Divine Irony

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Readings: Genesis 42 | Psalm 20

The famine hits, and the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery show up at his doorstep, bowing down just like the dreams predicted. Genesis 42 is a masterpiece of divine irony and the slow burn of reconciliation. Joseph recognizes them, but they don’t recognize him. He tests them, not out of spite, but to see if they have changed. He wants to see if the brothers who were once ready to kill are now ready to protect.

This is the climax of the grand narrative’s first act. It shows us that God’s plan for blessing all the nations (the Abrahamic promise) starts with the restoration of a broken family. God isn’t just saving Egypt from hunger; He is saving the twelve tribes from their own sin and dysfunction. The grand narrative of scripture is a story of God bringing estranged brothers back together, ultimately realized in the Church, where there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free.

Psalm 20 is a prayer of victory: ‘May the Lord answer you when you are in distress.’ The brothers were in distress, unaware that their answer was standing right in front of them in the form of the brother they betrayed. God often answers our prayers in ways that force us to confront our past. He doesn’t just want to give us bread (physical provision); He wants to give us reconciliation (spiritual wholeness). Trust the process, even when the answer looks like a test.

Devotional Prompts:

• Who is the ‘Joseph’ in your life, e.g. someone you’ve wronged who might hold the key to your current provision? Are you giving them that chance?
• God used a famine to bring a family back together. How is He using distress in your life to force a necessary confrontation or healing?
• Psalm 20 says some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord. Where are you placing your trust for your daily bread?

Prayer: God of reconciliation, thank You that You use even our sins and famines to bring us back to You. Give us the courage to face our past so we can walk into the future You have prepared. We trust in Your name alone. Amen.