Have you ever been in a situation where things just keep going wrong no matter what you do? This is what happened to Joseph’s brothers in today’s text. They are just trying to buy some grain in Egypt to get their family through the famine. And… they are trying to accommodate the wishes of the young ruler in Egypt.
Read verses 1-2 and see the instructions that Joseph gave to the steward of his household after the brothers had bought their grain. Once again, he has the money for the purchase returned to them in their sacks, but he also has Joseph’s own silver cup put into Benjamin’s sack, along with their money. And the steward did everything just as Joseph said.
We see, then, in verses 3-5, that the brothers leave for home in the morning, and when they are not very far on their way, Joseph sends the steward after them to accuse them of stealing his silver cup. He has set them up. He is testing his brothers to see if they will turn tail and abandon his brother Benjamin, favored of his father, the way they did to him. Can you imagine what must have been going through the steward’s mind at this point?
In verses 6-9, we see the steward catching up to them and the brothers protesting their innocence. They are so convinced of their own innocence that they offer up the death penalty willingly for whoever has stolen the cup and agree to all be slaves if anyone of them has stolen the cup. And, in verse 10, the steward reduces the punishment to only the man who has the cup.
Read verses 11-13. The search is conducted and the cup is found in Benjamin’s sack. We now see a change in the brothers. They could have abandoned Benjamin and fled for home, coming up with a story to tell Israel about what had happened to the youngest son, but they did not. They tore their clothes with grief and they all returned to Egypt with him to face the situation. These are not the same brothers who had sold Joseph into slavery. This would have been especially difficult for the brothers considering the previous prophecy in Gen 15:13.
Read verses 14-17. Joseph is still there in the house when they arrive back, and they throw themselves to the ground before him. He accuses them and asks whether they didn’t know that he can find things out by divination. Divination was very common among high-ranking people in Egypt at that time and Joseph knew they would believe that, but it was not true. Joseph had not found out in that way. He knew Benjamin had the cup in his sack because he had had it put there. It was a ruse. He then gave them another opportunity to abandon the favored brother, as they had done to Joseph, and return to the father without him. He is still testing them. Also, bear in mind that Joseph knows from his experience with Potiphar’s wife, what it feels like to be falsely accused, and he is allowing his brothers to feel the same thing.
Verses 18-34 contain a soliloquy given by Judah where he makes an appeal to Joseph. Read this passage. What one lie does he tell Joseph in verse 20? But we see a change here in that there is a serious concern for the feelings of the father. When the brothers sold Joseph into slavery, they were not concerned about how they hurt their father, but they have learned from that experience and they have changed. Now, they are very concerned about how their actions will affect the emotions of the father.
It is important to note here that it is through Judah’s lineage that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is born to God’s people. Jesus takes the punishment for our sins, in our place, and it is Judah who is offering to take the punishment here in Benjamin’s place. This is very symbolic of the Messiah who will be delivered through the nation of Israel.
Responding to God: Praise God that He has a plan for all times and thank Him that He is with us in all situations. Seek His assurance and guidance in all things. Pray for boldness and courage as you face scary situations and for the strength to stand with others when appropriate. Pray for unity in your family. Thank Him for sending a Savior to take the punishment for our sins.
Further Research: On the internet, search for archeological information concerning Israel’s slavery in Egypt.
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