the first time they came to Egypt to buy grain. As a man of God, he had the patience to discipline them, and for at least six months they underwent a trial. However, when they came to Egypt the second time, I thought that Joseph should not have done anything further to discipline them. According to my opinion, Joseph should have immediately revealed himself to them. However, Joseph did not do this.
For a long time I wondered about the reason for this. Certainly the first test of Joseph's brothers was necessary. We all agree with Joseph in testing them the first time. However, perhaps you also have wondered why Joseph tested his brothers again. On the one hand, he spread a feast for them and ate with them. But on the other hand, he gave them more trouble. What was Joseph's purpose in doing so? I believe Joseph expected his brothers to notice certain hints or indications and thus to recognize him. There should have been no need for Joseph to reveal himself to them directly.
In order to understand Gen. 43, we need to remember that Joseph is both a type of Christ and also the reigning aspect of the mature life. Because Joseph was a type of Christ, we should not criticize anything he did. We are far below Joseph's standard. Whatever he did was the best, whether we agree with it or not. The Christ typified by Joseph could not do anything wrong. We would not do the same thing Joseph did because we are not as mature as Joseph was. We do not represent the reigning aspect of the matured life; we represent disobedience. This is the reason we do not agree with Joseph. However, if we came up to Joseph's standard, we would admit that what Joseph did to his brothers was the best. In his dealing with them there was no trace of childishness or foolishness. On the contrary, his dealings were wise and full of discernment. He dealt with his brothers so that they might be disciplined. Nothing he did to them was for his own benefit.
Just as Joseph's brothers were forced to turn to him again, so the children of Israel will be forced to turn to Christ (Gen. 43:1-15). According to the Bible, the house of Israel will return to Christ at the end of this age and recognize Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah. However, before they do this, they will need to be tested. The book of Zechariah reveals that the remnant of Israel will be put on trial. Even a good number of the Israelites will be killed. At the time the house of Israel turns to Christ, not very many Israelites will remain. They will be tested because they refuse to return to the One they need.
Consider the nation of Israel today. How they are struggling to protect themselves! Since 1918 I have been watching the world situation. Before the reformation of the nation of Israel, the Jews were scattered, and people paid little attention to them. Especially since 1967 the Middle East has been the focus of world news, the most crucial place on earth. Israel is opposed by nearly the whole world. Both the Arab countries and the United Nations condemn them. At times even the United States disagrees with Israel. Thus, she must fight for her existence. Israel is condemned by other countries because she has possession of the Golan Heights and the land west of the Jordan River. Israel insists on keeping these territories because she needs them to maintain her existence. However, if the nation of Israel would turn to Christ, everything would be solved. But Israel will not turn to Christ until she is forced to do so.
Joseph's brothers were ignorant concerning Joseph (Gen. 43:18-21), and the Jews today are ignorant of Christ. Joseph's brothers did not know that he was the ruler in Egypt. But their dissatisfaction due to the lack of food forced them to turn to Joseph. According to the prophecies in the Old Testament, the house of Israel will turn to Christ for no reason other than their need to maintain their existence. Apart from turning to Christ, there will be no way for them to exist.
It was the severity of the famine that forced Joseph's brothers to come to him again. The first time they came to Egypt they obtained some food on which to live. Thus, they returned home and stayed away from Joseph for another period of time. This is a portrait of the dealing of Christ with the house of Israel today. Unless Israel is forced to turn to Him out of their need to maintain their existence, they will never turn to Christ. Because the food brought home by Joseph's brothers was exhausted, and because the famine continued to be severe, they were forced to go again to the very one whom they did not want to see. I believe that after the first contact with Joseph his brothers had a bad impression of him. Perhaps they said, "If possible, we will never go back to that man. We don't want to see him again. He treated us very badly." The house of Israel is the same today regarding Christ. They do not want to even talk about Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the steering wheel is not in their hands; it is in Christ's hands. At a certain time, they will return to Him.
Joseph was wise and very experienced. He did not allow his excitement at seeing his brothers or his desire to see his father to cause him to act foolishly. Rather, he was wise and calm, disciplining his brothers at the sacrifice of fulfilling his desire to see his father. If I had been Joseph, I would have revealed myself to the brothers as soon as they came to me the second time, and I would have told them to hurry back to my father and bring him to me. I would not have even taken the time to feast with my brothers before sending them back to get my father. But if Joseph had been like this, he would not have been qualified to be the ruler of the world. Joseph was a person full of wise discernment. Thus, he was a full type of Christ. Christ never does anything according to His excitement. The world situation is under His hand. The car is not being driven by any worldly leader, but by the Lord Jesus. He is managing the situation in the Middle East.
