Part 3: Joseph Reconciled

WRITTEN BY DREW MATZ

Finding Hope and Redemption in the Story of Joseph: Part Three

We complete the series of Joseph and his brothers by exploring their reconciliation.

Joseph Sold Again

Now, when Joseph arrived in Egypt after having been sold to the Ishmaelites, he was again taken and sold to a man named Potiphar, who was a high ranking official under Pharaoh. Surprisingly, despite being a slave to Potiphar, Joseph develops a good relationship with his master. The Bible describes him as being successful in his role as a servant:

Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

Genesis 39:1-4

Potiphar could sense that there was something special about Joseph. Because Joseph had the Lord’s favor, Potiphar placed him in charge of the entire household and God richly blessed it. It is here that we begin to see God taking a dire situation and using it for blessing.

Joseph Imprisoned

When Potiphar is away, Joseph is seduced by his wife. She makes several attempts to seduce him, but Joseph refuses to comply. One day, Joseph enters the house and she grasps him by his garment, hoping again to seduce him. Joseph flees the house but his garment was torn off. Potiphar’s wife seizes the opportunity to spitefully accuse Joseph of sexual assault for turning down her advances:

And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

Genesis 39:13-18

When her husband returns, he is incensed by the story. The master of the house seized Joseph and put him into prison. And yet, as we are told, the Lord continued to work through Joseph, even there:

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

Genesis 39:21-23

Joseph Rises in Rank

While Joseph is imprisoned, he has the opportunity to, once again, interpret dreams. He interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s servants who are also imprisoned, and, when Pharaoh himself has a dream, word gets back to him that there is a young Hebrew in the prison who is able to interpret the dream. Pharaoh summons Joseph to interpret, and, when Joseph predicts that God is about to send a famine into the land of Egypt, Joseph is appointed by Pharaoh to oversee and prepare for the oncoming plight. For seven years prior to the famine, Joseph oversaw the production of superabundant harvests so that he could store up surplus for the famine that would follow. People in Egypt and all through the land came to Joseph in order to purchase grain.

Eventually, the word of an abundance of grain in Egypt makes its way up to Jacob in the land of Canaan:

When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 42:1-5

Therefore, the sons of Israel depart for Egypt. And when they approached they bowed down before him as predicted in Joseph’s dream. Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Joseph seizes the moment, and perhaps just to mess with his brothers for revenge, accuses them of being spies. In order for them to prove they are not spies, Joseph devises a plan but he ultimately ends up revealing himself to his brothers.

Revealed and Reconciled

Through tears, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. We are told that he received no response as his brothers were in a state of shock. And perhaps for good reason. The rush of emotions that likely weighed on the brothers would have been profound. There would have been thoughts of regret, guilt, and of shame. It seems unlikely that any of them would have been able to look their own brother in the face after what they had done.

And yet, Joseph’s attitude does not condemn his siblings:

“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.

Genesis 45:4-8

While the actions of his brothers was rooted in wickedness, Joseph explains to them that despite their evil intentions, God had his hand in all that had happened. Through their own treachery, God was able to work and ultimately save them through Joseph, the one whom they betrayed:

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.

Genesis 45:12-15

It is incredible how God is intimately involved in the details of our lives. The things that seem trivial to us are often lined with meaning and purpose. Even the difficulties in relationships are being intricately woven into a beautiful tapestry - each thread so carefully accounted for. Just as God was at work in the estranged relationship between their Father Jacob and Esau, so too was he at work in the story of Joseph.

In Joseph’s story, we see that God is also a great redeemer. The acts that we as people take against one another can be used for good, and those who commit those acts are not doomed to carry the guilt of their actions for all eternity. God is in the business of redeeming and restoring, not condemning for the sake of condemning. Although Joseph could rightly have called for justice, he was interested only in the redemption of his relationships. In fact, we see the theme of casting down and redemption all through the Joseph narrative. Joseph is cast down to the pit, and he is brought out again. He is imprisoned, and then set free and exalted to second in command. He is brought down to Egypt, and yet his bones will return to the land.

God is overjoyed to heal us, and to put the shards and pieces back together again. God wants to do this in our lives and relationships, bringing about healing and redemption where we see nothing but destruction. From Joseph, we can learn that God can use us to redeem even those who mean us harm.  And pointing forward to our Lord Jesus, Joseph was stricken and cast down so that others might be redeemed:

Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Genesis 50:17-21