Transformation and Sacrifice in Genesis 44

As Genesis chapter 44 begins, Joseph is with his brothers in Egypt. Joseph, as far as his brothers are concerned, is a mysterious Egyptian official. They don't know that it's Joseph, but of course Joseph knows that it's his brothers. And they hadn't seen each other or been all together for some 22 years. And now that Benjamin had come back on the second visit of the brothers to Egypt from Canaan, they were all 12 together. I know that when I was teaching through Genesis chapter 43, I mistakenly estimated that date a couple of times, it being 30 years, but that's not correct. It's been around 22 years, give or take a year or two. that Joseph and his 11 brothers had not been together all at once. Well, here they are now in Egypt and following a wonderful meal that Joseph had served to his brothers. And after that, they had purchased their grain and were getting ready to go. And that's where we pick it up here now in Genesis chapter 44, beginning at verse 1. And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, 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. So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. So the brothers left Egypt in high spirits. They had been treated well. They feasted the night before. Their sacks had been filled with grain. And Simeon was released from prison. It seemed that all would be well. And Jacob's fear that something horrible would happen, especially that something horrible would happen to Benjamin, all that seemed to be unfounded as the brothers left Egypt. However, Joseph's steward, under the instructions of Joseph himself, had done something. He put a special silver cup. that belonged to Joseph in the grain sack of Benjamin, the youngest son. As well, the money that the brothers intended to pay for the grain was put back within the sacks of each one of the brothers'grain. So, as before, the grain sacks of the brothers were topped off by the money that they had paid for the grain. But again, that silver cup of Joseph, Joseph, was hidden in the sack of Benjamin. So in the morning, the brothers were sent away. They began their journey back to Canaan. Now, verse four, when they had gone out of the city and were not yet far off, 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. Before the brothers had traveled very far, they were caught in Joseph's trap. Now, some people wrongly think that Joseph used his position of power to torment his brothers, taking revenge for their cruelty towards him some 22 years before. Yet, knowing the character of Joseph and the fact that he was a spirit-filled man, I don't think this was the case. Instead, I would say that guided by the hand of God, Joseph tested the hearts of his brothers. And this whole process, even though it wasn't easy on the brothers at all, it would bring them to complete repentance for what they had done to Joseph 22 years before. It's also interesting in verse 5 that Joseph's stewards, in finding the silver cup of Joseph, And remarking that it was a special cup, the steward referred to Joseph and said of him that he indeed practices divination. That's the phrase from verse 5. Now, we know from other sources that many ancient peoples in that general Mediterranean area used sacred cups as divination. divination devices. It's possible, though I don't think this is likely, but I'll say that it's possible, that Joseph also did this. Instead, I would say that because there was no specific revelation from God that such a practice was forbidden, maybe Joseph did this, but I don't think that's likely. I think that this was something simply that the steward said in order to impress the emperor. importance all of this on the brothers. You see, the point was to make the brothers aware that this was a special cup and that it was a terrible crime to steal it. Well, the brothers knew that they had not stolen the cup. Of course, Joseph's servants put the cup in the sack of grain of Benjamin without the brothers knowing. And so the brothers said, we're innocent. We didn't steal any cup. Verse 6 says this, So he overtook them and spoke to them these same words. And they said to him, Why does my Lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. 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. And he said, Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless. The brothers, were confident in their innocence. They were confident that they didn't have the cup. And by the way, this showed that they had a healthy trust in each other. In verse 7, where the brothers said... far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. It meant that they trusted one another, that they had not secretly done it individually. You see, if they did not trust each other, they would have immediately, wondered which brother among them had stolen the cup. But none of them says, I bet Judah did it. I bet Issachar did it. No, none of them say that. They instantly are confident, not only in their individual innocence, but in the innocence of the collective of their brothers. Matter of fact, they were so confident that this is what they said in verse 9. With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die. and we also will be my Lord's slaves. Again, they were so confident that they did not have the cup and they trusted one another so much that they declared that the thief of the cup should be killed and that all the other brothers should be taken as slaves. Now, Joseph's steward did not accept this offer. He simply replied in verse 10, speaking on behalf of his master Joseph, of course. Now also let it be according to your words, he with whom it is found shall be my slave. He did not repeat the brother's offer of a death sentence because there was no bloodshed wanted here. And as the story unfolds, God would use the brother's suggestion that the guilty party be taken as a slave. All right, now they're going to find the cup here starting now at verse 11. Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground. I like that note there in verse 11, that they did it speedily. It shows how confident they were that they were innocent. I mean, after all, if you know you're guilty and you're about to fall, found out, you want to make it as slow as possible, the process of finding out your guilt. But if you think you're innocent, well, let's go to the evidence right away. This is how confident the brothers were that they were innocent. I'll start again now, verse 11. Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. sack. You can just imagine the scene there, can't you? How dramatic. The brothers are indignant that they've been falsely accused. They're absolutely convinced that they're innocent. So they all jump off their donkeys. They throw down their sacks. They open them up. But of course, the Egyptian official has to examine each sack. He can't trust the brothers to examine the own sacks of grain. So they all open up their sacks of grain. They let the Egyptian official come in. and check each one, and he starts from the oldest, Reuben, and he goes all the way down through, you know, one, two, three, four, all the way down through ten brothers. There's not a sack to be found in each one of the brother sacks. By the way, they would have discovered the money in each one of the brother sacks, but they didn't make any mention about that. The money was no issue. It was all about this silver cup that belonged to Joseph. They go through 10 brothers, they don't found it. Then finally they go to the youngest, the 11th brother, Benjamin's sack. And you can imagine that the anxiety of the brothers is lessening with each sack that is found not to hold the silver cup until they get to Benjamin's sack of grain. And now the anxiety is rising because he's the most important one. He's the one most precious to the father. And they open it up. And like it says there in verse 12, the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Now verse 13, then they tore their clothes and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city. The planted evidence was found. And according to their oath, the offer they made back in verse 9, Benjamin would die. They would now be rid of the other favored son. And even if Benjamin did not die, he would be left as a slave in Egypt. Now, if the brothers had hated Benjamin as much as they had previously hated Joseph 22 years before, They would have been glad at this. Yes, now we finally get rid of Benjamin, and we didn't even have to do anything. Benjamin must have stolen the cup. Benjamin's guilty. Now we'll be rid of the favored son. Do you see what a likeness there is? What a great test this was of the brother's character. How would they react now when the favored son, Benjamin, not Joseph, but the favored son was in danger and would be excluded? Well, notice the reaction in verse 13. It says, then they tore their clothes. This was an extreme expression of horror, as if someone had just died. They weren't happy at the idea of being read of Benjamin at all. They were horrified. Notice it says that they all tore their clothes and they all returned to the city. You see, the reaction of the brothers showed that for them, this was the worst thing imaginable. The cup was found in the sack of their father's favorite son, the one that Jacob worried about the most. Now, Benjamin was sentenced to a life of slavery in Egypt and perhaps even death. And the brothers aren't rejoicing as they rejoiced when they got rid of Joseph 22 years before. Now they were grieved. Brothers and sisters, this was a radical change in the brothers. Before, they didn't care about the favored son. They wanted him dead. They wanted him gone. Before, they didn't care about hurting their father. But now, the idea of either hurting their father or ill coming to the favored son made them feel as bad as if someone had died. So what did they do? Verse 13 says that each man loaded his donkey and returned. When Joseph was taken as a slave, he said, The brothers allowed him to go, and they thought nothing of it. But now they were willing to stand with Benjamin as he faced either slavery or death. This demonstrates a significant change in the heart, and the attitude of Joseph's brothers. So now they're going to come back to the angry Egyptian official who we know to be Joseph, but the brothers did not yet know that it was Joseph. Verse 14. So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. And they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination? And once you notice, verse 14 tells us that they came back to the Egyptian official with humility. It says there, verse 14, they fell before him on the ground. Now, make no mistake about it. The brothers had been wronged. The evidence against them had been planted. Yet, they did not come demanding justice. This is an outrage! Who planted that silver cup in Benjamin's sack of grain? On and on. No, no, no, they did not come demanding justice. They came with a humble plea for mercy. And when it says there in verse 14 that they fell before him, that is Joseph, on the ground, they once again, for the third time, fulfilled the dreams Joseph had more than 20 years before where Joseph predicted that his brothers would bow down before him. And by the way, when it says that they fell before him on the ground, it also demonstrated that the brothers were desperate. to gain favor with the Egyptian official in order to obtain the release of Benjamin. They knew that it would be a genuine disaster to lose Benjamin and to bereave their father, something they didn't care about a bit 22 years before. Did you notice Joseph's reply to them in verse 15? He said, Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination? Now Joseph spoke this way to them, harshly. in a condemning tone, because it was important for a while longer for him to play the part, so to speak, of an Egyptian. And it was important to not allow them to know yet that he was in fact a Hebrew who worshipped Yahweh, that he was in fact their brother. That will be revealed, not in this chapter, but it's coming up soon. Now verse 16, Judah is once again going to step forward. 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. But he said, this was Joseph's response, Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hands the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father. With these words, Judah... once again revealed God's work among the brothers. You see, in Judah's mind, their fate as the brothers would be the same as Benjamin. If you're going to take him, you're going to take all of us as slaves. You see, the brothers were now determined to live the rest of their lives as slaves in Egypt and Egypt. because they had sold Joseph as a slave some 20 years before this. As they say in verse 16, God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Judah made a direct connection. This is happening to us because of the iniquity of your servants, because of what we did to our other brother many years before. I want you to consider. That the brothers were innocent of the sin of stealing the cup, but they were guilty of far greater sins. In the same way, You and I, as believers, we might take pride because we are innocent of some sin or another. Yet, we are likely guilty of far greater sins that haven't been exposed. We can't hide from our sin, even if we did it a long time ago. The brothers thought, look, we did this more than 20 years ago. Yet our iniquity is before us. Friends, time does not erase the guilt of sin. Only the blood of Jesus can. And 22 years before, when the brothers thought to kill Joseph, but threw him into a pit instead, he cried out to them, pleading in anguish. That's back in Genesis chapter 42, verse 21, it describes that. Now, Donald Gray Barnhouse said this. A physicist could compute the exact time required for his cries to go 25 yards to the eardrums of his brothers. But it took 22 years for that cry to go from the eardrums to their hearts. Now it has hit their hearts. That's why Judah, speaking on behalf of the brothers, said in verse 16, Here we are, my Lord's slaves, both we and he also, with whom the cup was found. With these words, Judah insisted that the brothers would stick by Benjamin, even though he was the favored and more greatly blessed son. If they were to quickly abandon Benjamin, it would show little change of heart from 20 years before. when they had abandoned Joseph. Actually, they did much worse than abandon Joseph. They condemned him to slavery. They sold him. They made profit off of it. But the brothers'resignation to slavery in Egypt. was even more significant. You know, consider for a moment that these were middle-aged men who came from lives of relative privilege and wealth and status. Back home in Canaan they had many servants. Now they would become slaves in Egypt. But Joseph's response, again, hidden Joseph's response, in verse 17, is he said this, Far be it from me that I should do so. His identity is still hidden from his brothers. Joseph refused their offer. Only Benjamin would be kept as a slave. So now, starting at verse 18, we're going to see Judah, the brother who has really stepped to the lead among all the brothers here. He's going to intercede in a powerful and moving way on behalf of Benjamin. Starting now, verse 18. Then Judah came near to him and said, O my Lord, please let your servant speak a word in my Lord's hearing, and do not let your anger burn. against your servant, for you are even like Pharaoh. My Lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother? And we said to my Lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age who is young. