Joseph was pursuing particular goal when testing them: he wanted to know whether they had changed!

 Greetings to you, dear friends! Praise God for the wonderful day God has given us! Thank God for one more opportunity to be filled with God’s living word!We have been talking about God changing us through relationships. Today we will discuss Joseph’s relationships with his brothers.The story of Jacob (Joseph’s father) is interesting because of many life lessons it contains. Jacob had quite many children: 12 sons and several daughters. What was the relationship like among his sons? Out of all 12 of them, Jacob loved Joseph the most. Of course, it provoked a negative attitude of other brothers towards Joseph. They fostered hatred, envy, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness towards Joseph in their hearts. They hated Joseph also because he reported all their wrongdoings to and mistakes to their father. Imagine the atmosphere in Jacob’s household! Brothers wanted to kill Joseph, but then they changed their minds and decided to sell him into slavery. And they did all of it because of their resentment, hatred, offense and envy towards Joseph. Nevertheless, God’s hand was upon Joseph, and He kept him through this difficult time and promoted him despite of it all.Years went by, and God let brothers to see Joseph once again; at the time Joseph was promoted to the position of power and was capable of taking his revenge and killing his brothers. But Joseph did not do it. He had to go through all the trials and changes. He did it with dignity and God changed him. God used all types of relationships in his life to make the necessary changes. Joseph had become a different person that looked at life with God’s eyes. When meeting his brothers he could forgive them and not seek revenge. Joseph could see God’s plan and His hand in everything that happened to him. Through all of these events God brought Joseph into the place of his calling and God’s perfect will. That is why Joseph was able to say to his brothers: 

 «But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive» (Genesis, 50:20).

 Remember, what is the first sign of a change man? It is the changed attitude towards other people. Joseph’s attitude towards his brothers tells us that he had been changed. Imagine that these were the people that sold him into slavery and caused him to go through pain, misery, losses, trials and serious problems. And now brothers came to Joseph for help and he helped – freely and with no desire to pay back for all the pain. He was able to do it because he was changed and freed from unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment.What can we say about the other 11 brothers? Did they experience any changes since they parted with Joseph? Joseph wanted to see if they had changed or remained the same. Remember that they sold him because of envy, offence, anger and unforgiveness? How did Joseph test them? Let’s look at the Book of Genesis. 

«In his manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life Pharaoh, surely you are spies?” So he put them all together in prison three days. Then Joseph said to them the third day, „Do this and live, for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. And bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. Then they said to one another, „We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.” And Reuben answered them, saying, „Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.” But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey» (Genesis, 42:15-25).

 Joseph was pursuing particular goal when testing them: he wanted to know whether they had changed. He heard their regrets about mistreating Joseph. They did not know that Joseph heard their conversation. He wanted to make sure it wasn’t just a talk but that they had repented before God.When we are truly sorry for the wrong things we have done and we repent before God, he gives us grace to change and start living and acting in a new way – like a new creature in Christ Jesus. We will continue about it tomorrow!God bless you!Pastor Rufus Ajiboye