Christian, God loves you. As your heavenly Father He is committed to fulfilling His plan concerning you and He will allow nothing to hinder that plan. And even when you rebel against His all wise will, “he will have his way at last, if not at first” (Meyer). So we see from His relationship with Joseph, in His faithfulness to Jacob and even in His treatment of Joseph’s mischievous ten brothers. Whatever else can be said about this almost incredible story of Joseph, we certainly learn from it that God is sovereign and that because of His all wise and all loving providence, the believer can rest assured in His mercy. Mercy is writ large on these final 14 chapters of Genesis.
In this study we will see this motif of mercy again as we study the record of the brothers having a second encounter with Joseph, Vizier of Egypt. If you do not know the rest of the story then perhaps you will come to these 34 verses with bated breath wondering what will transpire. But most reading this already know that Joseph will soon reveal himself to his brothers, that Jacob will be sent for, and that, following this, the people of Israel will settle in Egypt to be delivered by the hand of God some 400 years later. But we would do well to keep something else in mind. What we know of this point in history, Jacob and his brothers did not yet know. In fact, though Joseph knew a lot more than they did, there was still a lot that he did not know. And thus, as we begin our exposition of this chapter, let’s keep in mind that these individuals were largely ignorant of what God was doing. This will help us, for after all, this is where you and I often live. When it comes to the specific reason why things around us seem to be falling apart (or even when they are going well) we do not know exactly what God is doing. In this sense we are just like Jacob and his ten sons. And yet like these men we can come to understand that God Almighty’ is in control and that He is merciful.
“Mercy-full” is a good way to put it. Chesed (a Hebrew word most often translated “lovingkindess” in the KJV) is also a good synonym. God not only gives us what we don’t deserve but He also does not give us what we do deserve. That, my friend, is mercy. When God is merciful to us it is because He is pitiful to us in our miserable plight.
The word “mercy” is found 217 times in the Old Testament and 59 times in the New Testament. It should also be observed that the terms “grace” and “mercy” are often used interchangeably. This whole concept of God’s mercy is a rich revelation of His way with fallen humanity. Just consider the pervasiveness of this theme in Scripture.
In God’s revelation to Moses He disclosed that He “will show mercy on whom [He] will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19) and that He shows “mercy unto thousands [of generations] of them that love” Him (Exodus 20:6). When He instructed Moses to build the tabernacle He told him to build the “mercy seat” (Exodus 25:17), the place where fellowship with God could be restored by the offering of the blood of an acceptable sacrifice. God promised David that He would show mercy to his household continually (2 Samuel 7:12-16) and, oh, how glad David was for this promise after his sin concerning Bathsheba and Uriah (Psalm 51:1). As David celebrated the return of the ark to Jerusalem he sang a psalm in which he extolled God for His mercy: “Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34). After he finished singing this tune others joined him to also sing praise to God “for his mercy endures forever” (v. 41). Both Ezra and Nehemiah hoped in God’s mercy and what they hoped for became an experiential reality both in their lives as well as in the life of the nation (Ezra 3:11; 7:28; 9:9; 1:5, 11; 9:32; 13:22). One entire Psalm (136) is composed of 26 verses, each of which ends with the refrain “for his mercy endures forever.” When Solomon wrote the Proverbs one of his constant themes was that of showing mercy to others (Proverbs 3:3; 14:21-22, 31; 16:6; 20:28; 21:21; 28:13). Why you may ask? Because God is merciful to us and because we need God’s mercy. Even when Israel wandered into apostasy, the judgement theme of the prophets was tempered by an appeal to God’s mercy. In other words, the nation could have hope because God is merciful. Even as Jeremiah lamented the destruction of the holy city he was able to find comfort in the fact that God’s mercies are “new every morning” and that it was only by God’s mercies that they as a people had not been entirely consumed (Lamentations 3:22-23). When Daniel was in Babylon he took comfort in the mercies of God and thus he never lost hope (Daniel 2:18; 9:4, 9, 18). The story of Hosea is a picture of God’s mercy. Jonah learned the hard way that when we turn to idols we are turning away from the God who alone shows mercy (Jonah 2:8). Micah exhorted an apostate people to trust in God’s mercy and to emulate this before others (Micah 6:8). The Lord Jesus time and again heard the cries of those who cried out for mercy. He taught his would-be followers that God was merciful (e.g. Matthew 9:13). Jesus exhorted His disciples to be merciful as their Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). When Paul preached the gospel in Pisidia he sought to persuade the Jews to believe in Jesus for He was the proof of the “sure mercies of David” (Acts 13:34). The apostle Paul extolled God for His mercies and he appealed to believers to serve the Lord because He is merciful (Romans 12:1-2). He told the Corinthians that it was by God’s mercy that he “fainted not” in his ordeal-filled ministry (2 Corinthians 4:1). He also encouraged them that in the midst of afflictions they could take comfort in the “Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3). Paul gloried in the rich mercy of God for so great salvation (Ephesians 2:4-5). As he wrote to a couple of beleaguered young pastors he encouraged them in his opening sentences by reminding them of God’s mercy (1 Timothy 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 1:1-2; Titus 1:1-4). He reminded Titus that it was by God’s mercy alone that believers have been regenerated (Titus 3:5). The writer of the letter to the Hebrews gloried in the fact that believers can come to the throne of grace to receive mercy in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). James reminded his readers that mercy is a virtue of the wise person for it is a gift from God (James 3:17). Peter said that it was because of God’s abundant mercy that we have been “born again” (1 Peter 1:23). And, finally, Jude wrote to believers (who were undergoing some severe trials of doctrinal and practical apostasy brought on by false teachers) to take courage because, after all, they were the recipients of God’s mercy (Jude 2, 21).
