Knowing The Word in Genesis 42:18-28, Joseph is like Jesus

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God [throughout Genesis the patriarchs are suspicious of foreigners and their lack of reverence for God]: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” [Why this change of heart, keeping in mind that Joseph’s mission is to preserve life? Joseph knew it would be difficult for one man to travel safely back home, and, I believe, he is testing his father to see if he is willing to rescue one son by sending his now favorite son, Benjamin, to Egypt. Keep in mind that all of this foreshadows God’s willingness as Father to send and sacrifice his one and only and favorite Son for the sake of all his children.] And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” [They believe God is paying them back for their unjust actions. In one sense they are right, yet they do not understand the purposes of God that will shortly be revealed to them.] 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” [His remarks suggest that Rueben’s brothers never told him exactly what had happened to Joseph.] 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 Then he turned away from them and wept. [Joseph now realizes that his eldest brother had not consented to his sale, which may explain why he lets Rueben go and keeps Simeon in prison. For all his apparent harshness, Joseph still loves his brothers. That he wept should also remind us of Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus in John 11:35.] And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. [Why did Joseph have Simeon bound before them? He wanted them to know how serious he was by replaying what they had done to him year before. Would this break their hearts? Would this move them to repentance? We shall wait and see.] 25 And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them. [Why did Joseph order the money be put back?]

26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them [“they didn’t know what to think”], and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?” [They are aware that God is involved in all of this, but unlike their younger brother, they do not have the same kind of relationship with God to understand.]