R.C. Sproul

Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."

So he put them all together in prison for three days.

Now, do you notice the proposal that Joseph makes first?

He said, I'm going to put you to the test.

You say you're not spies.

I think you are spies.

And if you're really not spies, you'll send your youngest brother down here.

Why didn't you bring him in the first place?

And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to put all of you in prison except one.

And I'm going to send one of you back to go fetch your brother.

But the rest of you are going to jail.

Now, it would have been perfectly legitimate and just for Joseph simply to put them all in jail and let them rot there for the same time that Joseph had rotted in prison because of them.

But instead, he says, I'm going to put you all there, and he put them there in prison for three days.

And then Joseph said to them on the third day, do this and live, for I fear God.

If you are honest men,

Let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house, but you go and carry grain for the famine of your houses and bring your youngest brother to me.

So your words will be verified and you shall not die."

So now Joseph changes the terms of the test.

Now he's saying, I'm going to be kind to you and merciful.

I'll let all of you out of prison.