And what about you? Do you need God’s mercy? Do you need to be reminded that He is full of mercy? Have you sinned? Are you suffering in some way because of the plight of this sin-cursed world? If so, the good news is that God is merciful!
As we go through this chapter this morning look for this motif of mercy. And may you recognise this in own life as well.
A Faith Rekindled
As the chapter opens we are met with a familiar theme: that of famine. The family has now consumed the grain secured on the previous visit to Egypt and thus the hunger pangs are felt again. Yes, there seems to be some supply of pistachio nuts, almonds, honey and various fruits (v. 11) but there is a great need for grain. God in His mercy is working to get the holy family into Egypt. But more so, He is working in their lives to secure repentance and faith.
And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
(Genesis 43:1-14)
How often it is that the Lord will allow some particular need to go unmet, while all other needs are met, in order to get us to feel our hunger for Him and to secure our conversion!
At this juncture Jacob gives a directive for his sons to return to Egypt to secure the necessary grain. Judah speaks up apparently as the leader among the brothers. (Reuben has been virtually disinherited—see 49:3-4; Simeon is incarcerated in Egypt; and most likely Levi has been disgraced due to the Shechemites incident.) I find this interestingly instructive.
You will remember that, in chapter 37, we learned that it was Judah’s idea to sell Joseph into slavery (37:26-27). Though perhaps he was in some way trying to protect Joseph from murder certainly it was horribly ignoble for Judah to suggest such a deed. But that was twenty long years ago and it would appear that indeed this man either had, or was, undergoing a transformation in his life. It appears that God was being merciful to him.
At any rate, Judah quite forthrightly reminds his father that unless they take Benjamin along with them that there is no way that they will be given access to the court of “the man” and thus no grain will be forthcoming (v. 3). “The man” had plainly warned them so.
Thus Judah asserts that Benjamin must come along with them (vv. 4-5). At this point we are reintroduced to the name “Israel.”
You will recall that the Lord had changed Jacob’s name from “cheater” to “prince” (chapter 32), but the fact of the matter is that since then he has rarely been called by the honourable name “Israel” (see 37:13 and 42:5). So why now? Again, I would suggest that these difficult years have been used in the mercy of God to transform Jacob’s character. No, he is not perfect and he still has a long way to go, (evidenced by his petty response here in v. 6), yet under inspiration Moses refers to Jacob as “Israel.” Indeed, God’s mercies are longsuffering and effective.
Judah responds to this charge by pointing out that “the man” had pointedly asked them whether their father was alive and whether or not they had another brother (cf. 44:18-20). What option did they have but to answer honestly? Honestly. Is it not encouraging to see that Judah is concerned about the issue of honesty? Apparently these brothers, when confronted by Joseph, had simply told the truth. Were they beginning to manifest the integrity that accompanies righteousness? Ah, but the mercy of God is powerful!
