Joseph has invited his brothers to eat at his house and they still think he's an Egyptian governor at this time. They're terrified to go to his house but his steward assured them in yesterday's passage that they have nothing to fear, so they go with him. There's little else they can do but go with him, really. They dare not offend the governor.
"The steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. They prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there. When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. He asked them how they were, and then he said, 'How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?'" (Genesis 43:24-27) He knew Jacob was alright at their last visit but an unknown period of time has passed. The men stayed home in Canaan until the food they purchased on their first visit to Egypt ran out. It may have taken many months for them to eat all the food.
"They replied, 'Your servant our father is still alive and well.' And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him." (Genesis 43:28) Nine of these men once threw Joseph into a cistern, intending to leave him there to die. Judah is responsible for Joseph's sale into slavery. Reuben bears guilt as well, even though he intended to rescue Joseph from the cistern, because as the eldest he was the representative of their father while they were all out in the countryside together tending sheep. He failed to speak up or take charge. Yet here they are, bowing face down on the ground at his feet. King Solomon once commented on the way God works in settling conflicts between people when at least one of the people belongs to Him: "When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone's way, He causes their enemies to make peace with them." (Proverbs 16:7) The Lord is pleased with Joseph's ways. He is causing Joseph's former enemies to make peace with him.
"As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, 'Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?' And he said, 'God be gracious to you, my son.' Deeply moved by the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there." (Genesis 43:29-30) He hasn't seen Benjamin in over twenty years. He never expected to see him again. Benjamin is barely recognizable to him now, for he was just a child when Joseph was sold into slavery. Joseph can't hold himself together at the sight of his brother. He quickly excuses himself from the room and hurries to his bedroom where he can give vent to his tears. It's unthinkable that he would cry in the presence of the men since at this time they still believe he is an Egyptian. Why would an Egyptian governor weep at the sight of their youngest brother? Why would a rough and tough government official weep in the presence of strangers? He has to have privacy to release his tears.
"After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, 'Serve the food.' They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians." (Genesis 43:31-32) Ancient Egyptians considered themselves superior to all other races on the earth. It was beneath them to eat with anyone of another culture, so Joseph eats at his own table. Remember, his servants know he is a Hebrew, although the brothers don't know it yet. His brothers probably assume, if they think about it at all, that Joseph eats at his own private table because he can't eat with servants.
Something interesting happens at the table of the eleven brothers. "The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment." (Genesis 43:33) I don't know whether hosts in those days used place cards or whether Joseph verbally instructed each man where to sit, but he's placed them at the table in the order of their birth. How would an Egyptian governor know the order of their birth? The men probably think he divined this knowledge through some sort of supernatural means, which makes them even more frightened of him. I don't know whether that's Joseph's intention though. I've always suspected this is a slip up on his part. I believe he automatically seats them by birth order without even thinking about it.
"When portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So they feasted and drank freely with him." (Genesis 43:44) Why does he do this? Some scholars think it's to test their reaction when he shows favoritism to the youngest brother. They didn't react very well when Jacob used to show favoritism to Joseph, so perhaps he's trying to gauge whether Benjamin has anything to fear from them. Or it could be that he's so overcome with love and compassion for his only full brother that he wants to heap extra blessings on him. He's gone all these years without seeing Benjamin and without being able to do anything for him. Now is his chance. None of the brothers remark on his behavior. It could be they're used to Benjamin receiving the most and the best from their father since he transferred his favoritism from the missing Joseph to the youngest son. It could be they don't speak up because they wouldn't dare question this powerful governor or protest anything he does.
A lot of times the Bible doesn't specifically spell out a person's motives and we are left to puzzle them out on our own with the information we do have about their character. Whatever Joseph is doing, he isn't trying to be cruel to anyone or to set the brothers against each other. Though he's continuing the charade of being an Egyptian official for now, he's not doing it to mistreat anyone. I think he's proceeding slowly and carefully while he listens to the Lord. He doesn't want to show his hand at the wrong time. He knows it was the Lord's will for him to end up in Egypt and become the man who saves the nation from famine. He's beginning to see that it's the Lord's will for him to save his family not only from famine but from falling apart. The Lord intends the family of Jacob to move to Egypt. Joseph is trying not to get ahead of the Lord's timing, so he's obeying the leading of the Lord step by step.
Why does the Lord want Jacob's family in Egypt? Throughout the Bible, the word "Egypt" is often used as a symbol for evil. It's hard for us to imagine why the Lord would want them in such a heathen country. I think a clue can be found right here in today's passage where we find Egyptians refusing to interact socially with Hebrews. If Jacob and his family remain in Canaan at this time, they are in danger of integrating into the idolatrous culture of Canaan. We don't know who the sons of Jacob married or who Jacob's grandchildren were courting and marrying as they came of age. Almost certainly many of their spouses were from pagan backgrounds. I think the Lord allowed this for a time in order to diversify the genetic material in their family enough so they will not become inbred. But what's going to happen when they get to Egypt? The Egyptians are going to provide them with a land for settlement: the land of Goshen, where they will remain separate from the Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians believed they were descended from "the gods" and that they could not mix their bloodlines with the bloodlines of other cultures. In Egypt the family of Jacob is going to be able to maintain their religion and their culture, for they will be treated as a lesser class. While Joseph lives they will be shown courtesy but no one in Egypt would want to arrange marriages for their children with any of the Hebrews. This is going to help the descendants of Jacob not to turn from the living God to idolatry. They are going to see idols and pagan temples everywhere they go in Egypt, but the people of Egypt won't invite them to worship with them. They're not going to run into one of Jacob's sons on the street and say, "Hey, how about coming to church with me on Sunday?" They're definitely not going to tell any of the young, good-looking grandsons of Jacob, "I've got a sister that I think would have a lot in common with you. Why don't you come to our house for dinner on Friday night to meet her?"
God knows exactly what He's doing. The family of Jacob has already experienced difficult times nad they have more hardships coming at them in the future, but this is all part of God's plan. We all go through difficult times in life. We don't always know the reason for our tough times, at least not right away. But we can be sure that God has a purpose for them. God had a purpose for the way He allowed Joseph's brothers to treat him. God has a purpose for the 430 years the Hebrews are going to spend in Egypt, and some of those years are going to be extremely hard for them. But God is not wasteful. He never allows a difficulty to go on one second longer than it needs to. He will allow it only as long as it takes to accomplish its intended purpose.
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