Yesterday we began to look at the story of Joseph’s reunion with his family, the part where he treats his brothers badly (even though he did return their money!). On the second visit, he hosts a dinner party. Then what happens and why? And what doesn’t happen?

Joseph orchestrates a test:

Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’” (Genesis 44.1 – 5, ESV)

It’s not often in life that we get a do-over, a second chance. But Judah, who instigated selling Joseph into slavery, gets a second chance.

But [Joseph] said, “…Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.” Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself…For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. (Genesis 44.17, 18, 32, 33, ESV)

Judah comes through with flying colors! Then Joseph reveals himself to his brothers:

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. (Genesis 45.1 – 3, ESV)

I’ve always been taught that Joseph’s strange behavior (kind of a “gotcha” to the brothers) was really Joseph’s giving Judah that second chance to do the right thing. It’s a good lesson, and it’s not new. Joseph also recognizes that God is the one who sent him to 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 45.5 – 8, ESV)

I think there is one more lesson, which I shall save until tomorrow. It’s a lesson of omission, of what doesn’t happen in this story.