Today we arrive at Genesis 45. This is something of a milestone for us as a church. We have now walked through almost all of the book of Genesis together, and here at chapter 45 we arrive at the crescendo. The great moment in the divine symphony that is this book where the melody reaches the highest and most triumphant pitch. We could easily say that up to this point in Genesis we have seen much. God’s power, order, and goodness in creation, God’s kindness to Adam and Eve, the fall of man into sin, the mother-promise of Genesis 3:15, and God establishing and upholding His covenant with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and His sons.
Specifically for us, those sons come into view as our chapter begins. Recall that it was Judah who made the long and passionate speech at the end of chapter 44 where he stated his willingness to go into slavery forever so that Benjamin could go free and Jacob wouldn’t die of grief. For one who once sold another brother into slavery, this reveals a dramatic change of heart. It reveals repentance. Which, is simply too much for Joseph to handle. Tension has been building in his own soul for some time and we now arrive at the moment when he lets down all his defenses and reveals himself to his brothers. Later on Jacob also has a similar moment of exhilarated joy upon hearing this news, that Joseph is still alive. For the narrative having been dark up to this point, we might have wondered if dawn would ever come. Praise God (!), we now see it.
Two headings are before us today. See first…
Joseph Revealed (v1-15)
“Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.”
The chapter begins quickly, not skipping a beat from the action of the chapter before. Perhaps you remember now that twice before Joseph has broken down in tears as he talked with his brothers, each time running out of the room because he didn’t want anyone to see him weeping. But now Joseph breaks down a third time.[1] We see it in v1-3. He orders all his servants in the room to leave so that it’s only he and his brothers and once everyone’s out through tear filled eyes he cries out, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?”
Can you imagine the brothers at this point? v3 says they were dismayed and could not answer him at all. This word dismayed could also be translated ‘terrified.’ It’s used in other OT passages when an army is undone and terrified in front of their enemies. And I think we get why Joseph’s brothers feel this way. After all these years of being burdened with guilt for what they did to him, after all these years of believing him to be dead or long gone somewhere else, Joseph now stands before him as royalty in Egypt. And they’re likely thinking that he’ll be eager to deal out death and judgment from his position of power. But then v4 comes and we see a grace in Joseph that shines brightly. They won’t talk so he breaks the silence after his revealing in v3 and invites them closer to him and he says again, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.”
There is no more doubt, this is indeed Joseph! Now what follows is simply breathtaking. Joseph has no agenda to call his brothers to task, or to rebuke them for their sins, no. Rather he speaks to them of God’s sovereign purpose and plan. Four times in v5-9 Joseph makes it plain that God is the One who sent him to Egypt. v5, “God sent me before you to preserve life.” v7, “God sent me before you to preserve a remnant.” v8, “So it was not you who sent me here, but God.” And v9, “God has made me lord of all Egypt.” Yes. Joseph’s brothers did great evil against him, certainly. Joseph isn’t dismissing that, the brothers are responsible for their actions. What Joseph is doing here is having compassion on his brothers, and extending forgiveness to his brothers. A proper question upon seeing this is, why? Why would Joseph do this? How did he arrive at such a gracious posture after being so mistreated and abused by them? I think it’s clear in these verses. Joseph now sees God’s hand and purpose in all of these events.[2] Ultimately God was the One who sent him to Egypt. It was His hand that led him there. God was preserving a people. As Noah was used by God to preserve a remnant through the flood, so Joseph is used by God to preserve a remnant through the famine.
It’s important to see this for what it actually is. This verbiage is more than God just knowing that good would come from such evil, more than God just turning great evil to great good, this is God guiding, and planning, and orchestrating each detail of every step of His grand plan through human actions, and specifically here, actions that are morally wrong.[3] Sin therefore, as grievous and ruinous as it is, is a part of God’s plan for history. And how instructive is it for us to see that Joseph can forgive his brothers and have compassion on them here because He knows God has been sovereign over all of this sinful mess in his dysfunctional family?[4]
Lean into this for a moment.[5] The jealousy of his brothers, the dreams of his youth, his father’s favoritism, a seemingly random caravan of slavers headed for Egypt, Joseph’s being sold into slavery, his ending up in Potiphar’s house, his hard work in that home, Potiphar’s wife’s attraction to him and lies about him, his imprisonment, the later anger of Pharaoh and the imprisonment of other officials, their dreams, Joseph’s ability to interpret, Pharaoh’s own dreams, the change in climate from heavy rainfall in northern Africa to famine in the same region, the elevation of Joseph over all Egypt…none of this is chance, or happenstance, or circumstance. It’s all the powerful work of a sovereign God who is in His providence is carrying out His purposes.
