Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there--since there are five more years of famine to come--so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.'"
And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.
This week’s reading presents a grand epiphany that ends a long narrative theme that began with Joseph’s father, Jacob. Beginning with Jacob and continuing until the end of Genesis (actually the text at hand), the major theme that drives the narrative is deception. Recognizing the continuity of this theme helps to enrich the Old Testament, including the Joseph story. Let’s quickly recount the moments of deception surrounding this family as an aid to appreciate Joseph’s words to his brothers:
Jacob: Cycles of deception begin with Jacob. He, of course tricks his brother (Esau) and father (Isaac) into giving him the birthright instead of the firstborn. Later, after working years for his wife-to-be Rachel, his father-in-law switches her for her sister, Leah, literally at the altar. Jacob, surprisingly, doesn't recognize the imposter under the veil (note the importance clothing has in deception) and marries Leah. The deceiver has been deceived. He has to work longer for Rachel, but eventually does indeed marry her. Time passes (as well as some connivings between the sister-wives) and Jacob gives his son Joseph a coat as a token of his favor. The other sons, jealous of the favoritism, tear the cloak off their brother, sell him into slavery, dip his precious cloak in animal’s blood and present the cloak to their father - evidence of a brutal (and efficient, there was no body recovered) mauling. Devastated, Jacob fades into the background of the story; but others will continue the deception.
Judah: While Joseph is traveling to Egypt, the narrative tells a seemingly disjointed tale about Judah and Tamar. It may be tempting to skip this story, but it is important. Thematically, it continues the thread of deception and informs the reader further of how the Joseph story will unfold. Judah, the one who sells his brother, is lured into sleeping with his daughter-in-law, deceived by the garments of a prostitute.
Joseph: Immediately after the episode concerning the wiley Tamar, Joseph is betrayed a second time. In a repetition of his first betrayal by his brothers, Potiphar’s wife tears the cloak off Joseph and presents it to her husband as evidence of assault, resulting in the slave being cast into a pit a second time.
The Cupbearer: Dreams can be deceptive; they need interpretation and are prone to instill hope and confidence, especially after witnessing a favorable interpretation. Unfortunately, the cupbearer is deceived by his overconfidence which was a premonition of his execution. Though helpful for Joseph who used this opportunity to sharpen his spiritual gift, perhaps we all should be more reticent to share our dreams with others.
The Pharaoh: The dreams that the Pharaoh had seem too obvious to be so confounding for his professional dream interpreters - especially the one about the sickly wheat eating the healthy wheat. Perhaps God is joining in on the fun, muddling the minds of the typically prescient in order to provide an opportunity for our hero to demonstrate his skills. Some may call God’s involvement in history providence; in this case, for sure some minor meddling is necessary. God is not above deception.
The Brothers/Simeon: After so much deception, surprisingly Joseph participates. Scene after scene depicts our hero manipulating his brothers. Granted, one would be cautious and Joseph would be excused to test his brother’s loyalty and honesty. When Joseph sees them coming he “disguises himself” (Genesis 42:7; remember the importance of clothing?), accuses them of being liars and spies and requires Simeon to remain behind as ransom to be released when they produce his younger brother, Benjamin. Simeon is an interesting choice. He, along with Levi, murder and raze an entire town after their prince sleeps with their sister, Dinah, and declares his love for her. They wait until the prince orders the circumcision of the entire male population (including himself), as a bride price, for their retribution (pretty sneaky, I have to say).
The Brothers - Again: Joseph is not quite done. When his brothers inevitably return for more food and to retrieve their brother, Benjamin returns with them. After seeing his true brother for the first time, Joseph tests his half-brothers’ loyalty by sending them away with food, but hiding his valuable silver goblet inside Benjamin’s saddle bag. They are recalled and when the planted evidence is revealed, Joseph hears the truth in his half-brothers’ anguish. Joseph is characterized as being successful in everything he does. Here, Joseph is successful in deception, the vice that caused all his worries.
Jacob: The scenes with Joseph and his brothers marks an increase in deception; they feel hurried, reflecting the frenetic concern of Joseph as he tests his brother’s loyalty and honesty. What makes the scene we read this week so satisfying, so beautiful as a moment of epiphany is this long history of deception. Generations of deception, in this moment, is suddenly and decisively broken by Joseph revealing the truth, “I am your brother!” In the same sentence as the revelation, Joseph asks after his father. He desperately wants the truth brought back to him, that his son is alive. Jacob receives the truth and is reunited, peering through the royal attire that obscures the identity of his son, Jacob finally recognizes Joseph. Genesis ends hopefully with Joseph reunited with his family in Egypt, safe and secure; no more lies, no more deceits haunt the man that began it all.