Genesis 42:7 Commentary and Bible Study

Joseph saw them and recognised them, but they did not know him. Is that feasible? Certainly it is. When they had sold him as a 17-year-old into slavery, they had all been adults already. They were older than he was. Their adult features and beards were well formed. About twenty years later, they would still be easily recognizable. But he had been a 17-year-old (Genesis 37:2), and he was thirty when he stood before Pharoah (Genesis 41:46). The seven year of plenty are now over and it is about two years into the seven years of famine, so he is now about 39 years old, and he wasn't easily recognized. Also, he is dressed in Egyptian royal finery and attire, not in Hebrew attire. Besides, they would never have imagined that this supreme governor was their younger brother. Joseph deliberately made himself strange to them so that they would not know who he was. At the same time he spoke roughly to them: ‘Whence come ye?’ He knew of course. It was with his dream in mind that he said this: ‘Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.’ He knows this is not the case, but gives this hostile reception. ‘And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them.’ This is his guidance through life. We don't have dreams today, from God that guide us; we have the Scriptures, the complete revelation. He had this precious revelation in a dream. ‘And [he] said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.’ He treats them very roughly. He is referring to areas of unreadiness in Egypt, the unprotected parts, where she may be susceptible to marauding bands or attackers. Why does he do this? The whole manner of his dealing with them is most peculiar. Whatever is Joseph's motive for giving them a rough reception? In order to understand what follows and to make sense of Joseph’s behaviour, we must take note of the words, ‘And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them.’ He had often reflected on the dreams and continually looked to see if they were coming any closer to being fulfilled. Now he is seeing their fulfilment after all these years, and seeing that God is faithful. He has not been forgotten by the Lord. Nothing has been overlooked; nothing has gone wrong. God knew exactly what would take place, including all the twists and turns that led up to this moment. Here he was looking upon that scene that had been before his eyes for so many years. They bowed before him, but they did not even know who he was. That would come later. In his dreams it was his whole family that bowed to him, but Benjamin is not among the brothers. The dream must be fulfilled. Clearly he did not see this in personal way – they bowed to him, but that is because of his God given role as the deliverer of the family. In Egypt he has been plunged down, and now he has been raised up, but it is not just that he will be their provider and deliverer. It is an important lesson. He wants to bring about their conviction of sin and their repentance. He's going to be their provider physically and their deliverer. But the family of Abraham, the descendants of Jacob in this case, they typified the church, the New Testament church. But none of these ten young men were converted at this stage in their lives, just as much of Israel was not converted in her history, her Bible history. But nevertheless God is dealing with them as a typical church. This is how it ought to be: a message of repentance, of sin, bringing people by the work of the Spirit under conviction. He is breaking them down, not exactly with the gospel, but it is a parallel process. We can’t be sure if it included spiritual repentance, but they certainly changed their outward ways. He is to be the family evangelist. He asked them tough searching questions. He assumed a hostile manner. What Joseph did, he did so that the prophecy would be fulfilled. There had to be conviction and repentance before he could be their guide and provider.This is not said out of revenge or anger at all the evil they have done him. We know this from the way in which he blesses them by giving them their money back, and at the end it is with great relief and tears that he finally reveals himself to them. He has very different emotions in his heart, but he is hiding his true feelings from them. This can only mean that he saw that his dreams must have their fulfilment, and that he would be hindering their fulfilment by immediately revealing himself to them. The encounter will not take place till they face up to their sin. They must fear Joseph. A relationship of dependency, need, and fear has to be established. They must see his majesty, power, right to punish. This must always be in place when we come to God.They answer him honestly; they give good responses – we are of one family and not spies. But that is nothing like deep enough. Joseph has much work to do with them. ‘And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. ¹¹ We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.’ They start telling him about their family and a little bit about their history and how they've lost one. What's that got to do with it? Why do they open up in such a personal way? It is partly because Joseph questioned them about their family, but it is also true, as Leupold says, that they attempted to disarm suspicion by giving more information than they are asked.