The Life of Joseph (11)

We read in Luke 15, “There arose a mighty famine in that land.” That was not something that came by chance, but it was directed by the Lord to bring the prodigal son upon his knees, saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.” It says in Scripture that he came unto himself. That was God's work in his heart and in his life. When he came unto himself, he thought about his father's house: “How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”

We read also about a famine during the life of Joseph in the land of Canaan. That also was not by chance; the Lord used that famine to bring the brothers unto Joseph and to humble their hearts before him. In the life of the prodigal son it was blessed; it drove him back unto the heart of the father. In the land of Canaan it also was blessed, by driving the brothers unto Joseph and bringing them into their guilt before God. In this part of the history of Joseph and his brothers we once again see the wonderful dealings of the Lord.

“And took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.” Joseph took Simeon and sent him to prison. Why did he choose Simeon, and not Reuben, the firstborn? Some of the commentators say that Simeon was one of the harder brothers. He was one of the two brothers who had murdered all the male Shechemites. He was a man who stood for nothing and had the most hatred against Joseph. In those days he was a type of spokesman for the family. The Lord knows the heart of man, and He knew Simeon's heart also. He knew that he was one of the harder ones, who needed a deeper way. You might say that Joseph also felt that Simeon needed a deeper way than his brothers. The Lord sometimes deals that way with His children. He knows what is necessary in the life of such a hard-hearted one.

On the way back home to their father's house the nine brothers were deeply concerned. I would think that they did not speak very much except, “We are verily guilty concerning our brother.” It was very dark and difficult for those brothers. Some people can talk much about guilt, misery, and sin, but when it is felt in the heart, we can say very little except, “Verily guilty; I am guilty.” This work in the brothers' hearts came from the Lord. Do you know something of that in your life? Did you notice that when the brothers were on their way home they were carrying the benefits of Joseph, but they did not have the eyes to see it that way? They had sacks of corn, and yet their eyes were not opened to see that Joseph had provided it for them. So it is at times in the life of God's people, that as they are carrying the benefits, they see only their guilt and no Savior.

“And to give them provision for the way.” That must have been astonishing to those brothers. Joseph had provided provisions for their long journey home. He did not do that for the thousands and tens of thousands of people who came from all the countries round about. Why did he provide provisions for them? Because they were his brothers, and he loved them! Joseph knew that they would be traveling through lands where the famine was raging. He is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ here because Jesus Christ loves His people, and His heart is moved with compassion for them. He also provides provisions for His people as they travel through this wilderness here below. Do you know something of that, my friends? Sometimes when they are sitting in His house and all they see is sin and guilt, then He suddenly provides a little provision for the journey. He watches over them and sometimes provides a little encouragement for the way.

“And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money.” One of the brothers found his money restored to him and did not understand the reason why. The brothers did not blame the servants of Joseph; no, but they were afraid and came down on the side of the Lord by saying, “What is this that God hath done unto us?” See that, my friends, they were guilty, guilty people who saw the Lord's hand in this. When they arrived at their father's house, then Jacob, the head of the household, could not understand it either.

As Jacob sat there and heard about Simeon and the need to bring Benjamin on their return trip to Egypt, he said something that had been kept inside him for twenty-one years. For twenty-one years he had struggled with those thoughts, and now it came out, “Me have ye bereaved of my children.” To his nine sons standing before him he gave a little insight into his thoughts pertaining to Joseph's dying years ago. He never really trusted his ten sons' explanation of Joseph's death. He always wondered how he had died and what they had done to him. He had never dared to bring it up in the past, but now that the burden was so heavy on him again, it came over his lips, “Me have ye bereaved of my children.” How that would have cut deeply into these nine brothers as they stood there and their father cried out, “All these things are against me.” For twenty-one years it had been dark in the life of this child of God. For twenty-one years God had upheld him, but it was dark spiritually in his soul. “All these things are against me.” What did Reuben say at this point? Reuben was the oldest son and also a foolish man. He came up with a foolish proposition by saying, “Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee.” In other words, if harm would come to Benjamin, then Jacob could kill Reuben's two sons. What a foolish man Reuben was! If something happened unto Benjamin, then Jacob should kill two of his grandchildren?

“My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone.” Why was Jacob so attached to Benjamin? Some say it was because he was a child of Rachel, and Jacob loved Rachel. God had given him two children by Rachel; one was not, and the other was home with Jacob. I think there is another reason also. When Joseph had died twenty-one years ago, Jacob thought that Benjamin must be protected because the Messiah must come through him. Jacob was going to take care that Christ could be born. We always have so much work in us. He had first thought that the lineage would be through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then Joseph. Joseph was a converted boy, so Jacob thought that through him the blessed Messiah would come. When Joseph was gone, he thought, “Will that promise ever be fulfilled, will Christ ever be born?” Later, when father Jacob was lying upon his deathbed, he saw that Christ would be born through Judah. The Lord in a free and sovereign way took care that the promise would be fulfilled when all the works of man came to an end. They are a blessed people indeed who may come to an end with all their works and may embrace the Lord's work. Paul says in Philippians, “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

The Lord had wrought a beginning in the life of Jacob's sons. They did not know much yet as they stood with their empty hands before a grieving father. You can imagine how they felt when they saw their grieving father—guilty, guilty. They had nothing to say when the patriarch said, “Me have ye bereaved of my children.” The Lord had made those words heavy upon the hearts of the sons. The Lord does not skip over sin. Young people, be careful how you live your life. The Lord would take care of these sons because they would come to know Joseph and receive him as their brother. So it is in the life of God's children. But how awful it will be for those who never become guilty before the Lord. “Go ye into outer darkness.” There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

— to be continued —

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