Genesis 45:1–3 (ESV)

Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

By using a video technique known as “morphing” (like was used at the end of Saving Private Ryan), it’s now possible to make a movie of this scene that conveys the incredible power of the moment. We know from Genesis 42:23 that Joseph has been speaking to his brothers in Egyptian through a translator. That helps conceal his identity; they don’t recognize his voice in Egyptian.

When Joseph loses it, he cries, in Egyptian, “Make everyone go out from me,” and everyone who speaks Egyptian leaves—including the translator. Then he looks directly at his brothers and says in Hebrew, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” They recognize his voice. Then they recognize his face.

In an instant, this stranger in front of them turns into Joseph. The shock would have killed anyone with a weak heart. The face of this mysterious Egyptian lord suddenly morphs into the face of Joseph, right before their eyes.

But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

The Hebrew word translated as “presence” is actually the word for face (פָּנֶה, pe-nay). They were struck dumb, not by his words, but by his face.

This isn’t Joseph’s plan unfolding. That just blew up. This is God’s incredible sense of timing on display.

Joseph wanted to make his brothers see the light, but he never worked out the details of his plan.

Fortunately, the One who planned everything from the beginning had worked out details that Joseph couldn’t even imagine. That plan continued to unfold, without missing a beat, when Joseph’s plan unraveled. Joseph was trying to school his brothers but got schooled himself.

Notice how the collapse of Joseph’s plan was the catalyst for the action here. Joseph coming unglued wasn’t just something God had to “deal with” or “overcome.” It was the secret sauce.

Think about that the next time you’re upset with yourself. Yes, we should always try to do the right thing and serve the Lord effectively. And we will often fail.

But the key is admitting our mistakes. When we fail we need to process our errors and move on. It’s not the end of the world; it’s a mistake.

Figure out the lesson and let it go.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, are here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NASB stands for the New American Standard Bible. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.