Saturday, March 6, 2010

Genesis 44

Joseph sets his trap (vs. 1-4)—After the meal, Joseph told his steward, “'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. Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money'" (vs. 1-2). The steward obeyed, of course. Once the brothers had left, “Joseph said to his steward, "Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing'" (vs. 4-5).

What in the world is he doing? It’s brilliant. Follow closely.

The brothers caught (vs. 6-13)—The steward overtakes the 11 sons of Jacob, and accuses them of the treachery Joseph had instigated. But especially the stolen cup. The brothers protest: “Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves” (vs. 8-9). Uh oh. Of course, unbeknownst to the brothers, the cup was in Benjamin’s sack. It was found (v. 12). That put Benjamin under the curse of death and the brothers in slavery—by their own word. Not surprisingly, “they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city” (v. 13). Jacob might lose ALL of his sons, and not just Benjamin and Joseph.

Joseph confronts his brothers (vs. 14-17)—In effect, “how did you think you could get away with this?” The brothers, resigned to their fate—there is no way they could have withstood “the governor” of Egypt--respond, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord's slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found" (v. 16). But Joseph then puts forth the final bait in the trap: “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father" (v. 17).

In other words, will they sell out Benjamin, Jacob's favorite, the same way they did Joseph?

Judah’s response (vs. 18-34)—This is the same Judah who had two sons so wicked that the Lord killed them and who, thinking his daughter-in-law was a harlot (she led him to believe that), impregnated her (see chapter 38). But that was probably at least two decades before. His response here in chapter 44 to Joseph is touching, to say the least. He recounts the events of the previous year, when they had come to Joseph for food. They had told him about their aged father and younger brother, who “cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die” (v. 22). But, Joseph demanded that the younger brother come the next time (v. 23). So, when their father told them to go to Egypt and get more food, they responded that they could not do it unless Benjamin go with them—“the governor’s” orders (v. 26). “Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, ‘Surely he is torn to pieces’; and I have not seen him since. But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave” (vs. 27-29). So Judah told Joseph that he had become surety for Benjamin and that he could not go back to Jacob without him. “Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?" (vs. 33-34).

That closes this chapter, but even if the reader is totally unfamiliar with what happens next, Joseph’s reaction will probably not be a surprise.

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