Judah now rises even higher as a leader and presents himself as surety for Benjamin if Israel will allow him leave to accompany the brothers (vv. 8-10). This once again highlights the apparent transformation that has occurred, or rather is occurring in Judah’s heart and life. On top of the qualities of respectful boldness and honesty Judah is now manifesting the characteristic of selfless courage. These same characteristics will one day become fully manifested in the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Israel responds like, well, “Israel.” He seems to awaken from his faithless despair (see 42:36-38) and now we see him as the leader that he used to be giving directives to his sons (vv. 11-12). (Perhaps we also see a bit of his scheming as he prepares gifts to soften “the man.” Some things never change!) He then gives the order that they must take Benjamin with them (v. 13) and adds these words of “deep resignation” (Hughes): “And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved” (v. 14). How should we interpret these words? Was this a matter of despairing resignation, a faithless “whatever-will-be-will-be” or was it in fact a reverent response to the will of a merciful God? I believe that it was the latter. Consider the evidence.
First, the emphasis upon the name “Israel” seems to point to the fact that Jacob has overcome his crisis of faith. He is behaving as a “prince with God” rather than as a hopeless unbeliever. Second, it appears that his deliberate use of the name El Shaddai (“God Almighty”) is a clue that he is once again trusting in the covenant-keeping God.
The name El Shaddai is found 48 times in the Old Testament, while its New Testament counterpart is found eight times. It pictures God as one who stands strong, one who is immovable and dependable, like a mountain. Hence the idea behind the name is that of faithfulness, absolute dependability and reliability. In other words, this name represents to us God as the One who is faithful to deliver on His Word because He is able to do so. He is covenantally faithful. And it is for this reason that solace and confidence is to be found “under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1); that is, under the mercy seat.
We first encounter this name in Genesis 17 where God reveals this name to Abram. Interestingly, it is at that point also where his name is changed, to Abraham. The covenant keeping God transformed Abram just as He would later transform Jacob. In light of this it is obviously of great significance that in this context Israel uses the name El Shaddai. It certainly appears that his faith is growing.
God had made specific promises to Jacob regarding the Messianic seed. But over the years, particularly after the disappearance of Joseph (and consequently, as Jacob probably assumed, the disappearance of the fulfilment of his dreams) he became despondent. In previous studies we have seen this crisis of faith in which Jacob clearly lost the sparkle in his eye regarding the Lord’s promise. But God in His mercy has been working in Jacob’s life with the result that now he has returned to a solid faith in the God who keeps His Word, and thus with reverent resignation he commits his ways (in fact, Benjamin’s way) to his Almighty God.
What is also of great significance is Israel’s trust that God will be merciful to his sons. He pronounces this prayerful blessing before they depart. Jacob, or rather Israel, is trusting in the character of God. Though he has been through many dark nights of the soul he is returning to the belief that God’s mercies are new every morning.
Up until this point, Jacob, for several years, has been caught in the vortex of the fear of man because he has taken his eyes off El Shaddai. It is for this very reason that he has refused (for perhaps two years, cf. 45:6) to allow Benjamin to go to Egypt with his brothers. For two years he has been willing to live without the presence of Simeon, to virtually abandon this son to the Egyptians. This is unworthy behaviour of one who has encountered the Lord and who has been converted by Him. Jacob should have trusted God and actively sought the release of his son. He certainly seems to be reverting to his old, passive, unbelieving and thus scheming ways. And again, the reason behind this embarrassing behaviour was that he feared man; he feared his circumstances more than he feared El Shaddai.
If Jacob would have kept his eyes on God Almighty then he would have quit his self-absorbed snivelling and would have trusted God to fulfil his promises. Yes, there were dangers to be faced in Egypt but God is sovereign there just as He is in Canaan.
We would do well to learn from this. We need to meditate frequently upon the fact that God is mercifully faithful. And at those times in which we are most ashamed of our unbelief we, like Jacob should take our Almighty God at His word and respond as an Israel.
A Fearful Return
At this point we should try and put ourselves in the sandals of the brothers. Consider the account:
And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
(Genesis 43:15-25)
As they journey back to Egypt with their younger brother they perhaps do so with a sense of optimism on the one hand and fear on the other. They are feeling positive about the return because they have Benjamin in their company, just as “the man” has required of them. They thus perhaps are feeling confident that they will be able to secure the release of Simeon and to return home with the necessary grain. And yet on the other hand they are bothered by the fact of the earlier discovery of the money in their sacks. How on earth will they be able to explain this? Will “the man” believe them or will he accuse them of robbery and thus put them all, including Jacob’s beloved Benjamin, in prison?
After perhaps a several week journey, attended by these anxieties, they return to the palace and stand before Joseph (v. 15). He apparently does not address them directly but, seeing Benjamin with them, speaks to his steward and orders that the men be brought to his home for a meal. Now the brothers’ anxieties begin to work overtime!
