Genesis 42:27

But Joseph followed up what he began by directing the money of each to be returned in their sacks. He sought to deepen the work beyond the sense of retribution for their past evil toward himself. Provision for their journey alone might not have had any such effect; but the money restored would strike them as not at all the way of sale or of man. And it came on them by degrees. For at their halting-place one only opened his sack to feed his donkey and saw his money in the mouth of his sack. And this he told the others, to the dismay of all.

Joseph had something more to do for them than simply to supply their present need. He must prepare not only a blessing for them, but them for a blessing... In secret, though unknown to them, he enters into the very sorrows that he was causing... Before they left, he commands his steward to restore every man's money to his sack. But this was only to carry on the same work of repentance in their now awakened hearts... The money in their sacks will not let them forget one thing. They may now have turned their backs on that stranger in Egypt who spoke so roughly to them and called their sin to remembrance. But God's eye was still upon them, and God still had to do with them.

What is the lesson of the money in the sack? That if you are to get salvation, you cannot buy it. You are too poor to buy it, and God is too rich to sell it. Salvation must be God's free gift, and you must have it as a gift, or not have it at all.

And in the way Joseph meets their needs he is still leading his brothers a further stage in their restoration. While supplying them with corn he returns every man his money. If they had eyes to see, they would learn from this that Joseph was a giver. But in their condition gifts bestowed only arouse deeper fear. Their hearts fail them at the discovery of their money... They have recalled their sin; now they see that God is dealing with them. The fear of God is arising in their souls. Not indeed that holy fear that marked Joseph. "They feared because they were offenders; he feared lest he should offend." The goodness of Joseph should have gladdened their hearts, but they are miserable and afraid in the presence of a goodness that their guilty consciences tell them they do not deserve.

His brothers too were shocked. They realised that God was certainly stepping into this, but they did not understand why. They were afraid... It is always grace that brings us face to face with the living God. But because of our sin, that first experience is frightening. This is the first time we hear the brothers mentioning God's name.

They suspected that some plot or pretext lay behind it and it filled them with fear. Their consciences were still at work and they saw in it an act of retribution on the part of God. We too can recognise that truly the hand of God was in it.

Joseph knew far better than they did that God was truly at work. God was using their self-judgment for their blessing, through the very trouble that pressed on them.