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him. Then you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. But you said to your servants, Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more. I find it fascinating. That as the brothers surrendered themselves to be slaves in Egypt, they were perhaps hoping that they would let Benjamin go home and keep them as slaves. But that wasn't it. They were all, all 11 of them were going to be kept as slaves. Judah knew this can't stand. I have to do something. He came near to Joseph, the mysterious Egyptian official, and he spoke to him. I want you to notice that Judah did not take these terrible events fatalistically. He made an appeal to the Egyptian official. Everything looked bad. The planted evidence against them seemed to seal their fate. Yet, Judah made an appeal. an appeal. And this impassioned speech that Judah makes to Joseph here is a model of a heartfelt, desperate appeal. It's a perfect example of intercession, of appealing to someone in authority. F.B. Meyer said this about Judah's speech. He said, in all literature, there's nothing more pathetic than this appeal. And by pathetic, he means heartfelt. The commentator H.C. Leopold wrote this about Judah's speech. He said, This is one of the manliest, most straightforward speeches ever delivered by any man. For depth of feeling and sincerity of purpose, it stands unexcelled. And Donald Gray Barnhouse called this speech of Judah, the most moving address in all the Word of God. I don't know if that's true, but it certainly is moving what Judah said to Joseph. He begins by saying in verse 19, My Lord asked his servants, in other words, asked us. Judah reminded the Egyptian official that all of this began with his questions. My Lord, you're... You're the one who started all this. You see, all the brothers wanted to do was come to Egypt and buy some grain. And this point was emphasized again and again. In verse 21, he says, then you said, in verse 23, but you said, look, Mr. Egyptian official, you're the one who set all this into motion. And then he reminds the Egyptian official, verse 20, that he has a father, an old man. And a child of his old age who's young and his brother is dead. Judah is naturally presenting the matter in the most sympathetic way possible. Dear Mr. Egyptian official, I want you to think of an old man. I don't want you to think of a young child. Of course, Benjamin was more than a child, but Judah is exaggerating a bit to create a sense of sympathy in the Egyptian official. And then he says, and this. Young man Benjamin's brother is dead. Now, I wonder how it sounded in the ears of Joseph when he heard Judah say of Benjamin that his brother is dead. You know, the brother that he said was dead stood right in front of them. It was Joseph, of course. Now, continuing on in Judah's impassioned appeal, we come now to verse 24. So it was, when we went up to your servant, my father. that we told him the words of my Lord. And our father said, Go back and buy us a little food. But we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us. 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. So Judah is... telling this powerful and intimidating Egyptian official the events that happened in the previous chapter, Genesis chapter 43, when the brothers made their second journey to Egypt to get grain. But as he does, he explains what they told their father when they tried to cover up their selling of Joseph into slavery 22 years before. In verse 28, he says that surely he's torn to pieces. That's what they told Jacob. the father of this family. And then Judah adds, I have not seen him since. These were carefully chosen words. Judah did not say, at least in these words, that Benjamin's brother was dead, only that Jacob said, surely he's torn to pieces. That's exactly what Jacob said. And he also adds that Judah had not seen him since. Well, that was kind of true. The man right in front of him that he's speaking to is that same Joseph. But to Judah's knowledge, he had not seen him since. You see, Judah remembered the cruel lie that the brothers used to let their father believe that Joseph was dead. That's way back in Genesis chapter 37. And now Judah is going to explain why Benjamin must return to Canaan, starting now at verse 30. Now therefore, when I come to your servant, my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, it will happen. When he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant, our father, with sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, if I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever. More than 20 years before this, Joseph's brothers, frankly, did not care about the pain that they caused their father when they lied about Joseph's supposed death. But now, Judah powerfully and eloquently explains to this Egyptian official, who was Joseph, but he didn't know it was Joseph. He says in verse 13, 31, when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Judah showed that now they were greatly concerned for the feelings and the welfare of their father. This is even more evidence of their change of heart. The brothers were different men now than they were some 20 years before. They cared now about things that they didn't care about before. And this is especially significant when we think about how deeply Jacob, Judah's father, must have hurt Judah and all the other brothers through the constant favoring of Joseph and Benjamin through the years. You have to say, this father, Jacob, this is a very messed up family. And this father, Jacob, deeply wounded the ten sons who were not born from his beloved wife, Rachel. I don't know if you saw previously, but he calls Rachel his wife as if that's his only wife. He so loved Rachel, and he so loved the two sons born of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. that his lack of love and care and concern for his other ten sons was a deep wound to those boys. Yet, Judah's heart was changed so that now he cares even about the father who wounded him and his brothers. So deeply. And Judah made the request personal. In verse 32, he said, For your servant became surety, a guarantee, a pledge, for the lad to my father. Mr. Egyptian official, it's as if Judah is saying this, My own life and standing before my father is going to be destroyed if Benjamin never returns. Please let our youngest brother go. Now, it's even going to get more dramatic here, starting at verse 33. This is sort of a conclusion of his speech. 