I've been thinking a lot about Joseph's brothers lately.



Twenty-five years had passed since they threw their younger brother into a pit and sold him to slave traders. Twenty-five years of raising their own families, working their fields, living their lives. They probably thought they'd gotten away with it. Maybe they'd even convinced themselves it wasn't that bad. Joseph was probably fine somewhere. Life moved on.

Then came the famine. And everything they'd buried came roaring back.

When the Past Shows Up Uninvited

Genesis 42:21
> "And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us."

The moment these grown men, fathers now, with gray in their beards, hit trouble in Egypt, their minds went straight back to that pit. To Joseph's face. To his screams. To what they'd done.

That's what unconfessed sin does. It waits.

The Bible says it plain in Numbers 32:23: "Be sure your sin will find you out." Not might. Will. It's not a threat. It's just how things work. Sin has a way of circling back, even decades later, even when you think you've moved past it.

I've seen it in my own life. I've seen it in ministry. The thing you swept under the rug twenty years ago? It's still there. And one day, when you least expect it, you'll trip over it.

The Shadow That Follows the Whole Family

Here's what breaks my heart about Genesis 42: the sin didn't just hurt Joseph. It poisoned the whole family for a generation.

Jacob became an overprotective, fearful father. He wouldn't let Benjamin go to Egypt because he'd already "lost" one son. The brothers couldn't be honest with their dad. Simeon got left in an Egyptian jail. The family was fractured, and everyone was paying the price for a sin committed 25 years earlier.

Sin doesn't stay contained. It spreads. It seeps into your marriage, your kids, your friendships, your peace of mind. You think you're hiding it, but everyone around you feels the weight of it.

Joseph's brothers thought they'd buried their guilt in the sand of that caravan road. But it followed them home. It sat at their dinner tables. It shaped how they raised their kids. It kept them from being honest with the people they loved most.

That's the shadow. And it's long.

God Brings Sin to Light: But Not to Crush You

Now here's the part I need you to hear: God didn't orchestrate this whole Egypt situation to destroy Joseph's brothers. He brought their sin to the surface to lead them to repentance.

Look at Genesis 42:18. Joseph says, "This do, and live; for I fear God." Even in his test, even in his rough speech, Joseph pointed them back to God. He wasn't interested in revenge. He wanted restoration.

God does the same with us. When He brings our sin before us: when the past catches up: it's not to crush us. It's to free us. He wants us to own it, confess it, and let Him heal it.

Psalm 32:5
> "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin."

The brothers were finally saying out loud what they'd been carrying for 25 years: "We are guilty." And that confession, as painful as it was, was the first step toward freedom.

I don't know what you're carrying today. Maybe it's something from last year. Maybe it's something from 20 years ago. But I do know this: God already knows. And He's not waiting to punish you. He's waiting to forgive you.

That's the heart of the gospel of grace. God is not disappointed in you. He's not measuring your worth by your worst moment. He's offering you a way out of the shadow.

The Weight You Don't Have to Carry Anymore

Joseph's brothers carried their guilt for 25 years. They didn't have to. They could have confessed it to God and to each other long before Egypt. They could have asked Jacob for forgiveness. They could have chosen honesty over hiding.

But they didn't. And the weight of it nearly destroyed them.

You don't have to live like that. You really don't.

1 John 1:9
> "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

God is not interested in keeping you trapped in your past. He's interested in setting you free. And that starts with bringing it into the light. Not to shame you. Not to expose you. But to heal you.

A Few Questions to Sit With

• Is there something you've been carrying for years that you've never confessed to God or to anyone else?
• How is that unconfessed sin affecting the people around you: your spouse, your kids, your church?
• What would it look like to bring it into the light today?

A Prayer

Father, I don't want to carry this anymore. You already know what I've done, and You already know how heavy it is. I confess it now: not because You're forcing me, but because I want to be free. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Help me walk in the light. In Jesus' name, amen.

FAQ

Does God bring up past sins to punish me?

No. God brings sin to light to lead you to repentance and restoration, not to crush you. His goal is always healing and freedom.

What if I've already confessed my sin but still feel guilty?

Guilt that lingers after confession is often shame, not conviction. God forgives fully. Sometimes we need to forgive ourselves and accept the grace He's already given.

How do I confess sin that affects other people?

Start with God. Then, if the sin hurt someone else, go to them and make it right. Be honest, take responsibility, and ask for forgiveness without making excuses.

If this message stirred something in you, I'd love for you to explore more at waustingardner.com. And if you're looking for honest, grace-centered conversations about faith, check out the Followed by Mercy podcast.

You don't have to stay in the shadows. God's already made a way out.