This week we will be looking at Genesis 43 and the continuing account of how Joseph is testing his brothers to see if there has been a change in these men since leaving him for dead in a pit and then selling him into slavery. Last week, in Genesis 42, we saw the beginnings of repentance in the lives of these men as God is using Joseph to prick their consciences. For this covenant family to be a blessing to all the nations, God is going to have to do a great work of repentance in Joseph’s brothers and lead them to reconciliation with their brother.
Last week we saw the first of three tests that Joseph uses to test the character of these men. This first test was a test of honesty. Overall, we see the brothers telling the truth to both Joseph (although they did not know it was Joseph) and to their father upon their return from Egypt. Also, Joseph gives them an opportunity to test them for their honesty by going back to Canaan and bringing back the brother they left behind: Benjamin. This is what we see in Genesis 43 as the famine continues to wax heavy upon the land. This is the circumstance that God uses to move Jacob to release his favored son to travel with his other sons to Egypt and stand before Pharaoh’s second in command.
The test that we will see this week is a test of jealousy. Are these brothers still overcome with the sin of jealousy as it pertains to a favored son or has there been repentance in this area? Joseph will orchestrate a situation which will place the brothers in a position to act sinfully to the favored status of their younger brother. What he will find out is that God is working on each of their consciences to bring about continued repentance.