We learn much in these verses about the doctrine of God’s sovereignty over every detail of life as well man’s responsibility for our actions. But we must remember that Joseph isn’t giving his brothers a lesson in theology here.[6]No. He’s comforting them with these truths, he’s showing them great grace, he’s reconciling with them with the truth of a sovereign God supporting it all.
And Joseph not only wants to reconcile with the brothers, he earnestly desires to see his father Jacob once again. So in v9-13 he requests the brothers hurry and leave and go tell their father Jacob about this news, and bring him back to Egypt. Joseph even promises to give the whole family all the land of Goshen and promises to provide for them during the remaining five years of famine still ahead of them. And then we see a sweet scene in v14-15 as the brothers all gather around Joseph and Benjamin, hugging and kissing and weeping and talking with one another. This was surely a moment they would all never forget. A long awaited and God-orchestrated reunion, sweet indeed.
Jacob Invited (v16-28)
“When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’” The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.” So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
News travels fast around the palace in Egypt. Joseph had kicked everyone out as he revealed himself to his brothers, but his servants heard the commotion and when word of the reunion finally broke out, that Joseph’s brothers had come, word reached even Pharaoh himself and he was pleased. So pleased in fact that in v17-20 Pharaoh doesn’t just offer to but commands Joseph to richly provide for his family and bring them all back so he can give them the best Egypt has to offer. So full wagons were prepared and packed. Many male and female donkeys were loaded with gifts, and grains, and breads. Do not forget there was a famine occurring at the time, so this was not just a very generous gift, it was a very costly gift from Pharaoh to Joseph’s family.[7] Which shows something of how greatly Pharaoh valued Joseph in his service.
Joseph also added to these gifts himself. In v21-23 he gave the wagons, and he gave the provisions, but he also gave them all new robes. How ironic that Joseph clothes his brothers with new fine robes when it was these brothers who long ago hated Joseph and stripped him of his fine robe.[8] What a gospel picture is this?? We who stripped Christ and hung Him on the cross to die are clothed by that very same Christ with His own fine robe of righteousness! And more so, to Benjamin Joseph gives five fine robes and tons of money. He is indeed a generous and gracious man.
As he sent them off in v24 he gave them some instruction, “Do not quarrel on the way.” What is this? It can be taken many ways but I think it’s Joseph’s way of making sure they actually make it back home without fighting with one another or blaming one another for all of this mess, so he’s in effect telling them, ‘I’ve forgiven you, so be kind to one another on the way home.’[9]
And as they got home in v25-28, my oh my do we see a sight to behold. They arrive home in v25, and tell Jacob their father of this great news in v26. And just as the brothers were dismayed and silent when Joseph revealed himself to them so too Jacob is numb, not believing it to be true. Or perhaps believing it to be too wonderful to be true. But in v27 Jacob sees with his own eyes all the wagons and all the donkeys full of gifts for him and finally understands that this is the greatest news he could ever receive, and his spirit revives! See the words that come next. In v28 he says, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Or in other words, his son who was dead is now alive again! Church, if there ever was a moment in the OT that resembled the father in the parable of the prodigal son, its this![10] That father saw his son far off and rejoiced that his son had returned. He was lost and was found, he was dead and was alive again! And that father ran to embrace his son! So too, Jacob will go to Egypt to see his Joseph one more time.
Conclusion:
This is where we leave off for today. On Jacob’s great heart for Joseph. Church, in this see God’s great heart for you His chosen and beloved people. Yes from our view it’s dirty and sinful, but from God’s view it could not be more different. Christ has done everything for us. Came for us, lived for us, died and rose for us. Now because of Christ we are forever acceptable to God. Now because of Christ His heart continually content with us, saying as Jacob did “It is enough!” For His precious daughters and treasured sons who were once dead are now alive again!
[1] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, WBC (Waco, TX: Zondervan, 2000), 427.
[2] John D. Currid, Genesis 25:19-50:26, EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015), 324.
[3] Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 432.
[4] Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2001), 566.
[5] R. Kent Hughes, Genesis, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004), 519.
[6] Hughes, 519.
[7] Currid, Genesis 25:19-50:26, 329.
[8] Waltke, Genesis, 572.
[9] R.C. Sproul, Joseph: From Dreamer to Deliverer (Sanford, FL: Ligonier, 2023) 154.
[10] Sproul, Joseph, 157-158.