These brothers know the customs of the day and thus they are aware that thievery is punishable by enslavement and by confiscation of property. Yes, they are guiltless (at least concerning the money in the sacks) and yet they fear that they will be held to account for it. Truly, “conscience doth make cowards of us all.” Thus they appeal to the ruler of Joseph’s house (vv. 20-22) and plead their case that they are innocent. Since the stewards of that day were in charge of the finances of the household, this made good sense.
The ruler then assures them that they have nothing to fear for in fact he is quite certain that their God has been merciful to them by returning their money. In other words claims that a miracle has taken place, for after all, he has had their money all along.
This is quite an interesting scene for it reveals to us that this ruler was most likely in on this ruse. Apparently Joseph had arranged that the money be returned and that when the issue was raised that the steward credit God for this deed. So the question naturally arises, was this honest? I think that it was.
It is quite apparent that Joseph had taught this man about the true God: Joseph’s God and the God of his father (v. 23). Whether the steward knew about the identity of the brothers is not known. But when he told the brothers that God had returned their money this is exactly what had happened for Joseph was a means of grace, a means of mercy in the hands of God. As indicated in our last study, Joseph returned this money as an act of grace. But this provision of grace was doing its work of producing a powerful guilt.
God in His mercy is working in the lives of these brothers. As He piles on the gifts from His goodness they are increasingly being forced to face up to character issues. We should note that they are honestly transparent about the money. They give an honest report of what has happened. They do not avoid the subject. They are still a long way from coming clean and yet it appears that by God’s mercy they are getting closer to that necessary point.
At this point I wish to make an important observation: God uses the wisdom of men to reach the hearts of others.
Joseph was a tool in the hand of God for the purpose of bringing them to repentance (as well as to bring them into Egypt). He was extremely wise in how he handled this situation and this wisdom itself was the gift of God. It was a godly wisdom. We need those with godly wisdom to guide us and we should aspire for this kind of wisdom that we might help others to come to experience the mercy of God. In other words, we need to so deal with others that we help them to think. Merely lecturing people is not always the most productive method. We need to patiently work with people and help them to see the errors of their ways so as to point them to the shining path of righteousness.
Once this issue was cleared up you can almost feel the sense of relief in vv. 24-25. They are guiltless, they have been vindicated, Simeon is released into their company and, to top it all off, they will feast with the second most powerful man in Egypt! Not bad for a band of hunger-stricken shepherds. In fact, not bad for these guilt-ridden brothers!
Yes, they were guiltless about the money in the sacks but they still carried a lot of guilt concerning their envious treatment of Joseph. And perhaps it was now that the guilt began to pain their conscience. All of the brothers were together enjoying this feast, but in fact, at least as far as they were concerned, not every brother was there.
We know from our previous study that these brothers could shake their guilt concerning their selling of Joseph into slavery in Egypt. They were increasingly haunted by the remembrance of his cries for help and their calloused contempt for his desperation. They remembered his cries for mercy, which they callously ignored (cf. 42:21—“besought” indicates “cry for mercy”). Rather than responding in mercy while he lay at the bottom of the pit, they sat around and feasted. Now they were about to feast while, as far as they were concerned, Joseph was in servile circumstances elsewhere. I assume that all of this good fortune was doing one of two things: It was either accentuating their feelings of guilt, or they were falsely assuming that this good providence was a sign that all was well; that in fact, God was unconcerned about their sinful behaviour two decades ago.
We should learn from this that just because all is going well for us does not mean that we are right with God. In fact, we should contemplate the very real possibility that God’s kind providences may simply be an indication that all is not well and that God is seeking to get our attention. God’s mercy is not a stamp of approval on our behaviour; it is rather a demonstration of how forgiving He aims to be! Oh, that the goodness of God would lead, not to our reprobation, but rather to our repentance. (Romans 2:4).
A Festive Restraint
As we enter the final portion of the chapter at hand the mood of fear changes radically to one of festivity.
And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
(Genesis 43:26-34)
The brothers are greeted by Joseph as he arrives home to feast with them. Upon his arrival they present him with the gifts that they have brought from Canaan. I would imagine that the irony was not lost on him in that it was these very same commodities that the Midianite slave traders, to whom he had been sold, had with them on that horrific day.
Joseph then enquires concerning the welfare of his father. One can only imagine the trepidation as he asked this question. I have no doubt that Joseph fully anticipated that one day his father would make obeisance to him in accordance with his dream (37:9-11) and yet human emotions would have evoked some concern whether his aging father was still alive. Upon giving the good report about his father’s health the brothers—all eleven of them—bowed to him. The dream was coming to pass!