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? Here, Judah dramatically offered to lay down his life for the sake of Benjamin. Verse 33, he said, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my Lord. Mr. Egyptian official, you're determined to take a slave from among us brothers. Let Jacob, excuse me, let Benjamin go. And take me, Judah. What a dramatic change from 22 years before, when Judah was the one who said, let's sell him to the Midianites. That's what Judah said about Joseph 22 years before. You see, back then, the brothers didn't care about Joseph. They didn't care about Benjamin, presumably another favorite son. They didn't care about their father, Jacob. You see, here Judah distinguishes himself as the one who was willing to be a substitutionary sacrifice. Out of love for his father, and out of love for his brethren. This is love. This is heroic. self-sacrifice. Because he said, verse 34, how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me? Now again, I'll repeat myself. Judah was the brother who suggested selling Joseph more than 20 years earlier. It's back in Genesis chapter 37, verses 26 and 27. But here, with heroic love, he offered to lay down his life. for the favored brother. And this display of sacrificial love is another example of transformation in the brothers. And this sacrificial love was perfectly displayed in Jesus Christ, the great descendant of Judah. You know, Judah did this for the sake of his father and for the sake of his family. of his brethren. And that's exactly why Jesus laid down his life, for the sake of his Father, God the Father in heaven, and for the sake of his brethren, his people, the men and women. that would believe upon Jesus and trust in him and therefore be saved. Jesus came to give his life for his people. He said exactly this in Matthew chapter 20 verse 28, that the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. So the sacrificial love that Judah shows here was perfectly expressed in Jesus Christ. But in a lesser sense, this sacrificial love was also displayed in several examples among the people of God in the Bible. Moses was willing to offer himself for the salvation of Israel. That's in Exodus 32. Paul was willing to offer himself for the salvation of Israel. That's in Romans chapter 9. And Esther risked her life to rescue her people. That's in Esther chapter 4 and 5. It can be properly said that sacrificial love is evidence of the believer's transformation. That's how we know that we passed from death to life, because we love the brethren and we love them in a sacrificial way. Through this chapter, Genesis chapter 44, there's remarkable evidence of the changed hearts of Joseph's brothers. They did not resent it when Benjamin was given the favored portion. They trusted each other, not accusing each other of wrong when accused of stealing the cup. They... stuck together when the silver cup was found. They didn't abandon the favored son and allow him to be carried back to Egypt alone. They completely humbled themselves for the sake of the favored son, bowing down in humility before the Egyptian official. They knew that their predicament was the result of their sin against Joseph. Judas said as much in his speech, and they offered themselves as slaves. to Egypt, not abandoning Benjamin, even though he was the favored son among the brethren. They showed due concern for how all this would affect their father. And most of all, Judah was willing to be a substitutionary sacrifice for his brother. out of love for his father and for his brethren. Do you see the character change that's being worked in the lives of these brothers? And God used the actions of Joseph. Again, I want to stress that what Joseph did with his brothers was not just to torment them for the sake of getting revenge. No, he was divinely guided. to both work these character changes in his brethren, but also to display what God had been working in them through the previous 20 years. Is God working in you some good things through a season of adversity? Don't despise it. Receive the work that the Lord is doing in your life. All right, before we leave Genesis chapter 44, let's just discuss a few ways that this chapter points to Jesus Christ. We do this sort of at the end of every chapter as we're making our way through Genesis, because we believe that over and over again, the Old Testament points to Jesus Christ. And I'm not trying to suggest that the three points I'm going to give you right now are every way. that we find something pointing to Jesus in Genesis chapter 44. If you have additional thoughts or something that you want to add, feel free to do it in some kind of response, an email, something in the comments, whatever would work out for you. But here's a few ways that Genesis chapter 44 points to Jesus Christ. Now, as just discussed, number one, Jesus is the sacrificial servant, offering his life as a substitute. We can say that Judah points to Jesus, the sacrificial servant who gave his life as a ransom for many, just as he said in Matthew chapter 20, verse 28. Number two, Jesus is the one who intercedes for his people. As Judah interceded for Benjamin, making an appeal on his behalf, so Jesus is the one Jesus pleads for his people. Aren't you glad about that? Aren't you glad that Hebrews 7, verse 25 says that Jesus always lives to make intercession for his own? Thank the Lord. Friends, even if nobody else prayed for you today, Jesus prays for you. Take great comfort in that. And Judah is an illustration of that, pointing towards the perfect intercession of Jesus for his people. And thirdly, and finally, Jesus is the one who develops and transforms the character of his people. Yes, you know that if you're a believer, if you're born again by God's Spirit, that's God's work in you. Jesus did that. Now, it's also true that God wants you to work with him, not in your salvation. That's what God did. but in your sanctification, in your Christian growth, your growth in grace, your growth in holiness, your Christian development, your deepening discipleship. That's something that God works in us and through us with our cooperation, but don't think that God leaves you all on your own to do it. Just as Joseph had a true role in the development and transformation of the character of his brothers, So Jesus is the one who develops and transforms the character of his people. The way Joseph was used to develop the character of his brothers points to the way that Jesus does this in his followers, his disciples. So Lord Jesus, we surrender ourselves to you all over again. And as you have every one of your children, every one of your disciples in your school of discipleship, so to speak. Lord, help us to never despise any lesson, even the more difficult ones, and to be thankful for everything that makes us more like you and draws us closer to you. We want to know you. We want to know the power of your resurrection, but we also want to know the fellowship of your sufferings. Work that in us, Lord. And if it produces the good fruit that we see that you worked, in Joseph's brothers here in Genesis chapter 44, the Lord, we will be content with that. Do your good work in us. We pray this in Jesus'name. Amen.

