When Joseph lifts his eyes and sees Benjamin, something breaks open inside him:
“And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, ‘Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!’ Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep.”
(Genesis 43:29-30 ESV)
This is more than a touching family reunion. It is a deeply prophetic moment.
For the first time since betrayal and separation shattered the family, all twelve brothers are together again, not one missing. These men would become the twelve tribes, and together they would form the people of Israel. What we are witnessing here is not only reconciliation, but restoration.
In time, Israel would become a kingdom: first under Saul, then David, and finally Solomon. But after Solomon, that kingdom fell apart. The northern kingdom was exiled by Assyria in 722 BC. The southern kingdom followed, and was taken to Babylon in 597 BC. Idolatry and injustice tore the nation apart. It seemed as though Israel would never be whole again.
Yet the prophets looked ahead to a different ending. Through Ezekiel, God spoke a promise that cut through despair:
“I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone…
and I will make them one nation in the land…
and one king shall be king over them all.”
(Ezekiel 37:21-22 ESV)
Genesis 43 quietly foreshadows this promise. The healing of Joseph’s family anticipates the healing of Israel itself. What begins with tears in a private chamber points toward a future national restoration.
This promise was partially fulfilled when Judah returned from exile in 538 BC, joined by remnants of the northern tribes who had already been scattered among the nations. Later, in the book of Acts, even the Samaritans — descendants of the northern kingdom mixed with other peoples — were welcomed back as full participants in the restored people of God.
And the story is still unfolding. Even today, descendants of the twelve tribes are returning to the land, making aliyah. Jacob’s family is being regathered, just as the prophets foretold. History is moving toward the moment Ezekiel described: the arrival of the “one king” who will reign over them all. That king is Jesus.
Joseph’s tears for Benjamin remind us that God does not forget broken families, divided people, or unfulfilled promises. What he began in Genesis, he is still completing — until all the brothers are home, and the king reigns in righteousness over a restored people.
Will you partner with God and with others to see God’s story of restoration move forward in our time?
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