Genesis 44 - Joseph Tests His Brothers - The Mysteries of God's Word

Joseph tests his brothers with an elaborate setup involving his silver cup placed in Benjamin's sack, creating a situation where their loyalty to family is challenged. This pivotal moment reveals the transformation in their hearts as they face a choice between self-preservation and protecting their brother.

• Joseph instructs his steward to plant his valuable silver cup in Benjamin's sack while filling all their sacks with grain
• When accused of theft, the brothers confidently deny wrongdoing and make a rash vow that whoever has the cup should die
• The discovery of the cup in Benjamin's sack leads to a critical moment where all brothers return to the city instead of abandoning him
• Judah delivers an impassioned plea to Joseph, recounting their father's health depends on Benjamin's return
• In a dramatic reversal of his past betrayal of Joseph, Judah offers himself as a substitute slave in place of Benjamin
• The brothers' actions demonstrate significant character transformation from their earlier betrayal of Joseph 21 years before

Chapters

• 0:28 Joseph Tests His Brothers
• 3:10 The Silver Cup Setup
• 7:32 Benjamin Found Guilty
• 11:28 Judah's Heartfelt Plea
• 18:22 Self-Sacrifice and Redemption

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Grace and peace to you from God, our Father and our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. This week we're going to be studying Genesis, chapter 44, where Joseph tests his brothers. Let's give a little context and background to this story. This is the second time Joseph's brothers have come to Egypt to get grain. There is a severe famine in all of the land. It includes the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan, syria and Arabia. This is a famine that has affected all of the civilized world at this time and Egypt has become the world's breadbasket. Governor Joseph met with his brothers, had his brothers brought to his house and ate with them all, while his brothers still do not know that. This is in fact Joseph Starting in verse 1 of chapter 44,. Then he commanded the steward of his house Fill the men's sacks with food as much as they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest with his money for the grain. And he did as Joseph told him. In the first two verses of chapter 44, we find Joseph continuing to care for and provide for his family. When he is given the opportunity as governor of Egypt, he's given the opportunity. As governor of Egypt, he gives them, it says, as much grain as their donkeys can possibly carry back to the land of Canaan. It reminds us of such verses in the New Testament as Romans 12,9, which reads that you may obtain blessing. And again we also see Joseph return the money that his brothers had bought to buy the grain, this time just as he did the last time. We also had seen last week in chapter 43 that the steward of Joseph told these brothers that he had received the money for their grain last time when he was questioned. We saw that in Genesis 43, 23. So it's likely that Joseph himself is paying for this grain out of his royal allowance.

Speaker 1: 3:13

Picking up in verse 3, as soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward Up, follow after the men and when you overtake them, say to them why have you repaid evil for good, is it not? From this? In verses 3 through 5, we see a few things. First, the 11 brothers of Israel are now sent away with their donkeys fully loaded with grain back to the land of Canaan and they get a short way out of the city. Now, the word for short here means they didn't get out of the city. It means none. No, we're not. So we can assume here that the brothers had just gotten outside the city. And when they had just gotten outside those city gates, joseph sends his steward after them. And the steward is to ask them the question why have you repaid evil for good?

Speaker 1: 4:28

Now, this phrase is an accusation and it implies that they have intentionally and savagely taken advantage of another person. This is all meant to be a test for his brothers. Joseph is setting his brothers up. So, even though we recognize that Joseph is providing and protecting his family with all of this grain, we also recognize that Joseph isn't a pushover. He's a very wise man and he wants to discern where his brother's hearts are. Additionally, this test that his brothers will face could place Benjamin in the hands of Joseph for Benjamin's protection if his brothers wish him harm. All in all, joseph not only is testing his brothers, he's looking out for the well-being of his whole family as best he can. Joseph is a very wise and discerning man. Additionally, the steward is to ask them Is it not from this that my Lord drinks and by this practices divination.

Speaker 1: 5:43

Now, as we recognized last week, joseph is a man that fears the Lord. He doesn't practice occult divination. However, joseph having his stewards say this is all part of an elaborate test to see where his brothers are and check their loyalty to both God and family. He wanted his brothers to believe he had powers of supernatural divination. As we mentioned last week, the silver cup was a large silver goblet. It was a highly valued goblet given by the Egyptians, made of costly material, and the Egyptians used such cups for occultic divination. Joseph having this cup certainly does not mean he would ever use it for any kind of occultic ritual, but rather Egyptian culture had an expectation of anyone in the royal court who was able to be in touch with the gods to have one. This cup was given to Joseph as part of the Egyptian culture, as a symbol of his status, the proven ability that he had to interpret dreams for the Pharaoh.

Speaker 1: 7:01

Finally, joseph's steward is to accuse them of doing evil by taking this cup. When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. They said to him why does my Lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. Behold the money that we found in the mouth of our sacks. We brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How, then, could we steal silver or gold from your Lord's house? Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my Lord's servants, he said. Let it be as you say he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent. Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and each man opened his sack and he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. And then they tore their clothes and every man loaded his donkey and they returned to the city.

