Jacob’s eleven sons went to Egypt to buy more food. When Joseph saw that Benjamin had also come, he brought them inside. The brothers, still ignorant of Joseph’s identity, thought that this was because of the returned silver, and feared being made slaves with their donkeys (18). However, instead Simeon was brought out of prison, and they were served a meal. Verse 33 says that “they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.” Joseph was hinting to them who he was, but they did not notice.

Joseph sent them home with food, provisions, and silver. Secretly, he also had his silver cup placed in the bag of the youngest, Benjamin. Before the brothers were very far into their journey, Joseph had an official overtake them and search for the silver cup. When Benjamin was found guilty, the distressed brothers quickly returned to the city to speak with Joseph. There, in a most touching account, Judah offered himself to bear the penalty of being found with the silver cup, for the sake of his father and Benjamin. Their actions testified they had been thoroughly changed from the way they were so many years ago, when they plotted to kill and sell Joseph.

Joseph’s brothers had become thoroughly repentant concerning their past, and the time was right for them to recognize Joseph. However, they failed to realize who Joseph was because of their concern for their money and their donkeys. In all the good things Joseph did for them, they never wondered why such a high official would pay so much attention to them. When Joseph seated them according to the order of their birth, they still had no realization. They even feared that all the good things being done for them were traps to enslave them. Joseph’s heart toward them was good, but their thought concerning him was evil.

It is often the same in our relationship with Christ. Although we are under the Lord’s care, we are preoccupied with our money, with ourselves, or with our degree or job (our “donkey”). We do not recognize Him, and we do not realize all the hints that He gives for us to come to know Him. We even have the evil thought of being damaged or suffering loss. We need to turn our eyes from all the preoccupying things to look at Jesus, and to realize that His heart toward us is good. God is not trying to take our money or our “donkey,” but He is sovereignly controlling all things in love toward us so that we could come to Him and know Him.