A lot of this reading is straightforward narrative telling a story, so I will only make a couple comments...
44:5&15 - What is up with all this talk of divination? Well, divination was something that was often practiced by high ranking Egyptian officials. If a powerful Egyptian had a divination cup, they believed that they could pour oil into water within the cup and predict future events through the shapes the oil formed in the water. They would also look at ripples and waves within the cup to seek prophecies (It's all kinda like the mumbo-jumbo involved in palm reading). It is really interesting that Joseph using the divination cup to test his brothers, because he is using the test as a way to "divine" whether or not they have changed over the years. From what we see they have matured just as he matured - they now care about their fathers feelingsa nd will do anything to bring Benjamin back to him. The diving cup trick allowed Joseph to see their changed hearts.
45:5 - This is a great picture of how far Joseph has come. He confronts the brothers who tried to kill him and who sold him inthe slavery and he offers the forgiveness. In fact, he attributes everything that happened to God's plan and gives God the glory for everything. Joseph is mature enough to see how God has shaped him and put him in the right place through the trials he went through. I hope that I trust God enough to always look to His plan regardless of the situation.
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