HealingStrong's Around the Word

Episode 13 - The Joseph Series: Facing Lies, Finding Truth (Genesis 42:9-38 NIV)

• HealingStrong • Episode 13

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Joseph's brothers stand before him in Egypt without recognizing him, while Joseph tests their character by accusing them of being spies and demanding they bring their youngest brother Benjamin as proof of their honesty. The brothers interpret their troubles as divine punishment for selling Joseph years ago, unaware that Joseph himself—now a ruler who understands their every word—is listening and is moved to tears by their confession.

This quick episode covers:

• Joseph's brothers have lived their lie about his death so long it became their reality
• Reuben, who tried to save Joseph years ago, reminds the brothers he warned them not to harm him
• The brothers believe their current troubles are punishment for what they did to Joseph
• Joseph has to leave the room to weep when he hears his brothers discussing him
• Joseph tests his brothers by demanding they bring Benjamin to Egypt
• Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go, saying "Everything is against me"
• The silver returned in their sacks terrifies the brothers and their father

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Suggested Resources:

BIBLE PLAN - Trusting God's Plan in the Waiting: Lessons from the Life of Joseph

PODCAST - Genesis to Revelation Bible Reading

TOOLS - Refresh Your Spirit through God's Word




Speaker 1:

They had told their father that, and so many years had gone by. They had lived that lie, that it became their reality, and so they thought, in fact, they had murdered him, they had killed him.

Speaker 2:

Hey, my name is Cheryl and you're listening to Healing Strong's Around the Word. We are friends sitting around the table who love the Lord and love digging into His Word. Each day on the podcast you'll hear me read a Bible passage and then we'll chat about what we're learning from it. I'll be reading Genesis, chapter 42, verses 9 through 38 from the NIV version of the Bible. So join us Around the Word.

Speaker 2:

Genesis 42, verses 9 through 38. Genesis 42, verses 9 through 38. Of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies. No, he said to them, you've come to see where our land is unprotected. But they replied your servants were 12 brothers, the sons of one man who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father and one is no more with our father and one is no more. Joseph said to them it is just as I told you. You are spies and this is how you will be tested. As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of your number to get your brother. The rest of you will be kept in prison so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives. You are spies.

Speaker 2:

And he put them all in custody for three days. On the third day, joseph said to them Do this and you will live, for I fear God. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households, but you must bring your youngest brother to me so that your words may be verified and that you may not die. This they proceeded to do. So they said to one another surely we are being punished because of our brother? We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen. That's why this distress has come on us. Reuben replied didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen. Now we must give an accounting for his blood.

Speaker 2:

They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left At the place where they stopped for the night. One of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. My silver has been returned, he said to his brothers here it is in my sack. Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said what is this that God has done to us?

Speaker 2:

When they came to their father, jacob, in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said the man who is Lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. But we said to him we are honest men, we are not spies. We were 12 brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan. Then the man who is Lord over the land said to us this is how I will know whether you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me and take food for your starving households and go, but bring your youngest brother to me, so I will know that you are not spies but honest men, then I will give your brother back to you and you can trade in the land.

Speaker 2:

As they were emptying their sacks there, in each man's sack was his pouch of silver. When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. Their father, jacob, said to them you have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me.

Speaker 2:

Then Reuben said to his father you may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Everything is against me. Then Reuben said to his father you may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you and trust him to my care, and I will bring him back. But Jacob said my son will not go down there with you. His brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow. And that was our Bible reading today. So now let's listen in on the discussion that Angie, maren, susie and myself had around the word. We're setting the scene with Joseph's brothers bowing at his feet. He's seeing his brothers for the first time in all these years, and we had some kind of wow moments already whenever we were reading this, maren. What did you see that popped out to you whenever you were reading it this time?

Speaker 3:

We talked a little bit about Reuben being the oldest and he was not around when the brothers sold Joseph as a slave.

Speaker 2:

Right, we were just looking back. I think it's in what 37? 37, verse 21,. When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. Let's not take his life, he said. So he's trying to do something to no avail, you noticed. He later came back and tore his clothes when he found out they sold him.

Speaker 3:

We're responsible. This is happening to us because we murdered our brother.

Speaker 1:

What I thought when we read that was and some translations don't use the term murder, but I think some of them use the term, it's in verse 32, that his blood was on our hands. And so I think what the thought that came to me was they had told that lie to their father, because the scripture clearly tells us that Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites. But now they're saying he was murdered. But they had told their father that, and so many years had gone by, they had lived that lie that it became their reality. And so they thought, in fact they had murdered him, they had killed him, right.

Speaker 3:

Okay, so then on verse 13, it says Our youngest brother is there with our father and one of our brothers is dead. They told him that same lie, I guess.

Speaker 2:

maybe they could have figured that if he had survived or something, he would have come back to them at some point. And he never did.

Speaker 3:

But it must have been a sword to his heart to hear his brothers say he was dead and here he was. He was alive, right in front of their face.

Speaker 4:

He had the truth. I mean here Joseph is looking at all of his brothers and how hurtful that had to be for him because Joseph knew the truth. And yet he's trying to make a decision based on knowing the truth, knowing that his brothers are there and that he wants to. I think at that point he wanted to. It said he got up and he had to flee. And is it? At that point he said that?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, he had to cry, yeah, he had to like weep for a minute, which obviously shows he's still hurting, like he's probably forgotten this or at least pushed it deep down all these years, and now suddenly he's having to revisit his abuse, his trauma.

Speaker 1:

Cheryl, what it's speaking to me right at this moment is sometimes even in my life. I may have accepted something in my life that was a lie and I believed it for so long. It became truth in my life. But I'm asking God right now, as I stand before Him, to reveal the truth to me. I know, father, you may weep when you look at me, because you know I believe lies and they've become my truth. But I'm standing before the King right now and I want you to reveal the truth about all issues in my life.

Speaker 2:

Thank you all for joining us for Healing Strong's Around the Word podcast. I hope that you were encouraged to dig deeper into God's word. Join us next time for more discussions around the word and, if you like our podcast, please consider giving us a five-star rating. Click that subscribe button and tell people you know about us. You can visit our website at healingstrongorg where you'll find out more about our mission and our community groups. Until next time, remember faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.