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14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?” 16 Then Judah said, “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." 17 But he said, “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.” ~ Genesis 44:14-17
Today, we continue our study of Genesis 44 where yet again we see glimpses of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In today's passage, we see Joseph's brothers being turned back to Egypt again to face the punishment of the man because his silver cup was found in the sack of the youngest brother, Benjamin. The cup had been placed in Benjamin's sack by the steward of Joseph per Joseph's instruction for him to do so. This was a trial to see how Joseph's brother would respond to the heat that would be placed upon Benjamin for supposedly stealing Joseph's cup.
Joseph's goal was to prick the conscience of his brothers so that they would turn to God. The fear of the Lord should be our chief means of obeying the Lord. It is our conscience that sounds an alarm when danger is near. This is why the Bible refers to our fear of God as the "the beginning of wisdom." We are wise when we keep short accounts with the Lord. Anyone with a tender conscience toward the Lord is keenly aware of every infraction against Him. He recognizes sin as rebellion against the holy God. He understands that to keep short accounts with God is to confess his sin to the Lord quickly.
In v.14 of today's passage we read, "So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground."
At that point Judah stepped up to the plate of leadership on the behalf of his younger brother because he was the one who vowed to his father that he would see that Benjamin would be returned to him. Other than Benjamin, none of the other brothers are named in this entire account. It was up to Judah to make things right.
It is from the name "Judah" that we get the word "Jew" which means "thank God." In Genesis 29:35 we read, "And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I thank the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah." The name of Judah is a reminder that the best motivation for our obedience to God is gratitude, gratitude that we recognize the truth which is always the best thing for us.
When Joseph's brothers arrived at Joseph's house, they prostrated themselves before him. Along with their torn clothes, they humbled themselves in his presence. Humility is such a valuable commodity. It is humility that gives feeling to our hearts before God. Pride always lurks just around the corner desiring to lure our hearts away from God. It is pride that makes us artificial and it is humility that makes us real. Humility is the fuel that attracts the Spirit of God to the lowly and needy soul.
In v.15-16 of today's passage we read, "15 What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?" 16 Then Judah said, "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."
At this point Joseph questioned his brothers sternly. In response, Judah knew none of them could clear themselves before Joseph. He then said something that none of his brothers had ever said, "The God punishes us for our sins." In acknowledgment of what they deserved, Judah offered all of the brothers to Joseph as slaves for their deeds of the past and the supposed rebellious deed of Benjamin.
In v.17 of today's passage we read, "But he said, '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.'"
Joseph was now ready to test the sincerity of the brothers personally. In response to their offer, he made his own claim, and it was on Benjamin, the Son of My Right Hand. He would be his slave and the rest of the brothers would be free back to their father. Sin must always be judged or it will reign over us all. I shudder to think of how important it was for the Lord Jesus to come and condemn sin and death through His death and His resurrection.
At his birth Benjamin was named Ben-Oni by his mother meaning "Son of My Suffering." Jacob renamed him Benjamin which means "Son of My Right Hand." Like the Lord Jesus, before the exaltation there was suffering. Benjamin pictured Christ who drank of the cup of God's wrath. You will remember that the word "divination" comes the word which means "serpent." It was the serpent that was in the Garden of Eden who tested man. He failed and was condemned. The serpent that was lifted up by Moses was used to point all to the cross of the Lord Jesus where the humbled are pardoned. The first resulted in God’s wrath while the second resulted in God’s forgiveness. One brought death while the other brings life to all who are humble enough to believe that His death on the cross of Calvary paid the debt that was created by our sinfulness.
It was through the cross that God conquered sin and death. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ not only reveals to us God's righteousness, holiness and justice, it also reveals God's love, mercy and grace. They are all to be seen shining together there on that hill on the edge of Jerusalem. If we do not see them all, we have not seen the One who hung on that cross who laid down His life for us.
