GENESIS

JOSEPH

Joseph in Egypt
Joseph's Second Encounter with His Brothers

Genesis 43:1-44:34

INTRODUCTION

Whatever else the Bible teaches us, it emphasizes transformation and reconciliation. These are not necessarily 2 unrelated topics. In fact many times the only way a person can experience reconciliation with another person is by means of transformation. Many times I must be transformed before I am willing to be reconciled.

It is easy to focus strictly on Joseph's ten older brothers when it comes to the matter of transformation. They indeed did need to be transformed. Yet they were not the only ones who needed transformation. Jacob the father also needed to be transformed. When it is all said and done, the fault for much of what has happened falls right at his feet. If he had not shown partiality to Rachel's sons, first Joseph and now Benjamin, for the past THIRTY-NINE years, Jacob and his family would not be going through the ordeal they are presently undergoing. Jacob had selfishly clung to Rachel's sons, even at the cost of family unity, of Joseph's life, and now even his own family's survival. Rachel is dead. Jacob needs to let go of her by letting go of her sons. God will now put him into a situation in which he must let go of Rachel and Rachel's sons, or else die along with the rest of his family. Many times something this severe is what it takes to transform us.

JACOB SENDS THE 10 BROTHERS BACK TO EGYPT (43:1-15)

Jacob now gathers his nine older sons and instructs them to return to Egypt to get more grain. When the brothers remind Jacob that the ruler in Egypt had said that they could not return without Benjamin, Jacob turns on them and accuses them of betrayal. He tells them they should have never informed this ruler about their younger brother. When they told him about Benjamin, according to Jacob they had betrayed his trust in them. The brothers though claim that the ruler had deceived them by inquiring specifically about their father and younger brother (this wasn't quite how the story happened; however, they are trying to cast themselves in the most favorable light).

At this point Judah the fourth oldest son steps up to the plate. (Reuben has been sidelined because of his liaison with Jacob's concubine Bilhah.) He guarantees Benjamin's safe return. If in fact something does happen to Benjamin which prevents him from returning, Judah will bear the blame of it before Jacob forever.

What a change has come over Judah. He was the one who had suggested that they sell the favorite son Joseph into slavery. He was the one who had a sexual liason with a "prostitute," who actually was his daughter-in-law, Tamar. The transformation is not complete; however, Judah is definitely changing for the good.

At this point Jacob knows that he is defeated. He must finally give up Rachel. For 39 years he had clung to her by clinging to her sons. Now if his family is going to survive, he must be willing to give up her last son. "If I am bereaved, then I am bereaved."

Before sending the sons off though to Egypt, he sends along with them some precious commodities from Canaan: honey, aromatic gum, pistachio nuts, myrrh, and almonds. Moreover, not only are they to take with them the money they had taken with them on the first visit, they were to take enough money to pay doubly for this second purchase. Jacob is hoping that the ruler will realize that a mistake was made the first time with the money.

JOSEPH TEARS DOWN THEIR DEFENSES (43:16-34)

At this point the 10 brothers arrive in Egypt. When they appear before Joseph, he instructs his steward to slaughter an animal to serve to his brothers for lunch at his own house. When the brothers realize that they are being taken to Joseph's house, they panic because they believe that Joseph is going to condemn them for "stealing" the money they brought with them on their first visit. They feel that Joseph will find it much easier to abduct them in private in his home rather than out in the public square. They share with the steward though what had happened, how the money had just mysteriously appeared in their sacks after they had already given it to the accountant. The steward though replies that they needn't worried. The books were balanced and no money was missing. Apparently, according to the steward (who is in the know) God must have placed the money in their sacks. At this point Simeon is unbound and restored to his brothers.

At noon Joseph returns home to dine with his brothers. When he beholds Benjamin he is so moved emotionally that he has to rush into a private spot in order to cry. It's been 22 long years since he has seen his little brother. It is all he can do to control himself. (As we read this story, we need to remember that the 10 older brothers are not the only ones suffering. Joseph too is suffering. He has to know though for sure if his brothers have indeed changed before he can reconcile himself to them.)

When the meal is served, the 11 brothers are seated at the table according to age, the oldest down to the youngest. They are amazed at the arrangement. They can only guess that Joseph is such a great wise man that he even knows their ages without them having to tell him. Because of the rigid Egyptian caste system, Joseph dines by himself alone, the Egyptians then dine by themselves, and finally the 11 Hebrews are segregated from the rest to dine by themselves.

At this point the brothers begin to let down their guard. The facts that he is giving them choice food from his own table and that wine is flowing freely help them let down their guard. Joseph is wanting to see if they have truly changed or not. He tests them by giving Benjamin, his father's present favorite son, 5 times more to eat from his table than the other brothers. How will the brothers respond? Will they begin to treat Benjamin rudely? Will they show any resentment against him? For the past 22 years the brothers have suffered beneath the great grief their father bore for Joseph. Their love for their father has made them accepting even of Benjamin, the favorite.

BENJAMIN IS ARRESTED (44:1-13)

Joseph lays one final trap for the brothers. For all practical purposes he puts the 10 older brothers back into the same situation they were in 22 years earlier. As he is sending his brothers back to Canaan, Joseph again orders his steward to return their money in their sacks of grain. This time though he also tells the steward to put his large silver cup used for divination into Benjamin's sack.

