LIFE SCRIPTS

1 When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.” 5 And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” 8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!” 10 And they said to him, “No, my Lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.” 12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15 In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” 17 So he put them all together in prison three days. 18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And bring your young est brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.” 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
Genesis 42:1‭-‬24 NKJV

https://bible.com/bible/114/gen.42.1-24.NKJV.

Famine bit hard in the land of Canaan. So hard that Jacob had no choice but to send his sons to seek for grain in the land of Egypt. But as the sons of Jacob came across the governor of the land they did not recognize that it was Joseph, their own brother. Joseph on the other hand recognized his brothers and sought to test them by accusing them of being spies. But deep within himself, he desired to know the welfare of his father and especially of his own brother, Benjamin. Probably Joseph remembered what his own brothers had done to him. So he sought to be sure that Benjamin was safe. I can imagine how Joseph’s life was panning out in his mind at this particular time. He must have reflected about where he had come from, the rejection by his brothers, his life as a slave at Potiphar’s house, false accusations against him which led him to prison and the broken promise by Pharaoh’s cup bearer. But he ultimately must have reflected on God’s goodness to him Who enabled him to get to where he was currently. So his brothers consulted in Hebrew not knowing that he understood them fully. But deep inside of him, he desired to know about his family’s welfare. When God raises us to prominence, He does so in order that we may be a blessing to others. It doesn’t matter the trials we’ve gone through on the way up. He establishes us to be a blessing even to those who desired to hurt us.