Reflections on Genesis 44

 

Genesis 44 (Contemporary English Version)
1. Later, Joseph told the servant in charge of his house, "Fill the men's grain sacks with as much as they can hold and put their money in the sacks. Also put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother." The servant did as he was told.
   
2. (SEE 44:1)
   
3. Early the next morning, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
   
4. But they had not gone far from the city when Joseph told the servant, "Go after those men! When you catch them, say, 'My master has been good to you. So why have you stolen his silver cup?
   
5. Not only does he drink from his cup, but he also uses it to learn about the future. You have done a terrible thing.' "
   
6. When the servant caught up with them, he said exactly what Joseph had told him to say.
   
7. But they replied, "Sir, why do you say such things? We would never do anything like that!
   
8. We even returned the money we found in our grain sacks when we got back to Canaan. So why would we want to steal any silver or gold from your master's house?
   
9. If you find that one of us has the cup, then kill him, and the rest of us will become your slaves."
   
10. "Good!" the man replied, "I'll do what you have said. But only the one who has the cup will become my slave. The rest of you can go free."
    
11. Each of the brothers quickly put his sack on the ground and opened it.
    
12. Joseph's servant started searching the sacks, beginning with the one that belonged to the oldest brother. When he came to Benjamin's sack, he found the cup.
    
13. This upset the brothers so much that they began tearing their clothes in sorrow. Then they loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
    
14. When Judah and his brothers got there, Joseph was still at home. So they bowed down to Joseph,
    
15. who asked them, "What have you done? Didn't you know I could find out?"
    
16. "Sir, what can we say?" Judah replied. "How can we prove we are innocent? God has shown that we are guilty. And now all of us are your slaves, especially the one who had the cup."
    
17. Joseph told them, "I would never punish all of you. Only the one who was caught with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to go home to your father."
    
18. Judah went over to Joseph and said: Sir, you have as much power as the king himself, and I am only your slave. Please don't get angry if I speak.
    
19. You asked us if our father was still alive and if we had any more brothers.
    
20. So we told you, "Our father is a very old man. In fact, he was already old when Benjamin was born. Benjamin's brother is dead. Now Benjamin is the only one of the two brothers who is still alive, and our father loves him very much."
    
21. You ordered us to bring him here, so you could see him for yourself.
    
22. We told you that our father would die if Benjamin left him.
    
23. But you warned us that we could never see you again, unless our youngest brother came with us.
    
24. So we returned to our father and reported what you had said.
    
25. Later our father told us to come back here and buy more grain.
    
26. But we answered, "We can't go back to Egypt without our youngest brother. We will never be let in to see the governor, unless he is with us."
    
27. Sir, our father then reminded us that his favorite wife had given birth to two sons.
    
28. One of them was already missing and had not been seen for a long time. My father thinks the boy was torn to pieces by some wild animal,
    
29. and he said, "I am an old man. If you take Benjamin from me, and something happens to him, I will die of a broken heart."
    
30. That's why Benjamin must be with us when I go back to my father. He loves him so much
    
31. that he will die if Benjamin doesn't come back with me.
    
32. I promised my father that I would bring him safely home. If I don't, I told my father he could blame me the rest of my life.
    
33. Sir, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers.
    
34. How can I face my father if Benjamin isn't with me? I couldn't bear to see my father in such sorrow.
    
    

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    Joseph's test of his brothers is brought to its conclusion in the account of this chapter. Were they as jealous of Benjamin as they had been of him? Would they allow harm to come to Benjamin as they had Joseph? Joseph wanted to know if they had repented of their evil deed against him, and so his mysterious actions toward them were designed to build fear in their hearts. The climax came in the account of this chapter when he had his steward fill the brother's bags with food and then include the money each had paid for the food in the top of their bags. To cap it off, he had the steward place his own silver cup in the top of Benjamin's bag. Then, after the brothers had begun their return home, he sent the steward after them to accuse them of repaying "evil for good." (44:4)
    
    To further build tension and suspense, the steward began his search of their bags by starting with the oldest brother and going to the youngest who he knew had the cup. The brothers knew the consequence would be severe and had already suggested that the one in who's bag the cup was found should die and the rest should be slaves of the steward. When the cup was found in Benjamin's bag, the brothers "tore their clothes" in grief. (44:13) Only their father had shown such grief at the loss of Joseph, but now all of the brothers were grief-stricken at the threat of losing Benjamin. They were no longer the same brothers who had sold Joseph into slavery.
    
    The brothers reloaded their donkeys and returned with the steward to Joseph's house. This was the appointed time of reckoning. Would they try to save themselves and leave Benjamin to suffer the consequences? Not this time. With Judah serving as the spokesperson, they threw themselves at Joseph's mercy. "How can we justify ourselves?" Judah said. "God has exposed your servants' iniquity." (44:16) Though Judah suggested they would all become Joseph's slaves, Joseph had in mind a further test. Only the one in whose bag was found the cup would be his slave. The rest could go in peace. This was the perfect opportunity for the brothers to save themselves and leave Benjamin to suffer the consequences. After all, it was his bag in which the cup was found. But this was not what they did.
    
    After a passionate plea by Judah, recounting the story of his father's loss of one son (Joseph) and what it would do to him to lose this remaining son of his favorite wife, Judah offered to take the place of Benjamin as Joseph's slave, "Now please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers." (44:22) Joseph learned what he wanted to know. This was not the same jealous brother who suggested Joseph be sold to an Ishmaelite caravan. Chapter 45 will reveal that Joseph was ready at this point for reconciliation with his brothers. This could only be possible through confession and repentance. There is no satisfaction in revenge, which might have been Joseph's purpose in this plot he played out with his brothers. But instead, he sought reconciliation which could only happen if his brothers were repentant of their evil against him. Through this plot he learned the sincerity of their repentance.