Genesis 42 Devotional

A Conscience Awakened

“Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.””Genesis 42:21 (BSB)

The famine reaches Canaan, and Joseph's brothers come to Egypt for grain. They bow down before the governor, not knowing it is Joseph, and he remembers his dreams (42:6-9). He speaks harshly, accuses them of spying, and holds them in custody for three days. Then he keeps Simeon and sends the rest home, demanding that they return with their youngest brother.

Something begins to happen in the brothers. Twenty years after selling Joseph, they say to one another that this trouble has come because of what they did to their brother, whose anguish they saw and ignored (42:21). Joseph turns away and weeps (42:24). God uses hard circumstances to bring buried guilt to the surface, not to crush people, but to lead them toward repentance and restoration. Paul says that godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret (2 Corinthians 7:10). When old guilt resurfaces, it can be the start of God's mercy, not the end of it.

To think about: Is there an old wrong God may be bringing back to mind so that you can bring it to him?