As Joseph then lifts his eyes he sees Benjamin. He has not seen him for some twenty years. Is this really him? Confirmation is given and then Joseph, in accordance with the theme of this chapter, pronounces a blessing upon Benjamin, “God be gracious unto thee, my son.” Jacob’s prayer has been answered! God indeed has been merciful.
Joseph uses a term of endearment—“my son”—as he addresses his youngest brother. And with this merciful response Joseph is set to burst emotionally. The text informs us that Joseph’s compassions, literally, “boiled over.” After twenty-some years of ups and downs he is full of mercy and compassion. He runs to his chambers where he weeps. Only when he is composed does he return to the banquet. The text tells us that he “refrained himself” and commanded that the feast begin. This word “refrain” means that he restrained himself from revealing his identity to them. And one can only admire the self-control of this man. Everything in him screamed to make himself known and to embrace his brothers, especially Benjamin. Joseph longed to be reunited with his father and yet he knew that the time was not yet right. He was clearly merciful and yet it was a wise mercy, a discerning one. There was still a final test to pass.
When these brothers had sold Joseph into Egypt they had done so motivated by envy. They resented Joseph for being the favoured son. They resented his unique garment, which spoke of a favoured position. They resented the fact that he was in a place of authority over them. And thus they got rid of him. And yet that did not solve their problem entirely because quite obviously Benjamin replaced Joseph as the favoured son. And Joseph now needs to see whether these brothers have overcome this sin of envy. He needs to see whether or not they have repented. Are they the same carnal men that they were before?
This was important for Joseph to know for at least two reasons. First, if there was going to be reconciliation then there had to be repentance. No doubt Joseph had already forgiven them (see 41:51-52; 45:4-5) and yet for a real reconciliation of the relationship it was necessary that these men be repentant. Second, Joseph was in on God’s plan. He was well aware that he had undergone these trials for such a time as this. He understood something of the Messianic promise and that the nation of Israel would come out of a foreign nation (15:13-14) and thus that they first would have to come into that nation. I am assuming that he had connected the dots and thus he concluded that Egypt was this prophesied foreign land. Thus it was essential, as far as Joseph was concerned, that the patriarchal family behave like one! The salvation of the world was quite literally on their shoulders and therefore Joseph was concerned about the character of the holy family. They needed some necessary testing if they would fulfil their destiny.
It is with this in mind that the story emphasises that, having made the brothers sit down (in birth order nonetheless), Joseph proceeded to give Benjamin five times the amount of food as his brothers. Joseph wanted to see how the brothers responded to this obvious show of favouritism. And to their credit this didn’t appear to bother them in the least. In fact, this obvious show of favouritism did not dampen their spirits at all for we read that they were “merry with him.” They had past this important test. Surely Joseph must be thinking that, not only had God been doing a work in his life in Egypt, but He had also been showing mercy to his brothers in Canaan.
For a couple of chapters now we have been observing the Lord slowly but surely bringing these guilt-ridden brothers to an awareness of Him. First, as they felt the pangs of conscience over their treatment of Joseph, which was brought on by the harsh treatment by “the man,” Joseph (42:21-22). Then as they discovered the money in the sack they exclaimed, “What has God done to us?” (42:28). Now they are “astonished” (43:33) as this stranger seats them according to their birth order. (According to Henry Morris, this would require a probability of 40 million to 1!) They clearly understand that there is more here than meets the eye. At this point are they wondering, “What kind of a man is this?” as much as, “What kind of God are we dealing with?” And the answer to that is, a merciful one!
God in His mercy was ordering history in accordance with His plan, and this ordering encompassed everything from their foul deed to the famine in the lands. El Shaddai was faithfully bringing his plan to pass. He had promised that His Seed, His Son, would come to redeem a people unto Himself and thus He would bring that to pass. Regardless of how much mercy it would require, regardless of how much forgiveness he would need to exercise, no matter how many lives He needed to change, He would bring Jesus Christ into the world!
In our day to day living we face many difficulties but none are too much for the mercy of God to handle. Perhaps you are being mistreated. Then let me encourage you to trust God as Joseph did. And as you lean on His mercy you yourself will grow in being merciful.
Perhaps you are like these brothers in that you have some deep dark secret that occasionally screams out to be dealt with. Listen to that merciful voice from God and repent. Say along with the guilt-ridden publican, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” If you do then you will find indeed that God is merciful, and through the Lord Jesus Christ He will forgive you. Ah, what a merciful God!