Before the brothers had been away too long before they could discover the cup, Joseph sends the steward after the brothers. When he catches up with the brothers, the steward accuses them of stealing the silver cup. He says: "Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this."

The brothers immediately reject the charge. In fact they are so sure of their innocence that they claim that if one of the brothers has taken the cup, then Joseph can put that brother to death and enslave the rest of the brothers. The steward rejects this, saying that only the guilty party will be enslaved.

The steward then plays his part to the hilt. He knows that the cup is in Benjamin's sack; however, to draw out the suspense and drama, he first investigates the sack of the oldest, then the next oldest on down, etc. As each sack comes up empty, the brothers must have been feeling more and more confident. The steward then comes to Benjamin's sack. Stress shoots throughout their entire bodies because the cup is in Benjamin's sack. The brothers are so racked with pain and terror that they tore their clothes and return with the steward and Benjamin back to Joseph.

THE BROTHERS REDEEM THEMSELVES (44:14-34)

When the brothers appear before Joseph, Joseph tears into them: "What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?"

Judah now steps up to the plate. Although on the surface it appears that they are being punished because the silver cup was found in Benjamin's cup. Judah knows the real reason they are being punished: God was punishing them because they had sold Joseph into slavery. Even though their crime against Joseph occurred 22 years earlier, God is now making them account for this crime. As a result Judah proposes that Joseph not just keep Benjamin in slavery but that he keep all 11 brothers in slavery.

Joseph has them now right where he wants them. By his careful plotting Joseph has placed the 10 older brothers into the exact same situation they were in 22 years earlier. Twenty-two years ago they held the fate of their father's favorite son in their hands. When the opportunity arose for them to get rid of him and gain by it, they chose to get rid of the favorite son and make a healthy profit. In these last 2 chapters Joseph placed them into the same situation in which they were 22 years ago. They have been given the opportunity of dumping their father's favorite son, Benjamin, and gaining as a result by gaining their freedom. From the brothers' perspective they think that they are saving Benjamin. The truth though is that they are saving themselves. Joseph is going to take care of both Benjamin and Jacob no matter what the brothers decide. If the brothers though save Benjamin, Joseph will take care of them too during these dire times. On the other hand, if they dump Benjamin, Joseph is going to dump them too back in Canaan, left to care for themselves during this time of great famine. It really is a story of the highest drama.

Judah now rises to meet the situation. In the longest speech in all of Genesis Judah pleads for Benjamin. Judah and the other brothers had tried to protect Benjamin, but they had to bring him with them because this ruler had demanded they bring him before they could have any more grain. Their father had protested vehemently against his coming but had finally caved in once Judah had assured him that he would guarantee Benjamin's return. Judah tells Joseph that he simply can't bear the thought of his father going to an early grave because of grief over Benjamin. With the highest offer of self-sacrifice in the OT Judah proposes that Joseph release Benjamin and enslave himself instead. This is truly one of the grandest moments in the entire Bible.

See what is happening here. Judah, rejected by his father, pleads for the release of the favored son, the son favored over Judah himself and the other rejected 9 sons. It is one of the greatest acts of self-sacrifice in the Bible other than the sacrifice of Christ Himself. Judah has certain set the tone for his family--fully realized in Judah's greatest Son, Jesus.

Notice one other thing. What is it that motivates Judah to sacrifice himself for Benjamin? Is it his love for Benjamin? Is it because he is just a great person? No, throughout his speech he continually pleads for his father. For the past 22 years he has been so wounded to see his father grieving continually over the loss of Joseph. He loves his father so much that he can't bear the thought of his father grieving himself to an early grave over Benjamin. This is the touching story of the love of a son for his father. Moreover, just like Christ sacrificed Himself for us out of love for His Father, so Judah "sacrificed" himself out of love for his father. He truly deserves to be the father of the Christ.

CONCLUSION

Judah has totally come full circle. Whatever else the Bible teaches us about God, it teaches us that He is a God of second chances. Whereas it is true that sometimes people violate themselves and their consciences to such a degree that they never recover spiritually, it is also true that many times people can seriously feel bad about their past actions and change them if given a second chance.

Undoubtedly the primary biblical example of this is Peter. On the night of Jesus' trial he must make one of 2 choices: (1) he must admit that he follows Jesus and therefore will die by crucifixion or (2) he will deny that he follows Jesus and will therefore be allowed to live. Peter chooses the second. To his great regret he denies Jesus and is allowed to live.

Peter is not a bad person though; he may be weak, but he is not bad. When Jesus reveals Himself to His disciples for the third time after His resurrection, He holds Peter accountable for denying Him 3x on that fateful night. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him; 3x Peter replies that He does. Jesus knows it and forgives Peter. Jesus, however, does not leave it at this. He then tells Peter: "When you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished, but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you and bring you where you do not wish to go" (John 21:18). Most Christians see this as a veiled reference to Peter's death by crucifixion. Although Peter had earlier denied Jesus and lived, at the end of his life he once more will be placed in the same situation. He will be forced either to confess Jesus or deny Jesus. As on the night of Jesus' trial confession will lead to death by crucifixion, denial to life. To his everlasting credit Peter at the end of his life confesses Jesus and is crucified as a result. In the same way Judah was given a second chance, and like Peter, he responded courageously.