Genesis 45
Joseph Reveals Himself and Forgives His Brothers
Full Text (NKJV)
Genesis 45:1-28
Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout 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 tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.”’
“And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”
Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land…’”
Then Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey…
Bull’s Eye: How Genesis 45 Points to Yeshua
This is the emotional high point of Joseph’s story and one of the most moving reconciliation scenes in the Bible.
- Joseph reveals his identity and freely forgives his brothers who had betrayed him.
- He declares: “God sent me before you to preserve life” and “it was not you who sent me here, but God.”
- He comforts them and promises to provide for them.
Strong Typology of Yeshua:
- Rejected and sold by his brothers, yet exalted.
- Forgives those who betrayed him.
- Saves his family from death by providing bread during famine.
- Says the evil done to him was used by God for good.
See also: joseph-type-of-yeshua for a full detailed comparison.
Key Truth:
Forgiveness and restoration flow from the exalted One who was rejected. Yeshua, like Joseph, turns betrayal into salvation and says to us, “It was not you, but God who sent Me for your life.”
Cross-References