1. A Time of Famine to Expose Our Past

5 The sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them (Genesis 42:5-7)

2. A Time of Questioning to Disclose Our Character

7 He treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.” (Genesis 42:7-11)

3. A Time of Distress to Quicken Our Conscience

Five Stages of God’s Discipline

1. Internal Conviction 3. External Chastisement 5. Death
2. A Verbal Rebuke 4. Greater External Discipline

17 He put them all together in custody for three days. … 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” (Genesis 42:17, 21-22)

4. An Act of Mercy to Reveal God’s Working

24 Then he turned away from them and wept ... 26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?” (Genesis 42:24,26-28)

Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4, NRSV)