the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 1 of 5
Genesis 42:25-38
In receiving his brothers roughly, Joseph does not intend vengeance, we may be sure. But he knows, by experience, the wickedness of their hearts and his purpose is to lead them to true repentance. To accomplish this, he uses one after another harshness, kindness, alarm and encouragement, accusations and banquets. All this is carried out with great wisdom and shows us, by comparison, how the Lord acts when He wants to awaken our hearts and consciences. Sometimes He must speak to us "roughly".
The accusations which Joseph makes are unjust. His brothers are not spies. But they feel that God is speaking to them and they remember the sin in which they all participated and their injustice to their brother.
We may have to submit to injustice. Instead of becoming irritated or seeking to justify ourselves, let us rather ask ourselves what God wants to teach us by these painful means.
For Jacob too, everything is carried out for his good, even though he says in v. 36, "All these things are against me". He will have to learn that if God is for him, nothing can be against him and that all things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28; ; Romans 8:31). It is indeed in this way that God is going to give Joseph back to him.
