Read: Genesis 44
This chapter
begins with another test of the brothers.
Joseph loaded them up with food, returned their money and put his silver
cup in Benjamin’s sack of grain (v. 1-2).
He then sent them on their way and shortly after he sent his steward
after them accusing them of stealing from him (v. 3-5). The brothers claim their innocence (v. 8) and
remind the servant that they had even returned the money which they found in
their sacks the first time. They were so
sure that they had done no wrong that they suggested that if someone was found
with the cup, he should die (v. 9).
Unfortunately, the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack (v. 12). What would they do? This was the worst thing imaginable! Now Benjamin would be sentenced to a life of
slavery in Egypt or worse yet, sentenced to death.
The brothers
then head back to Joseph’s house and fell before him (v. 14). This shows that they were beginning to
think beyond self-interest. If they were
only concerned about their own personal welfare they would have renounced
Benjamin as a thief and deserted him, continuing on their way back home. But they didn’t do this! Joseph rebuked the brothers for their
wickedness (v. 15). Judah spoke for the
brothers, pleading for mercy as they were without any defense. Judah spoke of this as being retribution for
the way that they had treated their “other” brother twenty years ago. The brothers were convinced that God was now
holding them accountable for their actions so many years ago (v. 16). Joseph then demanded that the guilty person,
Benjamin, be his servant (v. 17) and set the rest free.
The next few
verses are a heartfelt plea by Judah, begging for the opportunity to speak to
Joseph privately. Judah, assuming the
role of the spiritual leader among his brothers, then summarizes the family
dynamic. Judah told Joseph that their
father was old and that Benjamin was a child of his old age, one whose brother was
dead, who was the only one left of his mother, and that his father loves him
(v. 19-20). He explained how they only
brought Benjamin because of Joseph’s demands, how this had brought great pain
to their father, and how if any harm came to him their father would be
distraught and that this would hasten his death (v. 23-29). Judah then made a personal appeal as his life
was directly linked to Benjamin’s life.
He mentioned that he had made a pledge, offering himself as security,
assuring his father of Benjamin’s safe return.
Judah then pleaded and offered himself as Joseph’s slave instead of
Benjamin (v. 33). This showed how deep
Judah’s transformation had been, as a slave would remain a slave until he
died. This appeal revealed to Joseph
that Judah’s heart had undergone a significant change since those years so long
ago when he had sold Joseph into slavery.
Joseph would now be able to reveal his true identity because he had now
witnessed genuine repentance. At first the
brothers experienced regret, then they confessed their sin and now they were
genuinely repentant. Judah could not
stand the thought of causing any further suffering to his father and he was
willing to do whatever it would take to make sure of this.
Prayer and Journaling
1. In
Genesis 38 we read of some detestable things that Judah did. But in Genesis 44 Judah emerges as the
hero. In his attempt to spare Benjamin
by taking his place we see a parallel to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Of all the 12 brothers, it would be Judah’s
line that the Messiah came from. Thank
the Lord for transforming lives! He can
change us to live like Jesus lived which includes changing our hearts,
character, thinking and attitudes! Thank
Him for the renewal journey that you are on!
Praise Him for the work that He has done in your life.
2. Regretting
sins or even confessing sins, is not enough.
We must repent of our sins. This
includes feeling real sorrow for sin, turning from sin, and hating our sin. This is what restores fellowship between God
and man. “Repentance is the recognition
of our sins which results in the kind of sorrow that brings about a change in
our intellect, emotions, and will. In other words, repentance recognizes sin
and is genuinely sorry for it, so much so that this sin will be shunned and a
new course of action will be sought (Deffinbaugh, 1997)”. Pray that the church would grow in genuine
repentance; pray that we would feel real sorrow for our sins and turn from them. Pray that you would grow in see the gravity
of your own personal sins and grow in having a repentant heart.
3. One
of the reasons that Joseph took so long to reveal his identity to his brothers was
because he was seeking true unity in the family. In order to have true unity there must be reconciliation. But in order for there to be reconciliation
there must be true repentance. God can
heal relationships but He does so in the context of true repentance and change
of character that leads a person to live in a more godly way. You are only responsible for your side of the
relationship. You are to make sure that
you are living a life of forgiveness and repentance towards people you have
relationships with. Ask the Lord to show
you a relationship in your life that is partially broken. Then ask the Lord to show you what your part
is to play in the reconciliation. Are
you to repent of a wrongdoing? Are you
to forgive? Maybe even both? Dialog with God about this. Ask Him to show you what steps you can take
to bring healing to this relationship.
Then pray that the other party would do the same and that the
relationship would be restored.