And they hadn't seen each other or been all together for some 22 years. And now that Benjamin had come back on the second visit of the brothers to Egypt from Canaan, they were all 12 together. I know that when I was teaching through Genesis chapter 43, I mistakenly estimated that date a couple of times, it being 30 years, but that's not correct. It's been around 22 years, give or take a year or two.

that Joseph and his 11 brothers had not been together all at once. Well, here they are now in Egypt and following a wonderful meal that Joseph had served to his brothers. And after that, they had purchased their grain and were getting ready to go.

And that's where we pick it up here now in Genesis chapter 44, beginning at verse 1. And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, 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. So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. So the brothers left Egypt in high spirits. They had been treated well.

They feasted the night before. Their sacks had been filled with grain. And Simeon was released from prison.

It seemed that all would be well. And Jacob's fear that something horrible would happen, especially that something horrible would happen to Benjamin, all that seemed to be unfounded as the brothers left Egypt. However, Joseph's steward, under the instructions of Joseph himself, had done something.

He put a special silver cup. that belonged to Joseph in the grain sack of Benjamin, the youngest son. As well, the money that the brothers intended to pay for the grain was put back within the sacks of each one of the brothers'grain.

So, as before, the grain sacks of the brothers were topped off by the money that they had paid for the grain. But again, that silver cup of Joseph, Joseph, was hidden in the sack of Benjamin. So in the morning, the brothers were sent away.

They began their journey back to Canaan. Now, verse four, when they had gone out of the city and were not yet far off, 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.

Before the brothers had traveled very far, they were caught in Joseph's trap. Now, some people wrongly think that Joseph used his position of power to torment his brothers, taking revenge for their cruelty towards him some 22 years before. Yet, knowing the character of Joseph and the fact that he was a spirit-filled man, I don't think this was the case.

Instead, I would say that guided by the hand of God, Joseph tested the hearts of his brothers. And this whole process, even though it wasn't easy on the brothers at all, it would bring them to complete repentance for what they had done to Joseph 22 years before. It's also interesting in verse 5 that Joseph's stewards, in finding the silver cup of Joseph, And remarking that it was a special cup, the steward referred to Joseph and said of him that he indeed practices divination.

That's the phrase from verse 5. Now, we know from other sources that many ancient peoples in that general Mediterranean area used sacred cups as divination. divination devices. It's possible, though I don't think this is likely, but I'll say that it's possible, that Joseph also did this.

Instead, I would say that because there was no specific revelation from God that such a practice was forbidden, maybe Joseph did this, but I don't think that's likely. I think that this was something simply that the steward said in order to impress the emperor. importance all of this on the brothers. You see, the point was to make the brothers aware that this was a special cup and that it was a terrible crime to steal it. Well, the brothers knew that they had not stolen the cup.

Of course, Joseph's servants put the cup in the sack of grain of Benjamin without the brothers knowing. And so the brothers said, we're innocent. We didn't steal any cup. Verse 6 says this, So he overtook them and spoke to them these same words.

And they said to him, Why does my Lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. 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. And he said, Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.

The brothers, were confident in their innocence. They were confident that they didn't have the cup. And by the way, this showed that they had a healthy trust in each other. In verse 7, where the brothers said...

far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. It meant that they trusted one another, that they had not secretly done it individually. You see, if they did not trust each other, they would have immediately, wondered which brother among them had stolen the cup. But none of them says, I bet Judah did it. I bet Issachar did it.

No, none of them say that. They instantly are confident, not only in their individual innocence, but in the innocence of the collective of their brothers. Matter of fact, they were so confident that this is what they said in verse 9. With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die.

and we also will be my Lord's slaves. Again, they were so confident that they did not have the cup and they trusted one another so much that they declared that the thief of the cup should be killed and that all the other brothers should be taken as slaves. Now, Joseph's steward did not accept this offer. He simply replied in verse 10, speaking on behalf of his master Joseph, of course.

Now also let it be according to your words, he with whom it is found shall be my slave. He did not repeat the brother's offer of a death sentence because there was no bloodshed wanted here. And as the story unfolds, God would use the brother's suggestion that the guilty party be taken as a slave. All right, now they're going to find the cup here starting now at verse 11. Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground. I like that note there in verse 11, that they did it speedily.

It shows how confident they were that they were innocent. I mean, after all, if you know you're guilty and you're about to fall, found out, you want to make it as slow as possible, the process of finding out your guilt. But if you think you're innocent, well, let's go to the evidence right away. This is how confident the brothers were that they were innocent. I'll start again now, verse 11. Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. sack. You can just imagine the scene there, can't you? How dramatic.

The brothers are indignant that they've been falsely accused. They're absolutely convinced that they're innocent. So they all jump off their donkeys. They throw down their sacks. They open them up.

But of course, the Egyptian official has to examine each sack. He can't trust the brothers to examine the own sacks of grain. So they all open up their sacks of grain. They let the Egyptian official come in. and check each one, and he starts from the oldest, Reuben, and he goes all the way down through, you know, one, two, three, four, all the way down through ten brothers.

There's not a sack to be found in each one of the brother sacks. By the way, they would have discovered the money in each one of the brother sacks, but they didn't make any mention about that. The money was no issue. It was all about this silver cup that belonged to Joseph. They go through 10 brothers, they don't found it.

Then finally they go to the youngest, the 11th brother, Benjamin's sack. And you can imagine that the anxiety of the brothers is lessening with each sack that is found not to hold the silver cup until they get to Benjamin's sack of grain. And now the anxiety is rising because he's the most important one. He's the one most precious to the father.

And they open it up. And like it says there in verse 12, the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Now verse 13, then they tore their clothes and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

The planted evidence was found. And according to their oath, the offer they made back in verse 9, Benjamin would die. They would now be rid of the other favored son.

