This is not the Lord’s supper! | Genesis 43

Joseph’s life has been marked by betrayal, suffering, and astonishing reversals:

Sold into slavery by his own brothers.

Falsely accused and imprisoned in Egypt.

Then suddenly lifted to the highest office under Pharaoh—ruler over the entire land.

He is now 38 years old.

Twenty-two years have passed since he last saw the faces of his brothers.

And although he has named one of his sons Manasseh—“God has made me forget all my hardship”—the reality is, Joseph has not truly forgotten.

When those same brothers walk into his presence during the famine, he is moved to tears.

We will see through these chapters that Joseph weeps seven times.

The hurt is still there.

The love is still there.

The longing for reconciliation is still there.

But before reconciliation can happen, there must be honesty.

Confession.

Repentance.

The Irony of “Honest Men”

As we saw last week, when Joseph accused his brothers of being spies, they protested again and again:

“We are honest men.”

And yet nothing could have been further from the truth.

For over two decades, they had lived under a lie.

They had handed their father the torn, bloody robe of Joseph and allowed him to believe a wild animal had devoured his son.

They had kept silent while Jacob’s heart broke.

These are not honest men—at least not yet.

And God in His wisdom is not going to let them remain in that self-deception.

A Meal of Division

In this chapter, the brothers return to Egypt a second time.

They bring Benjamin, the youngest.

Simeon has been left behind as a hostage.

And as the story unfolds, they are invited to a meal with Joseph—though they still do not recognize him.

But this meal is not a celebration of peace.

This is not a table of unity.

This is not the family gathered around the same loaf and cup in fellowship.

At the end of Genesis 43, their divisions are laid bare in small, telling details:

They are seated separately.

They are astonished at the strange order of their seating.

Joseph receives extra portions.

Suspicion and tension fill the air.

This is not the Lord’s Supper.

This is a picture of estrangement and unfinished repentance.

The True Table of Reconciliation

The contrast with the New Testament could not be clearer.

When we gather each week at the Lord’s Table, we come to a meal that represents something entirely different:

✅ Reconciliation with God through the body and blood of Christ.

✅ Reconciliation with each other—no matter our histories or backgrounds.

✅ Peace that flows from confession and repentance, not pretense or denial.

Where this meal in Genesis highlighted division, the Lord’s Supper proclaims unity.

Why This Matters

Before we can have true peace—with God, with family, or with one another—there must be truth.

Hidden sin must come into the light.

Guilt must be confessed.

Hearts must be humbled.

Joseph’s brothers are on the long road toward that moment.

They are not there yet.

But God is working in them.

And He still works in us in the same way.

Do you want to support Church of The Word?

https://cotwstl.org/give/

Check out our church here!

https://cotwstl.org/

#biblestudy #faith