In our previous study, we found that Joseph’s test of his brethren had reached its climax. None of the brothers realized that the man who stood before them, the lord of all Egypt, under Pharaoh, was their brother Joseph, whom they had sold into slavery twenty-one years prior. The fact was, they thought Joseph was dead (Genesis 44:20). Once Judah had placed himself in jeopardy for the sake of his brother, Benjamin, asking Joseph to take himself as a slave instead of his youngest brother, Joseph knew the brothers love for Benjamin was sincere, and the hatred that had sold him into slavery was at an end. Moreover, once this was known, Joseph could no longer contain himself. His love for his brethren was too great to remain hidden. His emotions proved too great to hold back, and he broke down before everyone present.
Earlier, when Joseph first met his brother, Benjamin, he was able to gain control of his emotions by entering his chamber to weep, until his composure returned (Genesis 43:29-31). However, this time Joseph was unable to do so, either because his chamber wasn’t nearby, or because the moment proved too great to hold back his tears. He demanded that all his servants leave, and they did so. Nevertheless, those servants, whose responsibility it was to come, when he called for them, could still hear what occurred, because they had to always be within earshot. Therefore, although Joseph was left alone with his brethren, they heard, because he wept aloud, as he made himself known to his brethren, and those servants told others, who let it be known, also, to Pharaoh’s household (Genesis 45:1-2).
Then Joseph told his eleven brothers who he was. “I am Joseph!” he said, and he asked about his father’s welfare. It appears in the text that Joseph asked the same question here, as he had in Genesis 43:27, which has caused some scholars to doubt the veracity of the text. However, the Hebrew (H2416) concerns more than life itself, but also refers to the quality of life, as in 1Samuel 25:6,
“thus will you say to him, who lives (H2416) in prosperity, ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be unto all that you have.”
So, Joseph was actually asking about his father’s health and wellbeing in this verse, not whether Jacob was alive. Nevertheless, his brethren were so shocked at the revelation of Joseph’s true identity, they couldn’t answer. Indeed, they were very troubled over his presence (Genesis 45:3).
Therefore, Joseph asked them to come nearer, and when they did, he told them once again: “I am Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt” (Genesis 45:4; cp. 37:28, 36). However, he set their fears at ease by telling them that, actually, God had turned their deed into a good thing. God always acts for the good of those, whom he has called for his purposes, so even evil that is done by others turns out for the ultimate good (cp. Romans 8:28). Therefore, Joseph told them not to be upset with themselves (cp. Genesis 42:21-22), because God sent him to Egypt through them to preserve their lives and that of their families (Genesis 45:5).
Joseph told his brothers that these two years of famine were two of seven years of very poor harvests. There were yet five more years, so they needed to come to Egypt and dwell there with him, they and their families, and their lives would be preserved. God had made Joseph a father figure to Pharaoh, and it was Joseph who ruled Egypt in Pharaoh’s stead. Moreover, this was God’s doing; he acted through them, in a wonderfully glorious manner, sending him to Egypt in order to preserve their lives (Genesis 45:6-8).
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