Genesis 42:5-8 "And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him."
There was a great famine throughout all the land of Canaan. Many people would come to buy corn besides the sons of Israel. They all had to come to Joseph for corn. No one else had the authority to dispense the grain that was stored up in Egypt.
While many came to buy, only the sons of Israel had a special relationship with Joseph. His brothers came and bowed down before him just like his dream predicted they would. They did it at this time without even realizing they were seeing the fulfillment of Joseph’s dream. Although they did not recognize Joseph, Joseph immediately knew them.
Have you ever had the experience of running into someone you know, but they are in a place or dressed in a way you were not expecting? I walked right by coworkers on the street without knowing who they were. I had never seen them outside the workplace or in anything other than their work uniform. Until they spoke, they might as well have been strangers.
Joseph was a stranger to his brothers. They did not expect him to be in Egypt. They certainly did not expect him to be the governor of the whole land. He even disguised his speech so that they would not recognize his voice.
Have you ever found the Lord in a place where you were not expecting Him to be? Did His voice sound strange to you and cause you to bow down in fearful reverence because you knew He had power even if you did not recognize who He was in that moment? We may well encounter situations in life where we find ourselves in a strange land looking for comfort and sustenance. It may not be immediately apparent to us who it is that met us in this strange place.
Rest assured, dear ones, that Jesus always recognizes his brothers and sisters. It may take us a while to realize who it is that is providing the corn, but eventually that will be revealed to us. Initially, it may seem that we are in a place where we have reason to be afraid. However, as we shall see with Joseph, the Lord will reveal who He truly is in His own good time.