18 “On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear 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.” 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.” 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.” (Genesis 42:18–22 (ESV)
A conviction of sin stirred within the souls of Joseph’s elder brothers. Though they have been falsely accused of spying, the LORD brought to their conscious awareness their true guilt. They had sinned against their brother Joseph in the past (Gen. 37:12-28) and the guilt over this sin haunted them in the present.
In the immediate aftermath of their agreement with Joseph, set forth in Genesis 42:18-20, the brothers immediately 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.”
How interesting that their sinful behavior against their brother over twenty years in the past is what they consider in their present situation. The brothers recall Joseph’s distress while he was in the pit and perhaps even when his brothers sold him into slavery to the Midianites (Gen. 37:25-28). This remembrance caused the brothers to consider their current distress. Why did this feeling of guilt occur?
Dr. John Walvoord writes, “A taste of retribution began to awaken feelings in the brothers, feelings that Joseph’s cries for mercy (v. 21) and Jacob’s tears (37:34–35) had failed to awaken. They sensed that having to bring Benjamin back to Egypt against the wishes of their father would be punishment for their having sold Joseph. Since Jacob was still distressed, now they were in distress.”
The eldest brother, Rueben reminded his younger brothers, ““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.” (See Genesis 37:21-22, 29). Though Reuben did prevent his brothers from killing Joseph and was not involved in selling him to the Midianites, he was complicit in lying to Jacob that Joseph was dead, because a fierce animal attacked and killed him (Gen.37:29-34).
Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “As often happens when we are convicted, the Holy Spirit has used outward means of discipline while stirring the brothers’ conscience. Our Lord will use any means necessary to provoke His people to repentance and keep them in the faith.”
John Calvin comments: “God, in order to lead the sons of Jacob to repentance, impelled them, as well by the secret instinct of his Spirit as by outward chastisement, to become sensible of that sin which had been too long concealed.”
Genuine repentance must arise from a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51). Outward behavior of contrition must be born from a heart of genuine and godly sorrow for one’s sin. May we each see our sin as God sees it when we confess our sin to God and others (I John 1:8-10).
Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
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