Genesis 45:1 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Genesis 45:1

Comments

Joseph is satisfied that they are at last genuine in their repentance, and he cannot continue to hide his feelings. He sees their sorrow at what they have done and at the possibility of the loss of Benjamin and the anguish this will cause their father, and he cannot bear to prolong their agony any longer. Law comes before gospel, but law has now done its work. He is overcome with affection for them and for his father. The brothers are expecting the forceable imprisonment of Benjamin or Judah, but then suddenly everything changes.Every man must leave as Joseph now reveals himself. This is not because he wants to hide his brother’s identity from the Egyptians, but because he wanted a private interview with them which no one else was entitled to attend. Matthew Henry says, ‘When Joseph would put on love, he puts off state.’ He might easily have taken revenge on them, and had power to do so, but instead he was working only for their good, and his patience and forgiveness is a pattern of Christ’s patience to us. What was secret is now made public. He loves his brothers and he will have the whole of Pharoah’s house and all the world to know it. A day is coming when Christ will no longer hide his love to his people, but will gather the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.

Application

Christ’s revealing of himself to the soul is a very private matter and no one else is present. He has things to say to our innermost being which are for our ears alone. He comes to speak to us with great love and affection. There is no one else present because Christ does not use a mediator. He comes to us himself and we know we have had direct dealings with our God. We have heard his voice and seen his form and his word dwells in us from that point onwards.

He reveals himself as the Man of love. All his former severity is gone, and we understand that what we see of him at conversion is the true Christ, as he really is. His former severity was not what he finally wished to show us, but was a means to an end: to bring about our conversion. Christ will nearly always have to do some such work like this in our hearts. It is a strange work and an inexplicable one to us while we are under it. We are not easily brought to repentance, and although Christ is working for our good, he must do it without any willing cooperation from us. In our unbelieving state, we would want no part in the plan if we knew what was involved. Conversion is the sovereign work of God and must be so. What an amazing insight this passage is into the dealings of the Saviour with a soul.

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Genesis 45:1 Commentary and Bible Study