THE SINS OF THE PAST
Genesis 42
“As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.”
It is difficult to hold it against Joseph that he let his anger at his brothers’ betrayal overcome him. The dream that he had as a young boy, with the family bowing to him, was conveniently interpreted as permission to use his power to punish. Yet 3 days later he was to change his mind, telling his brothers, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God”.
It would seem that God intervened to help him understand the circumstances better and turn his anger away.
For the brothers, the trip to Egypt was a nightmare with the spectre of their sin against Joseph colouring everything that happened. Clearly they felt that they should be punished for their sin and it would seem, with all that had happened despite the fact that they had done nothing wrong this time, that God was behind it all.
Jacob was a pale shadow of the man who wrestled with God to obtain his blessing. Whether it was the loss of Joseph, or the fact that he suspected that the brothers were responsible, or his own loss of faith, Jacob locked himself up in his misery, paranoid that his life would continue to crumble all around him. He could not love his own children, except for the two by Rachel, and so continue to bring misery to his family.
Everyone was brought to account for themselves and it was the one who suffered the most that was willing to let go of the past in order to save the future.
“They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again.”