Genesis 45:1-4
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

Joseph’s story is one of faith and the goodness of God. How his heart must have flooded with joy that first time he saw his brothers come to buy food. And now as they return this second time with Benjamin with them, he is so overcome by that, so grateful to see them and to see they are well, to hear of his father and that his father is well. For all the riches and power and glory that he had in Egypt, it was, perhaps, his family that meant the most to him.

And there are his brothers, stunned by his revelation, having believed all those years that Joseph was dead or that they would never see him again. Certainly they did not expect to find him in this place and this position. Next they would go to fetch their father and return to Egypt to dwell in the safety of Joseph’s protection and provision. Later we’ll see their guilt and fear surface for what they had done to Joseph. But we’ll also see there Joseph’s grace and kindness, his love and mercy, his greater understanding of what God had done through this whole situation.

Can’t we all relate to them on some level, though? Here we are knowing within ourselves who we are and what we’ve done, the sins of our past, the choices we’ve made, the wrong we have done, maybe the hidden things we thought we’d gotten away with. Maybe we come before the Lord with fear and guilt and shame, but He is kind and gracious to us. He loves us and is glad we have come before Him just as we are. He forgives our sin. He provides for us. He blesses our lives and ensures our future. He rejoices over us. So may we find rest in His love and forgiveness and move forward out of our guilty past into a more glorious future of walking in fellowship with the Lord.