These final studies are short and could be combined
Recap: (see Genesis 35b) Judah became the forefather of David, and Jesus. Joseph was sold as a slave in Egypt, and when Pharaoh had dreams, Joseph explained that they pointed to impending famine. He was put in charge of the grain stores. When the famine severely affected Joseph’s family they too went for grain. Joseph recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him.
This chapter contains much repeated narrative and little comment. You may want to save time by simply reading the sections before commenting, rather than read the whole chapter first.
Genesis 44:1-5
1 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: ‘Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.’ And he did as Joseph said.
3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, ‘Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, “Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.”’
It appears that there was an ancient Persian belief that there was a magic cup that could be used for divination. As a consequence many rulers claimed to own one! As Joseph is continuing his deception, in order to add to the simple act of theft, it is quite in keeping to state that this too is a ‘cup of divination’; it would therefore be priceless.
Genesis 44:6-9
6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, ‘Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.’
The brothers knew that they were innocent and would happily submit to a search. They had even returned the silver that they had found in the sacks previously. How could anyone suggest that they were thieves?
Genesis 44:10-13
10 ‘Very well, then,’ he said, ‘let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.’
11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
Now they are distraught. Tearing their clothes was a physical act to demonstrate their despair. The bold statement in verse 9 has now become a dangerous probability.
Genesis 44:14-17
14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, ‘What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?’
Joseph is piling on the psychological pressure – now he suggests that he can even know hidden things! – But it is just more deception.
16 ‘What can we say to my lord?’ Judah replied. ‘What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves – we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.’
17 But Joseph said, ‘Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.’
Judah didn’t believe in divination, so the only answer was that God himself must have revealed their guilt.
Benjamin was not old enough to be out with the other brothers when Joseph was sold into slavery and had become Jacob’s favourite in place of Joseph.
Would the brothers be prepared to leave him in captivity and return home without him, just as they had done with Joseph so many years earlier?
Genesis 44:18-34
18 Then Judah went up to him and said: ‘Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, “Do you have a father or a brother?” 20 And we answered, “We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.”
21 ‘Then you said to your servants, “Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.” 22 And we said to my lord, “The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.” 23 But you told your servants, “Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.” 24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.
25 ‘Then our father said, “Go back and buy a little more food.” 26 But we said, “We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.”
27 ‘Your servant my father said to us, “You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, ‘He has surely been torn to pieces.’ And I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my grey head down to the grave in misery.”
30 ‘So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life, 31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the grey head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, “If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!”
33 ‘Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.’
Judah, at least, had learnt his lesson. He is truly repentant of his part in the presumed death of Joseph (v20) and is fully prepared to enter a life of slavery if it allows Benjamin to go free. The prospect of having to tell his father, and the consequences of that would be too much to bear.
