Introduction
7. Joseph’s brothers’ first journey into Egypt ch. 42
Joseph awakened his brothers’ guilty consciences when he put his brothers in prison as spies after they had come to Egypt for grain. By keeping Simeon hostage while allowing the others to bring Benjamin back, Joseph pricked their consciences even more.
Joseph treated his brothers as he did to discover how they felt toward Jacob and Benjamin, who had taken Joseph’s place in Jacob’s affections. He also did so to see if they had genuinely repented of their sin against himself. He apparently did not act out of revenge, and he was not vindictive. Joseph simply wanted to uncover his brothers’ hearts.
"Joseph’s tests of his brothers were important in God’s plan to channel his blessing through the seed of Abraham. God had planned to bring the family to Egypt so that it might grow into a great nation [Genesis 15:13]. But because the people who would form that nation had to be faithful, the brothers needed to be tested before they could share in the blessing. Joseph’s prodding had to be subtle; the brothers had to perceive that God was moving against them so that they would acknowledge their crime against Joseph and demonstrate that they had changed. If they failed the test, God could have started over with Joseph, just as he had said he would with Moses in Exodus 32:10, when his wrath was kindled against Israel." [Note: Ross, Creation and . . ., p. 647.]
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