Speaker 1: 8:10

Here, in verses 6 through 12, we see that the steward catches up with the brothers and he speaks the words that Joseph had told him, accusing them of evil and of theft. The brothers couldn't believe what they were hearing coming from the steward, who had just previously, yesterday, told them to be at peace and spoken words of their God. They told the steward they would have never done such a thing. As they do, they remind the steward of their faithfulness to bring back that money that was returned last time, basically asking him why would we steal from you if we were honest enough to bring back all that money? Then the brothers make a rash claim, saying if any one of us has this silver cup he will die. The rest of us will be your servants. The steward says he's going to hold them accountable to their word. However, only the one found with the cup will be the master's servant. The rest will go home innocent. Then the eleven brothers quickly unloaded their sacks from their donkeys to show the steward they had not stolen anything and that they were innocent, making his way down by age, finding nothing in each sack until he ended with the youngest, benjamin's pack. Upon searching the eleventh and final sack, lo and behold, there was the silver goblet. When he found the silver goblet, the brothers tore their clothes. Tearing your clothes was a well-known custom which outwardly portrayed an inward pain of heartbreak. These brothers were overwhelmed that they had now given their word of death to anyone found with this silver cup, that this steward said he is going to hold them accountable to their word, not by killing the person, but by now making their brother Benjamin, a slave. And then they all returned to the city. That's a significant note here. It tells us that all of the brothers returned to the city, showing there's a change in these brothers' hearts and behavior. The brothers didn't just leave Benjamin to become a slave, but instead they stayed with him and they're going to try and protect him and defend his honor.

Speaker 1: 10:57

Picking up in verse 14. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. Picking up in verse 14. Divination, and Judah said what shall we say to my Lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants. Behold, we are my Lord's servants, both we and he. Also, in whose hand the cup has been found. But he said Far be it from me that I should do so. Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.

Speaker 1: 11:55

In verses 14 through 17, we see all the brothers coming back to Joseph's home, along with the steward. And when they arrive at Joseph's home, along with the steward. And when they arrive at Joseph's home, he's still there. Joseph is waiting to see what happened. The brothers are broken. They show their humility and submission to the authority of the governor in the face of their brother's impending doom, and Joseph begins to question his brothers about how they could have possibly done such a thing.

Speaker 1: 12:27

He plays the part of an Egyptian who practices occult divination and tests their loyalty to God and their family. Judah replies what shall we say? What shall we speak? How can we clear our name Now, while in the past these brothers have made a life out of lying and telling half-truths to cover their tracks? Judah speaks up and acknowledges that, under these circumstances, he is unsure of what to say. Judah then confesses what he and the brothers have been fearing for over a year now, since they first came to Egypt, and that all of these difficulties that they've been facing is because the Lord has found out their guilt about selling Joseph to the Egyptians and he is repaying them for their guilt. Judah then tells Governor Joseph that all of the brothers will now be his slaves, perhaps hoping that this will somehow trigger the governor to reconsider.

Speaker 1: 13:36

However, governor Joseph remains calm and consistent. He says Only the man whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant, but as for you, go up in peace to your father, verse 18,. Then Judah went up to him and said O my Lord, please let your servant speak a word in my Lord's ears and not let your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. My Lord asked his servants saying have you a father or brother? And we said to my Lord, we have a father, an old man, and a younger brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead and he alone is left of his mother's children and his father loves him. Then you said to your servants Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him. We said to my lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. Then you said to your servants Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again. When we went back to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord. And when our father said, go again, buy us a little food, we said we cannot go down. If our youngest brother does not go with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us. Then your servant, my father, said to us you know that my wife bore me two sons. One has left me. I said Surely he has been torn to pieces and I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to shoal here.

Speaker 1: 15:40

In verses 18-29, judah gets up off the ground, walks up to Governor Joseph, still not knowing that this is his brother, and pleads with him not to be angry, acknowledging that he has power in Egypt, like the Pharaoh himself. The tone of words that Judah uses here both demonstrate his respect for the governor's authority, as well as petition that he please listen to him and not reject what he's about to say outright. Judah then begins one of the longest recorded speeches in Genesis, describing the events of the last two chapters. Again, we find Judah spins this story compared to the other narratives in Genesis. However, despite the discrepancies in Judah's story, he makes a passionate plea for his brother, benjamin. In his plea, judah mentions how Benjamin is the last of two sons from a wife that their father, jacob, had, how the other son from this woman was killed and he was torn to pieces by a beast. Then Judah says that their father said, if Benjamin was taken from him or harm were to come to him, the grief would bring him down to the grave Verse 30,. Now, therefore, as soon as I come to your servant, my father Verse 30. And your servants will bring the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow, to show For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life, blame before my father all my life. Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my Lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father. Fear to see the evil that would find my father.

Speaker 1: 18:09

In these last four verses of chapter 44, judah begins to describe how Jacob's life and health is tied so closely to the safety and life of Benjamin. Then Judah tells Governor Joseph how he had pledged his own life that he would bring Benjamin back safely, telling Jacob if I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life. Judah then pleads again with Governor Joseph. Take me as your slave in place of Benjamin. Allow Benjamin to go back to my father with the rest of the brothers.

Speaker 1: 18:47

And finally he says what Judah says and does here in the sight of Governor. Joseph shows Joseph that he is willing to give up his life for his brother and the health of his father. This stands in contrast to how Judah had previously convinced his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery. Judah's compassion for his family and his willingness to substitute himself for their well-being shows he's not the heartless man he was 21 years ago when he conspired with his other brothers. Thank you for joining me this week and join me next week when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and is able to provide fully for his family. God bless you this week.