Joseph & the Honest Men--part 1

 

JOSEPH & THE HONEST MEN—PART 1

Once upon a time, I worked briefly as a jailor. And the one thing I learned during that job was that almost everyone in jail is innocent. No matter how much evidence, many wanted you to believe they were victims of injustice. While that certainly can happen and has happened, most folks have earned their cot.

What is it about the human condition that makes us think that way? We can easily spot the sins and shortcomings of others, but somehow we struggle with admitting our own mistakes. Honesty is valued in others, but something keeps us from seeing the truth about ourselves.

We are beginning a three-part series on what is a familiar Bible story for many of us. However, there is a detail that highlights the difficulty of honest self-examination.

Genesis 42:1-20(CEB):

1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why are you staring blankly at each other? 2 I’ve just heard that there’s grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we can survive and not starve to death.” 3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 However, Jacob didn’t send Joseph’s brother Benjamin along with his because he thought something bad might happen to him. 5 Israel’s sons came to buy grain with others who also came since the famine had spread to the land of Canaan.

6 As for Joseph, he was the land’s governor, and he was the one selling grain to all the land’s people. When Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him, their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he acted like he didn’t know them. He spoke to them with a harsh tone and said, “Where have you come from?”

And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies. You’ve come to look for the country’s weaknesses.”

10 They said to him, “No, Master. Your servants have just come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants aren’t spies.”

12 He said to them, “No. You’ve come to look for the country’s weaknesses.”

13 They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, but one is gone.”

14 Joseph said to them, “It’s just as I’ve said to you. You are spies! 15 But here is how to prove yourselves: As Pharaoh lives, you won’t leave here until your youngest brother arrives. 16 Send one of you to get your brother, but the rest of you will stay in prison. We will find out if your words are true. If not, as Pharaoh lives, you are certainly spies.”

17 He put them all in prison for three days. 18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I’m a God-fearing man. 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay in prison, and the rest of you, go, take grain back to those in your households who are hungry. 20 But bring your youngest brother back to me so that your words will prove true and you won’t die.”

So they prepared to do this.

This is the word of God

For the people of God

Thanks be to God

This story is a familiar one, but let me summarize the events leading to this moment. Joseph and his brothers are the sons of Jacob. When Joseph was a teenager, he lived as his father’s favorite and had dreams about his father and brothers bowing down to him, which Joseph shared with them. Of course, the brothers loathed the idea and Daddy’s favorite, so they tossed Joseph in a pit, leaving their brother to die. But then they had a better idea, they sold him into slavery. By the grace of God, Joseph found his way to being Pharaoh’s second in command over all of Egypt.

Now here we are in Chapter 42, with Jacob and his sons in a terrible spot. There was a famine in Canaan and everyone was trying to figure out what to do. Jacob learns that there is grain in Egypt, not knowing his son he was told was dead was overseeing its distribution. So Jacob decides to send ten of his sons, the same ten who sold off their brother, to Egypt.

Verse 4 says, “Jacob didn’t send Joseph’s brother Benjamin along with his brothers because he thought something bad might happen to him.” This is significant for two reasons. One, Jacob had two wives, who were sisters, with one named Rachel being his favorite. Joseph was Rachel’s son, and so was Benjamin. The last time Jacob trusted the other ten brothers to look after Joseph, Jacob received news that Joseph was killed by a wild beast. We know that is not true, the ten brothers know that is not true, but Jacob does not know any different. Benjamin is Jacob’s last tie to Rachel, and Jacob does not trust the other brothers.

The remainder of our passage details the brothers interacting with Joseph. Joseph recognizes them instantly. How could he forget them? They were his brothers. They traumatized him. How could he forget them? But while Joseph immediately knows who they are, the brothers do not recognize him. It had been somewhere between 15 to 20 years since they threw teenage Joseph into that pit. Their brother had grown into a man, living in Egypt, talking and dressing like an Egyptian.

Joseph has a unique opportunity. He can choose a path that heals the divide between him and his brothers, reuniting Joseph with his father, or choose to walk away because his brothers have not changed. Rather than reveal his identity, Joseph tests the character of his brothers. He accuses them of being spies, which was a real threat to Egypt. The brothers deny being spies, pointing out that spy rings usually are not composed of one family. The section ends with a deal for the brothers to leave one behind, return home, and then come back with their brother Benjamin.

What does this have to do with us? We have to pay attention to the conversation between Joseph and his brothers. Joseph accuses them of being spies, and do you notice how the brothers respond? In verses l0 and 11, the brothers respond to the allegations with, “No, Master. Your servants have come to buy food. We are sons of one man. WE ARE HONEST MEN. Your servants are not spies.” Can you believe what they said? “WE ARE HONEST MEN.”

I do not know how Joseph did not laugh in their face. He was their victim. The brothers had no clue Joseph was talking to them, in their minds they had no clue whether Joseph was dead or alive. Joseph does not know the story the brothers told their father Jacob, but we as the readers know they told Jacob that Joseph was dead. For fifteen to twenty years, they had been living with that knowledge. Every time Jacob shared memories about Joseph and lamented over his son, they knew the truth but said nothing. But here in Genesis 42, face to face with the brother they had sold off and had been lying about it for two decades, they say, “WE ARE HONEST MEN.”

Why would do that? Can you imagine the guilt and shame they felt? I believe they felt that guilt and shame at the mention of Joseph’s name. As they were being interrogated by Joseph and imprisoned by him, I believe that guilt and shame were there even as they said, “WE ARE HONEST MEN.” The why is that they believe the same lie that tempts and traps us.

What is that lie? The lie that the enemy has sold us, that we have accepted hook, line, and sinker is “I am good.” It does not matter what our actions are, lies we keep secret, or any other activity we know is wrong, like Joseph’s brothers we believe, “We are honest people.” We accept this lie because the alternative is too terrible. But not recognizing the terrible keeps us and our loved ones trapped on sin’s hamster wheel of dysfunction. The terrible truth is that we are sinners who fall short of God’s will, and no matter the good we do we can never achieve being a good person on our own.

We spend so much time trying to convince everyone that we are a good person, trying to stuff our sins in the closet or under the bed because we do not want anyone to know the guilt and shame we feel. As Joseph’s brothers believed, we think our survival depends on appearing strong, while bearing our guilt and shame. Any good we do is an attempt to lessen the weight of sin on our hearts.

But that is the beautiful thing about God’s grace. Joseph’s brothers had done this terrible thing, lived their whole lives as “honest men” carrying guilt and shame. However, while they were not good, God is good. While their act was not good, God redeemed it to save their lives. You and I are not good, but God is good. Through Jesus, we have access to God’s grace which frees us from sin, guilt, and shame.

This freedom is not found by those who have convinced themselves that they are “honest men,” but by those who accept they are not. They confess their sin, change their mind about their ways, and choose to live according to God’s will, made possible by God’s grace.

Feeling the weight of our sin is not a good feeling. Accepting this truth about ourselves can be unbearable. But the good news is Jesus carried it for us.

Where are you at today? Are you holding onto the same lie as Joseph’s brothers? Or are you ready to accept the truth? Accepting the truth leads to the weight of guilt and shame being washed away in the mercy and grace of God, bought with the blood of Jesus. Confess your sins today and leave here in the peace of Jesus.