Joseph efficiently thought through a plan of operation that would get his family settled. He rehearsed the plan with those who were involved and then, as we will see in a moment, presented the plans to his boss for final approval.

On top of his forgiveness and reassurance, he “made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.” He urged them to return and bring their father to this land, where they could enjoy relief from their barren existence.

Joseph’s life offers us a magnificent portrayal of the grace of God as He came to our rescue in the Person of His Son, Jesus. So many come to Him, like Joseph’s guilty brothers, feeling the distance and fearing the worst from God, only to have Him demonstrate incredible generosity and mercy.

Benjamin, interestingly, was served portions five times the size of the other men. Those hungry Hebrews must have thought they’d died and gone to glory. Benjamin himself may have thought, I know I’m thin, but this is ridiculous. What’s going on here?

“Am I in God’s place?” Joseph asked them. Had he been a lesser man, he could have played “king of the mountain” and filled the role of God. “Grace killers” do that sort of thing. They exploit the power they have over others.

Despite his age and infirmity, Jacob’s memory was nothing short of remarkable. He could name each one of his boys, and he could describe their individual natures and recall with pertinent detail the lives they had lived.

Because Joseph had been a special son to Jacob, Joseph’s sons were special to their grandfather as well. The NIV study notes on this portion of the text state that Jacob, at his death, adopted Joseph’s first two children as his own and in doing that divided Joseph’s inheritance in the land of Canaan between them.

“Swear to me, Joseph—promise me this,” Jacob said. “Place your hand under my thigh and swear.” Making promises to the dying is nothing unusual. That is still done today. Frequently I have heard spouses or children tell of promises they made to a dying mate or a parent.