Genesis 42:25 Commentary and Bible Study

He commands their sacks to be filled with corn and their money to be returned to them. This money had come from his own father and his own brothers, and he was going to feed them without payment. God had elevated him to this position to be their saviour. But this was also done to trouble their minds, and eventually bring them to repentance, and this is certainly the effect it had. They regard this as an indication that God is against them, when in fact it originates from Joseph’s secret love for them. Probably there were multiple sacks per person, but one with money in it – bits and pieces of silver. This is another measure to perplex them. All this is being done to increase their consternation and to bring another wave of conviction. It will cause more heart searching, and they will have considerable time to reflect on this before they return to Egypt. Joseph must be revealed as a judge before he is revealed as a saviour from famine.When they discover that they have their money back, they are again afraid. This makes them more afraid than they had been at their lack of food in the first place, so that although they have obtained what they want and their bags are fall, they have no peace about what has happened. ‘What is this that God has done to us?’ Calvin asks, ‘But why do they not rather turn their thoughts to Joseph? For the suspicion was natural that this had been done by fraud, because he wished to lay new snares for them.’ They fear God enough to attribute these events to him, and they are right. God is doing something to them; their guilty consciences make them think it is something bad. Whatever other actors are involved, we are certainly right to see God as the principal actor without whom nothing is done. We should therefore go first to him and settle matters with him and all others will then be rendered harmless, whether they act for good or for ill against us.