Genesis 43:23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
Joseph came from a dysfunctional family. There were sibling rivalries, rejections, and false accusations. Due to unresolved issues from childhood, Joseph's brothers despised him.
The plot of Joseph's story was not just about dysfunction. Joseph's story had a subplot. The subplot was the story of Divine Providence. Our verse today brings us a moment in the life of Joseph that brings the plot to light.
Divine Providence placed Joseph in the proper place at the right moment. God arranged for Joseph to be in the position to sustain and secure God’s people before a famine. Now in the midst of a famine, God brings Joseph’s past to the present. His brothers arrive and he must deal with them.
Human imagination can easily fill the task list of things he could do to them. Retaliation, retribution, and recrimination all seem justified. However, while any of these may come to Joseph’s mind, they are not what he chose to do.
Instead, Joseph chose to let God overrule his human reasoning. Character and submission to God’s will have a way of producing that kind of choice. He chose to bless his brothers who had misled their father, maligned his name, and seemingly misdirected his life’s path. Joseph did so by giving God the glory in his stewardship of the matter.
Joseph could have easily reconciled any decision to retaliate on his brothers. However, he did not. Joseph rose above life’s injustices. His compassion transcended his sibling’s mistreatment of him. His character buoyed him in a sea of false accusations.
Joseph had his brothers escorted to his house. Surely, the brothers feared that the events of the past had returned to haunt them. The images of lies to their father, the mistreatment of their brother, and the betrayal of family for money all must have run through the cinema of their minds.
Joseph’s house steward allayed their fears with a statement that represents divine providence, protection, provision, and promise. The steward told the men, “God gave you treasures in your sacks.” He explained Joseph’s ruse. Their hearts were comforted and shortly Joseph’s identity was revealed.
The steward of Joseph makes a wonderful point worth noting. He told them their bill for the food they received was paid. There was more than food in the sacks they carried. In their sacks were both earthly and eternal treasures. The steward identified it was God –– their God and their Father’s God –– who placed those treasures in their sacks. Truly the steward’s statement is a statement of God’s gift, goodness, and grace to unworthy travelers.
God puts treasures in our sack. Our sacks contain treasures that represent God’s gifts, goodness, and grace to us. You’re right; we don’t deserve such treasures! But our Savior loves us unconditionally. What great treasure!
I encourage you to look through your sack and rejoice in the treasures He’s left for you. Perhaps it will be the treasure of His Word; maybe it will be the treasure of his presence or miraculous provision you’ll discover. No matter the discovery, just enjoy and embrace His treasures for you today.
What? You say you have no treasures today? You say you only have sacks of burdens? I say you know not of which you speak! Your burden is laden with treasures. Look again I say! Look again and discover His treasure in your sack.
