Genesis 42: Trust

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as we discover new insights and new perspectives from a very old book.

I'm reading Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

The dreams of Joseph in Chapter 37 come true as his brothers, lacking grain, unknowingly bow to Joseph, who has plenty. 

Those who had sold Joseph into slavery don't exactly become slaves to him, but are now at his mercy. 

Up to this point, Joseph seems very close to God, listening to God's voice internally while mastering the external world.

So, is this chapter about Joseph humiliating his brothers as revenge for the wrong they did to him? Or is Joseph testing them to see if reconciliation is possible?

Imagine a different scenario. Joseph has one brother, who stole money from him to buy drugs and then disappeared. Years go by, Joseph gains weight, grows a beard, or otherwise changes his appearance. The brother re-emerges but doesn't recognize him.

Any anger or bitterness toward his brother had long disappeared, and Joseph actually had been hoping his brother had turned his life around. But the brother hadn't been part of Joseph's life for years, and Joseph was doing great without him.

Might Joseph want some evidence that his brother could be trusted, before revealing himself and resuming their relationship?

It seems to me this was what Joseph was doing here, seeing if he could trust his brothers. He could have sold the grain to his brothers and sent them on their way, yet Joseph wanted them back in his life. But where there is no trust, how can there be a relationship?

A note on the last verse: both translations use the word "sheol." Based on brief lookups on the Internet, I think it just means "place of the dead" or "grave." I think it's the first time we've encountered it.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)