And even if Benjamin did not die, he would be left as a slave in Egypt. Now, if the brothers had hated Benjamin as much as they had previously hated Joseph 22 years before, They would have been glad at this. Yes, now we finally get rid of Benjamin, and we didn't even have to do anything.

Benjamin must have stolen the cup. Benjamin's guilty. Now we'll be rid of the favored son. Do you see what a likeness there is?

What a great test this was of the brother's character. How would they react now when the favored son, Benjamin, not Joseph, but the favored son was in danger and would be excluded? Well, notice the reaction in verse 13. It says, then they tore their clothes. This was an extreme expression of horror, as if someone had just died.

They weren't happy at the idea of being read of Benjamin at all. They were horrified. Notice it says that they all tore their clothes and they all returned to the city.

You see, the reaction of the brothers showed that for them, this was the worst thing imaginable. The cup was found in the sack of their father's favorite son, the one that Jacob worried about the most. Now, Benjamin was sentenced to a life of slavery in Egypt and perhaps even death. And the brothers aren't rejoicing as they rejoiced when they got rid of Joseph 22 years before.

Now they were grieved. Brothers and sisters, this was a radical change in the brothers. Before, they didn't care about the favored son.

They wanted him dead. They wanted him gone. Before, they didn't care about hurting their father. But now, the idea of either hurting their father or ill coming to the favored son made them feel as bad as if someone had died. So what did they do?

Verse 13 says that each man loaded his donkey and returned. When Joseph was taken as a slave, he said, The brothers allowed him to go, and they thought nothing of it. But now they were willing to stand with Benjamin as he faced either slavery or death.

This demonstrates a significant change in the heart, and the attitude of Joseph's brothers. So now they're going to come back to the angry Egyptian official who we know to be Joseph, but the brothers did not yet know that it was Joseph. Verse 14. So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. And they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done?

Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination? And once you notice, verse 14 tells us that they came back to the Egyptian official with humility. It says there, verse 14, they fell before him on the ground. Now, make no mistake about it. The brothers had been wronged.

The evidence against them had been planted. Yet, they did not come demanding justice. This is an outrage! Who planted that silver cup in Benjamin's sack of grain?

On and on. No, no, no, they did not come demanding justice. They came with a humble plea for mercy.

And when it says there in verse 14 that they fell before him, that is Joseph, on the ground, they once again, for the third time, fulfilled the dreams Joseph had more than 20 years before where Joseph predicted that his brothers would bow down before him. And by the way, when it says that they fell before him on the ground, it also demonstrated that the brothers were desperate. to gain favor with the Egyptian official in order to obtain the release of Benjamin. They knew that it would be a genuine disaster to lose Benjamin and to bereave their father, something they didn't care about a bit 22 years before.

Did you notice Joseph's reply to them in verse 15? He said, Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination? Now Joseph spoke this way to them, harshly.

in a condemning tone, because it was important for a while longer for him to play the part, so to speak, of an Egyptian. And it was important to not allow them to know yet that he was in fact a Hebrew who worshipped Yahweh, that he was in fact their brother. That will be revealed, not in this chapter, but it's coming up soon.

Now verse 16, Judah is once again going to step forward. 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. But he said, this was Joseph's response, Far be it from me that I should do so.

The man in whose hands the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father. With these words, Judah... once again revealed God's work among the brothers.

You see, in Judah's mind, their fate as the brothers would be the same as Benjamin. If you're going to take him, you're going to take all of us as slaves. You see, the brothers were now determined to live the rest of their lives as slaves in Egypt and Egypt. because they had sold Joseph as a slave some 20 years before this.

As they say in verse 16, God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Judah made a direct connection. This is happening to us because of the iniquity of your servants, because of what we did to our other brother many years before. I want you to consider.

That the brothers were innocent of the sin of stealing the cup, but they were guilty of far greater sins. In the same way, You and I, as believers, we might take pride because we are innocent of some sin or another. Yet, we are likely guilty of far greater sins that haven't been exposed.

We can't hide from our sin, even if we did it a long time ago. The brothers thought, look, we did this more than 20 years ago. Yet our iniquity is before us. Friends, time does not erase the guilt of sin.

Only the blood of Jesus can. And 22 years before, when the brothers thought to kill Joseph, but threw him into a pit instead, he cried out to them, pleading in anguish. That's back in Genesis chapter 42, verse 21, it describes that. Now, Donald Gray Barnhouse said this.

A physicist could compute the exact time required for his cries to go 25 yards to the eardrums of his brothers. But it took 22 years for that cry to go from the eardrums to their hearts. Now it has hit their hearts. That's why Judah, speaking on behalf of the brothers, said in verse 16, Here we are, my Lord's slaves, both we and he also, with whom the cup was found.

With these words, Judah insisted that the brothers would stick by Benjamin, even though he was the favored and more greatly blessed son. If they were to quickly abandon Benjamin, it would show little change of heart from 20 years before. when they had abandoned Joseph. Actually, they did much worse than abandon Joseph. They condemned him to slavery.

They sold him. They made profit off of it. But the brothers'resignation to slavery in Egypt. was even more significant.

You know, consider for a moment that these were middle-aged men who came from lives of relative privilege and wealth and status. Back home in Canaan they had many servants. Now they would become slaves in Egypt.

But Joseph's response, again, hidden Joseph's response, in verse 17, is he said this, Far be it from me that I should do so. His identity is still hidden from his brothers. Joseph refused their offer. Only Benjamin would be kept as a slave. So now, starting at verse 18, we're going to see Judah, the brother who has really stepped to the lead among all the brothers here.

