Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. Genesis 42:7
When the brothers returned to their father, they reported, “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land” (42:30). This is the second time the Bible says Joseph spoke harshly with his brothers.
You might experience something similar when you come to church, and what you hear is not comfortable. The Word of God disturbs you. Think about the two parts of the Bible—the law and the gospel. The law tells you what God requires of you and the gospel reveals to you what God provides for you.
Why does God speak law to us? Why does the Holy Spirit convict us of sin? Why do you have the experience of sitting in church, feeling you may not be the good and righteous person you like to think you are? Only when you feel the weight of the law will you see your need of the gospel.
Paul says that the law is good, because it is through God’s law that we discover our own sin (Rom. 7:23). When we see what God requires of us, we see that we are nowhere near what He calls us to be, not even at our best.
If you feel convicted of sin, then thank God. To be at peace when your sins are not dealt with is the worst of all positions. When God speaks to you harshly—which is what conviction of sins feels like—it is actually the greatest kindness.
The great irony in this story is that the one who spoke harshly is the brother who loved them, and whose undeserved favor will save them. In this way, God may seem to be against you, but He is totally for you in Jesus Christ. When you come to know who He is, you will see all He says and does in a completely different light.
What are the two parts of the Bible? How do they relate to one another?
