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.
So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And 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 yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And 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 tarry.
Comment: Judah’s explanation took Joseph to the brink of his emotional stability. I guess so that he didn’t expose himself character-wise before the Egyptians he expelled them all from the room and then alone with his brothers the emotional dam burst. He blubbered out ‘I am Joseph, your brother!’ We would like to read that the brothers were delighted but they were dismayed! He held real power in his hands and their guilt and consequent fear surfaced! Joseph understood what was going on and we have that beautiful talk about the brothers having had a nasty purpose in their actions, but God had been in control. ‘Through my problems God has provided an answer to our present problems, let’s rejoice.’ he said. He continued ‘The famine is nowhere near over – Go! Get Dad! Hurry about it!’
Prayer: We often think that the situation is out of Your control – thank You that we are wrong in thinking that – all the time, wrong!
As I read it! 