7When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
10“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food. 11We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
13But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
We have to remember that the Spirit of God was in Joseph.
Genesis 41:38 (ESV)
38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”
Joseph wasn’t acting out in the flesh, it was the Spirit beginning to restore a relationship with his brothers.
“Your servants are honest men,” the same honest men sold a brother off to slavery!
“and one is no more.” This must have cut Joseph to the heart!
What will Joseph do with the spies? Joseph will give them time in confinement to reflect on their lives and the sin they committed against the “one” brother.
God does the same with us, He disciplines us, giving us time to reflect on our sin, time to repent.
Blessings, David
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