Deeper Roots – Genesis 45:1-15

A humbled and open heart is fertile soil for God’s seeds of wisdom to be planted. Deeper Roots is focused on analyzing God’s word to discover truths, values, and lessons for application to our lives. Periodically, a scripture or passage calls for further exploration, like Genesis 45:1-15.

Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. ³ And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
⁴ So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷ And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸ So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁹ Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. ¹⁰ You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ ¹² And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. ¹³ You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” ¹⁴ Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

Genesis 45:1-15 ESV

Our Deeper Roots passage in Genesis shows us that when the tables turn we should extend mercy instead of vengeance. Our scripture passage begins with Joseph requesting that everyone leave the room except his brothers. It’s in this moment of privacy that he reveals himself as Joseph to his brothers’ awe. Joseph goes on to tell his brothers not to be upset about what they had done to him years ago. Joseph realized God’s hand was at work to preserve his family’s lives. It was God’s hand that allowed Joseph to be sold and rise up to a position of prominence in a foreign land. Joseph tells his brothers that they must share the news with their father, Israel, and bring him back with them. Joseph goes on to demonstrate reconciliation with his brothers.

Joseph matured over the years. He was able to see the hand of God in every experience he had from being sold into slavery, to prison, and leadership in Egypt. He recognized it was God’s will for him to walk through those seasons to prepare him for what he was getting ready to do. He was strategically placed there to save his family from famine. Joseph had every opportunity to exact revenge on his brothers. He could have held on to the feelings of anger or hurt and sought vengeance. Yet instead he shows mercy. He embraces his brothers and shows that there are no ill feelings toward them.

When the tables turn, what do you have a tendency to do; intact revenge or extend forgiveness? It’s in our human nature to seek revenge. We see the evil things done to us and want to return the favor. It takes a spiritually mature person to see the hand of God in the middle of hard seasons and withhold the urge for payback. Yet Joseph demonstrates that whenever those opportunities present themself, we should seek to demonstrate compassion, not cruelty.