Genesis 45: Joseph's Self-Revelation to His Brothers

"Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, ‘Send everyone away from me.’ So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come closer to me.’ And they came closer. He said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 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. 9 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 delay. 10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.”...15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him."

Introduction--Connecting the Passages

This passage is the famous recognition scene of the Joseph story--where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers after they are completely in his thrall in the land of Egypt. Before expositing this story, I would like to link the lectionary readings for the week. The basic theme of the readings is that one ought not to fret when others hate, mistreat or take advantage of us because, in the end, there is a God who oversees all and will watch over and preserve our lives. In Gen. 45 Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, the same brothers who had sold him into captivity chapters previously. Joseph seemed to have been the vulnerable one, buffeted by the circumstances of life and the economics of the ancient world, but, as the narrator tells us, "God was with him." Eventually, he rises to power in Egypt, and the tables are turned on his brothers when they are in want and come down to Egypt looking for grain. Joseph is the disguised official who deals with them. God preserved Joseph's life so that he might also preserve his brothers' lives. In the words of the final chapter of the narrative: "Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today" (50:20).

If Genesis tells the story or provides the picture of God's care, the Psalm passage (37:1-11, 39-40) gives us the principle in brief form. It teaches:

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (3-4).

Then, the Gospel lesson from Luke 6 encourages us to action based on the principle. We are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. We are to give to everyone who begs (is there a message for us in this today?) and lend to those from whom we have no expectation of return. Because God's care is paramount in our life and in life general, we can be sure that God will watch over us, even when we do these rather risky economic "moves." Finally, the passage from I Cor 15 describes the result or end of this type of confidence and living: the resurrection of the dead. If, as the Scripture says, a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Eccl. 4:12), what would it say about this fourfold Scriptural cord?

Moving to Genesis 45

Gerhard von Rad, one of the leading biblical theologians of the last generation (d. 1971), said about this passage: "The text of this wonderful scene scarcely requires the interpretative help of an expositor" (Genesis, 397). Well, I will try to provide a little assistance here! The lectionary for today only has 45:3-11, 15; but I am beginning at v. 1 because it sets the stage for the "revelation" of Joseph. The story of Joseph and his family (Gen 37-50) is one of the richest Biblical narratives. One might well write a book on it with the title: "The People of Joseph: A Biblical Story of a Family in Crisis," for it presents almost all the issues that a family, ancient or modern, faces when its resources are low, internal tensions are high, famine strikes and decisions have to be made. As ch. 45 opens we have Joseph, the despised and rejected one, now head over Pharoah's grain distribution program in Egypt. His brothers, feeling the pinch of famine, have been ordered by father Jacob to come down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob is so worried that he will lose his sons (he thinks he has already lost Joseph) that he keeps little Benjamin behind. Yet when the brothers (unknowingly) meet Joseph in Egypt, he forces them to admit they have another brother, and he requires them to bring Benjamin down with them before they could receive grain. Of course, this sets off a predictable wave of recrimination and grief among the brothers, but they really have no choice. They bring their most vulnerable brother to Joseph. After several more scenes of increasing emotional tension (where the brothers are seemingly caught 'red-handed' in trying to 'steal' some of Joseph's valuable possessions), they are captured as they leave Egypt, they return to Joseph, throw themselves at his feet, and know that they are as vulnerable as Joseph felt when they threw him into the pit years earlier. Our narrative picks up just when this vulnerability reaches a fever pitch.

Dividing Gen 45:1-15

We can fruitfully divide this passage into three sections: (1) Joseph's Self-Revelation to His Brothers; (2) His Explanation or Interpretation of What it all Means; (3) The Reconciliation or Restoration of the Brothers. Theological themes tumble over psychological realities, which evoke the most deep and genuine emotions in this passage. The next essay tries to explore some of these dynamics.

2435