He's going to intercede in a powerful and moving way on behalf of Benjamin. Starting now, verse 18. Then Judah came near to him and said, O my Lord, please let your servant speak a word in my Lord's hearing, and do not let your anger burn. against your servant, for you are even like Pharaoh. My Lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?

And we said to my Lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age who is young. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him. Then you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. But you said to your servants, Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.

I find it fascinating. That as the brothers surrendered themselves to be slaves in Egypt, they were perhaps hoping that they would let Benjamin go home and keep them as slaves. But that wasn't it. They were all, all 11 of them were going to be kept as slaves.

Judah knew this can't stand. I have to do something. He came near to Joseph, the mysterious Egyptian official, and he spoke to him.

I want you to notice that Judah did not take these terrible events fatalistically. He made an appeal to the Egyptian official. Everything looked bad.

The planted evidence against them seemed to seal their fate. Yet, Judah made an appeal. an appeal. And this impassioned speech that Judah makes to Joseph here is a model of a heartfelt, desperate appeal. It's a perfect example of intercession, of appealing to someone in authority.

F.B. Meyer said this about Judah's speech. He said, in all literature, there's nothing more pathetic than this appeal.

And by pathetic, he means heartfelt. The commentator H.C. Leopold wrote this about Judah's speech. He said, This is one of the manliest, most straightforward speeches ever delivered by any man. For depth of feeling and sincerity of purpose, it stands unexcelled.

And Donald Gray Barnhouse called this speech of Judah, the most moving address in all the Word of God. I don't know if that's true, but it certainly is moving what Judah said to Joseph. He begins by saying in verse 19, My Lord asked his servants, in other words, asked us. Judah reminded the Egyptian official that all of this began with his questions. My Lord, you're...

You're the one who started all this. You see, all the brothers wanted to do was come to Egypt and buy some grain. And this point was emphasized again and again.

In verse 21, he says, then you said, in verse 23, but you said, look, Mr. Egyptian official, you're the one who set all this into motion. And then he reminds the Egyptian official, verse 20, that he has a father, an old man. And a child of his old age who's young and his brother is dead.

Judah is naturally presenting the matter in the most sympathetic way possible. Dear Mr. Egyptian official, I want you to think of an old man. I don't want you to think of a young child.

Of course, Benjamin was more than a child, but Judah is exaggerating a bit to create a sense of sympathy in the Egyptian official. And then he says, and this. Young man Benjamin's brother is dead. Now, I wonder how it sounded in the ears of Joseph when he heard Judah say of Benjamin that his brother is dead. You know, the brother that he said was dead stood right in front of them.

It was Joseph, of course. Now, continuing on in Judah's impassioned appeal, we come now to verse 24. So it was, when we went up to your servant, my father. that we told him the words of my Lord.

And our father said, Go back and buy us a little food. But we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.

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. So Judah is...

telling this powerful and intimidating Egyptian official the events that happened in the previous chapter, Genesis chapter 43, when the brothers made their second journey to Egypt to get grain. But as he does, he explains what they told their father when they tried to cover up their selling of Joseph into slavery 22 years before. In verse 28, he says that surely he's torn to pieces. That's what they told Jacob. the father of this family.

And then Judah adds, I have not seen him since. These were carefully chosen words. Judah did not say, at least in these words, that Benjamin's brother was dead, only that Jacob said, surely he's torn to pieces.

That's exactly what Jacob said. And he also adds that Judah had not seen him since. Well, that was kind of true. The man right in front of him that he's speaking to is that same Joseph. But to Judah's knowledge, he had not seen him since.

You see, Judah remembered the cruel lie that the brothers used to let their father believe that Joseph was dead. That's way back in Genesis chapter 37. And now Judah is going to explain why Benjamin must return to Canaan, starting now at verse 30. Now therefore, when I come to your servant, my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, it will happen. When he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant, our father, with sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, if I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.

More than 20 years before this, Joseph's brothers, frankly, did not care about the pain that they caused their father when they lied about Joseph's supposed death. But now, Judah powerfully and eloquently explains to this Egyptian official, who was Joseph, but he didn't know it was Joseph. He says in verse 13, 31, when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Judah showed that now they were greatly concerned for the feelings and the welfare of their father.

This is even more evidence of their change of heart. The brothers were different men now than they were some 20 years before. They cared now about things that they didn't care about before.

And this is especially significant when we think about how deeply Jacob, Judah's father, must have hurt Judah and all the other brothers through the constant favoring of Joseph and Benjamin through the years. You have to say, this father, Jacob, this is a very messed up family. And this father, Jacob, deeply wounded the ten sons who were not born from his beloved wife, Rachel.

I don't know if you saw previously, but he calls Rachel his wife as if that's his only wife. He so loved Rachel, and he so loved the two sons born of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. that his lack of love and care and concern for his other ten sons was a deep wound to those boys.

Yet, Judah's heart was changed so that now he cares even about the father who wounded him and his brothers. So deeply. And Judah made the request personal.

In verse 32, he said, For your servant became surety, a guarantee, a pledge, for the lad to my father. Mr. Egyptian official, it's as if Judah is saying this, My own life and standing before my father is going to be destroyed if Benjamin never returns. Please let our youngest brother go. Now, it's even going to get more dramatic here, starting at verse 33. This is sort of a conclusion of his speech.

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? Here, Judah dramatically offered to lay down his life for the sake of Benjamin. Verse 33, he said, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my Lord. Mr. Egyptian official, you're determined to take a slave from among us brothers.