From the time Joseph's brothers first came to Egypt, they were undergoing a test. I do not believe they had any happy times after meeting Joseph in Egypt. They would not have been able to forget Simeon who was in prison there. They also realized that their supply of food obtained in Egypt was limited. They knew that one day it would be exhausted and that they would have to return to Egypt and face that man again. Their need for food forced them to return to him.
In order for Joseph's brothers to recognize him, they had to pass through a certain process. According to the prophecies in the Bible, the house of Israel will need to pass through a similar process in order to recognize Christ as their Messiah. Christ will deal with them again and again until the house of Israel is forced to turn to Him. There simply will be no other way for Israel to exist.
When Jacob charged his sons to go back to Egypt and buy more food, they told him that they could not return to Egypt unless the youngest brother, Benjamin, went with them. Without having Benjamin with them, they would not have had the boldness to face that man in Egypt. They realized that it would be useless for them to return to Egypt without him. What a test this was! Eventually, Jacob was forced to agree with this condition. Jacob seemed to say, "For the sake of your lives and the lives of your children, I am willing to sacrifice my youngest son. I give him to you. Go down to Egypt and buy food." Do you think that Joseph's brothers were happy as they were traveling from the land of Canaan to Egypt? Do you think that they were singing and saying, "Praise the Lord, we are going to Egypt again!"? Certainly not. On the contrary, all the way to Egypt they might have been saying to one another, "What shall we do with that man who put Simeon into prison? Probably the first thing he will do is put our youngest brother into prison. He may even seek a reason to take all of us as his slaves. Furthermore, he may seize our donkeys. What shall we do?" I am rather certain that Joseph's brothers were afraid of becoming slaves and of losing their donkeys, which undoubtedly were very dear to them. I believe that as they were traveling to Egypt they were trying to find a strategy to use in facing Joseph.
After the brothers came the second time, Joseph showed them love by feasting with them in his residence. Although they did not recognize him, he wanted to indicate to them that he was intimate with them, even as he was testing them. At the end time, Christ will do the same thing to Israel. On the one hand, He will test them further, while on the other hand, He will take care of them in love.
Although their Messiah will show love to them, the Israelites will continue to be ignorant of Christ's love. I am assured that Christ is for Israel. Whether or not we are for Israel means nothing, for we are mere men. But it is vitally significant that Christ is for Israel. However, Israel today is ignorant of Christ's love. Eventually, after they have been forced to turn to Him, Christ will be forced to reveal Himself to them. At that time the house of Israel will recognize Him as their Messiah.
Now we come to another parenthesis. My burden in this message is actually on the parenthesis. In Gen. 43:1-15 Joseph's brothers were still learning their lesson, and in Gen. 43:16-34 Joseph still left them under his test. Although he showed them love, he did not reveal himself to them directly. Joseph tested his brothers because he was trying to induce them to recognize him. Joseph's brothers were stupid. If we had been they, we would have recognized Joseph by the many indications of his identity. Let us now consider these indications.
When Joseph's brothers came back, Joseph did not say a word. Rather, he charged his steward to invite the brothers to his residence, the home of the ruler of the earth. If I had been one of Joseph's brothers, I would have said, "We are foreigners visiting this country. We don't deserve this much attention. Why would such a high ruler invite us to his home to eat with him?" Perhaps you would say that Joseph's brothers thought that he would trick them and make them his slaves. Perhaps they had this thought. At any rate, they did not appreciate Joseph's invitation, but rather were frightened by it. Thus, they told the steward that the last time they had purchased grain they had paid the money, but the money had been placed in their sacks. They told him that they had not done this. The steward said, "Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks" (Gen. 43:23). The steward seemed to be saying, "It was not that your money was returned to you. It was a gift from your God and from the God of your father." After Joseph's brothers had visited him the first time, Joseph must have spoken to his steward about them, at least telling him that they were Hebrews and that he had come to Egypt from their land. He must have told the steward that they knew God and feared Him. Otherwise, how could an Egyptian steward have answered in such a way? From whom had the steward received this kind of knowledge? He no doubt had received it from Joseph. This was an indication to Joseph's brothers that someone in Joseph's residence knew their background. After indicating to them that there was no problem regarding the money, "the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender" (Gen. 43:24). He also brought Simeon out to them. Thus, the problems regarding the money and Simeon were solved.
