What did his brothers do? They kept the secret from their father. Told him that Joseph was killed by a lion or other ferocious beast. How did they interact with their father after that? Did they go to family gatherings? Did they act like they were not guilty? Did they work extra hard to please their father after what they did? Did they "fancy up" the story of where and how they found the "technicolor coat"? They were not willing to enter into the pain of their father with truth and honesty. Seems that they did have some on-going relationship, but clearly not an open and honest one. They did jointly agree to go to Egypt to buy food.
When Joseph became #2 in Egypt, he did not go to the family gatherings even though he could have done so any time. Why not? Did he have ungoing unbearable pain of rejection from the family? Did he want some communication from his brothers relating to "SORRY"?
When his brothers showed up, he went to great pains to make them pay for what they had done. 25 years after the family rejection and his sale into slavery, he still had no use for them. He tortured his father by demanding that Benjamin show up before he'd give them any more food. The brothers told him that that demand would kill their father. Joseph stuck to his demands.
When his brothers showed up the next year, Joseph put them through the paces again, before he forgave them. Forgiveness was not easy or cheap.
When their father died, the brothers were scared that Joseph would finally exact revenge. His forgiveness was still tentative in their minds. At that point Joseph re-assured them that they were safe under is umbrella.
How many counselors did Joseph go to to help him deal with his pain? What did they tell him?
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