Genesis 50:15-21 "And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, so shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."
This last chapter of Genesis opens with Joseph and his brethren mourning the death of Jacob (Israel), their father. Israel was embalmed and mourned in Egypt as a man of honor. Then, as Jospeh had promised him, they carried Jacob’s body back to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave with his forebears and Jacob’s wife, Leah. All the host of Israel went up to lay him to rest with the exception of their little ones and their cattle. Their time in Egypt was not yet finished.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph’s brothers were concerned about how Joseph might treat them. Their collective conscience was once again overwhelmed with guilt at their treatment of Joseph when they sold him into slavery. They feared that, with Jacob gone, Joseph might finally decide to seek revenge upon them. The brothers expected Joseph to hate them.
They sent word to Joseph that it had been their father’s desire for Joseph to pardon his brothers for their actions. There is no clear indication that Jacob ever knew the whole story of how Joseph came to be in Egypt or the part his brothers played. Whether Jacob actually gave this instruction or not, it served as an open confession of Joseph’s brothers to him that they had sinned and done evil unto him. They did not claim a relationship at that time other than them being the servants of the God of Jacob.
Upon hearing the message his brothers sent, Joseph wept. It would appear that the messenger went back and told the brothers of Jospeh’s reaction. Hearing that Joseph wept over these words, the brothers came before him and bowed down. They declared unto Joseph their willingness to be his servants. Before, when they had come into Egypt, they bowed before him because of his position in the land and their need of sustenance. Here, it was with a willing heart because of Joseph’s forgiveness and kindness to them.
When Joseph inquired of them, “Am I in the place of God?,” I believe it was in recognition of God’s hand of purpose all along. Joseph was saying to his brothers that he could not fault them for something that God had brought to pass. Even though his brothers had “thought evil” against him, God had “meant (purposed)” it for good. God brought to pass the saving of much people through the suffering and victory of Joseph. Joseph spoke to them with kindness and assured them he would nourish them and their little ones.
Dear ones, when God convicts us of our sins, we know that we deserve to be cast off. Like Joseph’s brothers, all we can think to do is cast ourselves on the mercy of Jesus who came and suffered so much because of us. He has wept on our behalf, and in His mercy we have bowed ourselves before Him and desired to be His servants. His words of mercy assure us that all He did and suffered was according to God’s purpose. Our salvation and our comfort are in Jesus alone.