Eventually, Joseph came in and asked, "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?" (43:27). No matter how much Joseph had disguised himself, there must have been some sign of affection in the way he asked about his father. Joseph was not a stone, but a man full of affection. The tone of his voice in asking about his father must have been an indication of who he was. Verse 29 says, "And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son." After saying this, Joseph ran into his chamber and wept. At that point Joseph's brothers should have asked themselves, "What is this? Why does the ruler ask about our father in such an affectionate way? And why did he not finish speaking to our youngest brother? He went out and came back with his face washed. What does all this mean?"
Immediately after Joseph returned, he had his brothers sit before him, "the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth" (43:33). The brothers wondered at one another. Certainly they should have realized by this indication that this ruler was Joseph. There must have been particular features in Joseph's countenance that they could have recognized, even after twenty-two years. If they had put all the indications together, they would have said, "This is Joseph." They should have remembered that Joseph was taken to Egypt, and they should have realized that this man was Joseph.
Verse 34 says, "And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs." There must have been a purpose in Joseph's giving Benjamin a portion five times greater than that of the other brothers. His intention must have been to indicate to his brothers that he was Joseph and that he loved his younger brother. If I had been there, I would have had the boldness to ask the man if he was Joseph. However, none of his brothers did this. Rather, they had no discernment.
With respect to our knowing the Lord it is exactly the same today. The Lord showed Himself to us and we saw Him, yet we did not know Him. He did many things for us with a good intention, but we were frightened by what He did. Everything He did was motivated by love, but we had evil thoughts regarding it all.
Joseph had a loving intention in inviting his brothers to his home for a feast. But they had the evil thought that he was planning to seize them and make them slaves. Verse 18 says, "And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses." The money and the donkeys were veils that kept Joseph's brothers from recognizing him. The donkeys meant a great deal to them, but they meant nothing to Joseph. Later, when Joseph sent his brothers back to get his father, he sent chariots with horsemen. Their money and their donkeys meant something to them. These were all they had. They were also afraid of being taken as slaves. It is the same with us today. The Lord may be directly in front of us and He may have done a great deal for us, but we cannot recognize Him or what He has done. Rather, we are afraid. Joseph's brothers should have realized that the ruler of world would not have cared about their donkeys. We are the same way. When we came to Christ and then into the church life, we might have wondered about our money, our security, or our family. Joseph's brothers were poor. But they were under the rich care of the ruler of the earth. If I had been there, I would have said, "Forget about the money and the donkeys. I want only Joseph. I love him." In knowing the Lord, we are all as foolish as Joseph's brothers. Instead of considering Him, we consider ourselves, our money, and our donkeys. Joseph's brothers should have turned their eyes on Joseph and looked at him. If they had done so, they would have realized that the man resembled Joseph. But for them to look at Joseph, they had to forget their money. However, they kept their eyes on their money and might have said to one another, "Don't you realize this is a lot of money? We must be careful not to lose it." I doubt that Joseph's brothers set their eyes on his countenance adequately. If they had done so, they would have recognized him. Levi might have said to Reuben, "I am quite sure this man is Joseph. Let us not be afraid, but be bold and ask if he really is Joseph."
Today there are not many who know the Lord in this way. However, there are a few who recognize the indications of the Lord's deeds and realize that what happened to them was of the Lord. In our knowing of the Lord, most of us are exactly like Joseph's brothers. We do not consider Him. Instead, we consider our money, our possessions, and ourselves. Joseph's brothers did not search for the reason that a high ruler would do such things for them. They were fully occupied with their own interests. They had no thought that the man who was dealing with them might be Joseph. It is the same with us. No matter how many good things the Lord has done for us, we still do not understand what the Lord is doing. The Lord does everything with a good intention, but we regard it as a curse. Even if we knew it was a blessing, we still would not receive it.
Joseph's brothers had no discernment. Even after he had seated them according to the sequence of their birth, they still did not realize who he was. They had become preoccupied even before they had left home to travel to Egypt. Joseph's heart was good, but their thought concerning him was evil. They were totally preoccupied by their evil thoughts. We would do the same thing if we had evil thoughts towards someone who, with a good intention, invited us to his home for dinner. Due to our evil thoughts, we might fear that poison had been injected into the food. Although we might not be able to refuse the invitation, we would be afraid to eat the food set before us. Our host's intention is love, but our thought is evil. Joseph's brothers were filled with such thoughts. These thoughts were the colored glasses that kept them from seeing who Joseph was.