Let Jacob, excuse me, let Benjamin go. And take me, Judah. What a dramatic change from 22 years before, when Judah was the one who said, let's sell him to the Midianites. That's what Judah said about Joseph 22 years before. You see, back then, the brothers didn't care about Joseph.

They didn't care about Benjamin, presumably another favorite son. They didn't care about their father, Jacob. You see, here Judah distinguishes himself as the one who was willing to be a substitutionary sacrifice. Out of love for his father, and out of love for his brethren.

This is love. This is heroic. self-sacrifice. Because he said, verse 34, how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me? Now again, I'll repeat myself.

Judah was the brother who suggested selling Joseph more than 20 years earlier. It's back in Genesis chapter 37, verses 26 and 27. But here, with heroic love, he offered to lay down his life. for the favored brother.

And this display of sacrificial love is another example of transformation in the brothers. And this sacrificial love was perfectly displayed in Jesus Christ, the great descendant of Judah. You know, Judah did this for the sake of his father and for the sake of his family.

of his brethren. And that's exactly why Jesus laid down his life, for the sake of his Father, God the Father in heaven, and for the sake of his brethren, his people, the men and women. that would believe upon Jesus and trust in him and therefore be saved.

Jesus came to give his life for his people. He said exactly this in Matthew chapter 20 verse 28, that the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. So the sacrificial love that Judah shows here was perfectly expressed in Jesus Christ. But in a lesser sense, this sacrificial love was also displayed in several examples among the people of God in the Bible.

Moses was willing to offer himself for the salvation of Israel. That's in Exodus 32. Paul was willing to offer himself for the salvation of Israel. That's in Romans chapter 9. And Esther risked her life to rescue her people.

That's in Esther chapter 4 and 5. It can be properly said that sacrificial love is evidence of the believer's transformation. That's how we know that we passed from death to life, because we love the brethren and we love them in a sacrificial way. Through this chapter, Genesis chapter 44, there's remarkable evidence of the changed hearts of Joseph's brothers. They did not resent it when Benjamin was given the favored portion. They trusted each other, not accusing each other of wrong when accused of stealing the cup.

They... stuck together when the silver cup was found. They didn't abandon the favored son and allow him to be carried back to Egypt alone.

They completely humbled themselves for the sake of the favored son, bowing down in humility before the Egyptian official. They knew that their predicament was the result of their sin against Joseph. Judas said as much in his speech, and they offered themselves as slaves. to Egypt, not abandoning Benjamin, even though he was the favored son among the brethren.

They showed due concern for how all this would affect their father. And most of all, Judah was willing to be a substitutionary sacrifice for his brother. out of love for his father and for his brethren. Do you see the character change that's being worked in the lives of these brothers? And God used the actions of Joseph.

Again, I want to stress that what Joseph did with his brothers was not just to torment them for the sake of getting revenge. No, he was divinely guided. to both work these character changes in his brethren, but also to display what God had been working in them through the previous 20 years.

Is God working in you some good things through a season of adversity? Don't despise it. Receive the work that the Lord is doing in your life. All right, before we leave Genesis chapter 44, let's just discuss a few ways that this chapter points to Jesus Christ. We do this sort of at the end of every chapter as we're making our way through Genesis, because we believe that over and over again, the Old Testament points to Jesus Christ.

And I'm not trying to suggest that the three points I'm going to give you right now are every way. that we find something pointing to Jesus in Genesis chapter 44. If you have additional thoughts or something that you want to add, feel free to do it in some kind of response, an email, something in the comments, whatever would work out for you. But here's a few ways that Genesis chapter 44 points to Jesus Christ.

Now, as just discussed, number one, Jesus is the sacrificial servant, offering his life as a substitute. We can say that Judah points to Jesus, the sacrificial servant who gave his life as a ransom for many, just as he said in Matthew chapter 20, verse 28. Number two, Jesus is the one who intercedes for his people. As Judah interceded for Benjamin, making an appeal on his behalf, so Jesus is the one Jesus pleads for his people. Aren't you glad about that? Aren't you glad that Hebrews 7, verse 25 says that Jesus always lives to make intercession for his own?

Thank the Lord. Friends, even if nobody else prayed for you today, Jesus prays for you. Take great comfort in that. And Judah is an illustration of that, pointing towards the perfect intercession of Jesus for his people. And thirdly, and finally, Jesus is the one who develops and transforms the character of his people.

Yes, you know that if you're a believer, if you're born again by God's Spirit, that's God's work in you. Jesus did that. Now, it's also true that God wants you to work with him, not in your salvation.

That's what God did. but in your sanctification, in your Christian growth, your growth in grace, your growth in holiness, your Christian development, your deepening discipleship. That's something that God works in us and through us with our cooperation, but don't think that God leaves you all on your own to do it. Just as Joseph had a true role in the development and transformation of the character of his brothers, So Jesus is the one who develops and transforms the character of his people. The way Joseph was used to develop the character of his brothers points to the way that Jesus does this in his followers, his disciples.

So Lord Jesus, we surrender ourselves to you all over again. And as you have every one of your children, every one of your disciples in your school of discipleship, so to speak. Lord, help us to never despise any lesson, even the more difficult ones, and to be thankful for everything that makes us more like you and draws us closer to you. We want to know you.

We want to know the power of your resurrection, but we also want to know the fellowship of your sufferings. Work that in us, Lord. And if it produces the good fruit that we see that you worked, in Joseph's brothers here in Genesis chapter 44, the Lord, we will be content with that. Do your good work in us.

We pray this in Jesus'name. Amen.

Transcript for:Transformation and Sacrifice in Genesis 44

Transcript for:
Transformation and Sacrifice in Genesis 44