Genesis 45

God is always at work. Sometimes, he works in the sunlight. Other times, he works in the shadows. He is continuously writing his story in our lives. Some chapters of our story are painful, and as we will see today in Genesis 45, God is actively present during those challenging times.

Pharaoh elevated Joseph from his prison cell to the palace where he served under Pharaoh as second in command. God had worked through Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, revealing seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. During the abundant harvest, Joseph traveled the land storing grain in cities throughout Egypt. During the famine, anyone who needed food bought it directly from Joseph (Gen. 41:55).

Joseph had a right-hand man who traveled with him: his chief steward. The steward watched Joseph interacting with the hundreds of people who came to buy food. However, a group of brothers from Canaan received different treatment as Joseph questioned them about their family and accused them of being spies. Additionally, Joseph insisted that they bring their youngest brother when they returned for more grain. He held Simeon in custody and directed the steward to place the grain payments back in each of the other brothers’ bags. When they opened their bags, the brothers were horrified to discover that their money had been returned to them. They feared that the Egyptians would think they had stolen the grain.

Upon their return to Egypt with their youngest brother, Benjamin, Joseph invited his brothers to lunch and seated them according to their birth order. He ensured that Benjamin received five times more food than the others. Joseph instructed the steward to hide his silver cup among Benjamin’s belongings as the brothers prepared to head home. The next day, after the brothers had left, he sent the steward to stop them and search for the cup. The brothers were devastated when the cup was discovered in Benjamin’s bag, prompting them to return and plead their innocence. Joseph accused Benjamin of stealing the cup, but Judah intervened, asking to serve Joseph in place of Benjamin. Interestingly, twenty-two years earlier, Joseph had pleaded with Judah not to sell him into slavery, and now Judah was appealing to Joseph to let him be the slave instead of Benjamin.

Joseph assessed his brothers’ character based on their responses to the returned money in their bags, Simeon’s imprisonment, Benjamin’s favored status as they ate together, and the false accusations against their youngest brother. Realizing they were looking out for Benjamin and their father, Joseph couldn’t hold back his emotions. He asked everyone to leave the room, including the chief steward, so that he could be alone with his brothers. The account reveals he wept so loudly that people in Egypt, including Pharaoh’s household, heard his cries. After Joseph regained his composure, he revealed his identity.

Genesis 45:3-8
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. ⁴ So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And 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 yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷ And 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.

Can you imagine the brothers’ shock? Two decades earlier, they had sold Joseph into slavery. Now, he stood before them, a top ruler in Egypt! One translation says that they were dumbfounded. Joseph had them come closer to prove it was indeed him.

Look again at Genesis 45:5. “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” This statement describes God’s sovereign work. Admittedly, there seems to be an incongruity between the brothers’ wickedness and God’s sovereignty. Yet, God can take evil actions and use them for his purposes (Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28). But there is more. Here’s how The NET Bible explains the theological tension:

Clearly God is able to transform the actions of wickedness to bring about some gracious end. But this is saying more than that; it is saying that from the beginning it was God who sent Joseph here. Although harmonization of these ideas remains humanly impossible, the divine intention is what should be the focus. Only that will enable reconciliation.^[1]

Comprehending God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility is something our finite minds cannot always understand but must accept. The theologian J. I. Packer calls this mystery an “antinomy.” He says, “An antimony exists when a pair of principles stand side by side, seemingly irreconcilable, yet both undeniable . . . each rests on clear and solid evidence . . . You see that each must be true on its own, but you don’t see how they can both be true together. . .What should one do, then, with an antinomy? Accept it for what it is, and learn to live with it.”[2]

Joseph told his brothers to hurry back to Canaan and get their father. With five more years of famine, Joseph assures them of a place for their families in Goshen, a fertile land along the Nile Delta. Joseph promises to provide for them.

Genesis 45:14-15
Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

The statement, “After that, his brothers talked with him,” is loaded. Wouldn’t you have liked to have been a fly on the wall to hear that conversation?

Pharaoh was pleased to learn that Joseph’s family had reunited. His reaction shows the Egyptian ruler’s high regard for Joseph and all his efforts to save the people during the famine. Pharaoh and Joseph provided his brothers with food and clothing for the journey back to Canaan. Additionally, the Egyptians sent wagons to transport Jacob along with the women and children on their return trip. Joseph advised them not to “quarrel on the way” (Gen. 45:24). The Hebrew word for quarrel means “to fear.” The brothers might have feared that if they brought their father back to Egypt, Joseph could take revenge on them. I believe Joseph is reassuring them that they should not fear any retaliation. ^[3]

Jacob was stunned when the brothers told their father about everything that had happened. The Hebrew text states that his “heart was numb.” He was unable to respond. Finally, Jacob realized that Joseph was alive. It was time for Jacob and his family to go to Egypt for a great reunion.

Do not underestimate the importance of this chapter. It signifies a crucial reconciliation with accompanying theological tension. Furthermore, it marks an important transition for God’s people. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were sojourners and wanderers in Canaan. Now, Jacob takes up residence in Egypt, where the nation of Israel would dwell for the next four hundred years, as revealed to Abraham in the Genesis 15 covenant. We will explore this later. Here’s how biblical scholar Allen Ross summarizes Genesis 45.

This royal invitation to Jacob, the old patriarch near the end of hope, and to the 10 brothers burdened with guilt, was a turning point in their lives and a fulfillment of God’s prediction (15:13–16) that they would go into isolation in a foreign country and multiply without losing their identity.^[4]

Israel will multiply in a foreign country without losing their identity. That is an important truth to remember as we continue our study.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Genesis 45. As you read this chapter, concentrate on God’s sovereign work to save the nation of Israel, continue to fulfill the Abrahamic covenant, and grow a nation. What an incredible God!

Talking to God
God is at work even when we don’t understand. Tell him your challenges, frustrations, and doubts. He can handle it. And he can deliver his peace.

Have Questions?
Since God is sovereign, how can man be held responsible? That’s a great question to ask our team. Submit your question below, and we’ll get back to you soon.

Two more things:

1. Go to ronmoore.org/lifemap for an exercise that will help you discover how God is writing his story in you. I have included a life map of Joseph that will serve as an example.
2. On February 25 at 7:00 pm, we will meet on a Zoom call to review what we have learned in Genesis and answer questions. A link to the call will be provided if you wish to participate.

^[1] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ge 45:3–5.

[2] J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Books, 2008), 24-26.

^[3] Heb “do not be stirred up in the way.” The verb means “stir up.” Some understand the Hebrew verb רָגָז (ragaz, “to stir up”) as a reference to quarreling (see Prov 29:9, where it has this connotation), but in Exod 15:14 and other passages it means “to fear.” This might refer to a fear of robbers, but more likely it is an assuring word that they need not be fearful about returning to Egypt. They might have thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them. Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ge 45:24.

^[4] Allen P. Ross, “Genesis,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 95.