In addition to all these indications of Joseph's identity, there are two further indications. Verse 32 says, "And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians." Three tables were prepared, one for Joseph, one for the Egyptians, and one for the brothers. This indicates that the Egyptians did not eat according to the Hebrew way. In what way do you suppose Joseph ate, in the Egyptian way or the Hebrew way? Certainly he must have eaten in the Hebrew way. Joseph's brothers should have recognized that here was an Egyptian eating in the Hebrew way, a way that was abominable to the Egyptians. Joseph ordered the tables to be set up this way in order to indicate to his brothers that he was a Hebrew. The brothers should have considered that this ruler was a Hebrew. How stupid Joseph's brothers were! If I had been there, I would have said, "Levi, this man is a Hebrew. Furthermore, he is younger than we are. Look at his face. Isn't he Joseph?" Although Joseph spoke the Egyptian language, they should have recognized his voice and his intonation. Nevertheless, they still failed to recognize him.
Still another indication is found in verse 26: "And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth." When Joseph's brothers were bowing down to him, they should have remembered his dream. Twenty-two years before Joseph had had a dream, and now it was being fulfilled. If you had been one of Joseph's brothers bowing down to him, you might have said, "This might be Joseph, the master of dreams." Although Joseph's brothers had heard about the dream and were in the fulfillment of the dream, they did not recognize Joseph.
Perhaps you are wondering why Joseph did not simply reveal himself to his brothers at that time. If Joseph had done this, he would have been very childish. He preferred to give them some indications to help them to recognize who he was. How sweet it would have been if they had recognized him! However, due to their preoccupations and stupidity, it did not happen this way.
All of us today are under the hand of our Joseph. What we should do and where we should go is up to Him. How long it will be before we come back to Him depends on how much food He gives us. If He gives us food to last ten years, then we shall return after ten years. But He will not give us this much. Rather, He gives us a limited amount to force us to come back to Him sooner. Joseph knew that his brothers would return after a certain period of time. He knew how many people there were in his father's family and he knew how much food to give them. They were under Joseph's control. Hallelujah, we today are under the Lord's sovereign hand! Do not worry about the present or the future. You are not under your own control, but under the Lord's control. Do not trust in your donkeys, that is, in your degree or in your job. Your destiny is under the hand of the Lord Jesus, and your future is under His control. I would like to share with you the good news that the Lord is still lovingly and sovereignly caring for us. What He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do is all motivated by love. In love He is seeking to induce us to know Him through the various indicators He gives us. All that He has done are indicators to lead us to know Him. Do not remain preoccupied, setting your eyes on your money, your donkeys, or yourself. Look away to Jesus and set your eyes on Him. If you do this, you will see Him, recognize Him, and know Him.
I like this story of Joseph and his brothers because it portrays my situation in knowing the Lord. How stupid I have been! The Lord has always been good to me, but I have constantly been worried that I would be damaged or suffer loss. All that Joseph did to his brothers was motivated by love. It is the same with the Lord Jesus in relation to us. If we would consider our past before the Lord, our tears would begin to fall and we would say, "Lord, I realize that my past has been just like that of Joseph with his brothers. You have always been good to me, but I have not recognized Your love because I have been occupied by evil thoughts and by my own concerns. Lord, I had no concern for You, and I never focused my eyes or my attention upon You. Lord, forgive me and help me from now on to keep my eyes away from everything other than You. Lord, I don't care for anything, not even for the invitation. I care only for You and for being in Your presence. Lord, as long as I am here in Your presence, I am satisfied." This is the way to know the Lord.
If Joseph's brothers had been like this, with no preoccupations and no concerns for their money, their donkeys, or themselves, and if they had focused their eyes on Joseph, they would have seen certain features in his face which would have enabled them to recognize him. They also would have recognized him through what he had done for them. Hence, they would have said, "We should not forget that we sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt. Remember that his servants spoke of our God and our father's God. Also, we were seated at the table according to our birth. Moreover, consider the way this man treated Benjamin, and the affection in his voice when he asked about our father. When he spoke to Benjamin, he almost broke down and cried." How many indications there were to Joseph's brothers that this man was Joseph!
It is the same with us today in knowing the Lord. Do you think that the many good things that have happened to you have been accidental? No, they have all taken place with a purpose. But in the past we did not recognize what God was doing. May the Lord help us to know our Joseph. He has no evil thoughts toward us. Rather, His concern for us is a concern of love, and His intention is to induce us to know Him. The best thing is to know Him.
Even after Joseph's brothers had been dealt with so much, they still did not realize that they were meeting with Joseph. As we shall see in another message, their ignorance eventually forced Joseph to be patient no longer, but to reveal himself to them. My burden in this message is that we would be clear regarding the way to know the Lord. I can testify that many times the Lord has shown His love to me and has dealt with me in certain ways, yet I did not recognize Him or what He was doing. I was completely ignorant. But today we have a clear vision. Now we recognize Joseph and understand that everything He does is with the intention of helping us to know Him. May we all learn this lesson.
