Preparing To Return (Genesis 43:1-14)
The famine continues in its severity over the earth. Pharaoh’s dream revealed that it would be a seven year famine that would wipe any abundance accumulating during the seven years of prosperity. The grain that Jacob’s son purchased in Egypt has run out as we come to Genesis 43. Jacob instructs the sons to go back to Egypt and buy grain. But the sons remind him that they cannot go back without bringing Benjamin. There is no point in going if we do not bring Benjamin with us. Jacob is upset by this but the brothers defend themselves that they did not know that the ruler of Egypt would tell them to bring their brother back with them.
I want you to notice what happens in verse 8. Judah steps up and tells his father that he will guarantee Benjamin’s safety and will bear the blame if he fails. Now I want you to be shocked by this. Remember what we were told about Judah in chapter 37. It was Judah’s idea to sell Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37:26-27). We were also told that Judah frequents his time with prostitutes in Genesis 38. We are supposed to see Judah as a terrible, wicked person. Yet we are seeing that something may have changed in him all these years later.
Jacob relents and sends the sons with some of the best produce from the land. He also sends them with double the money. This is so they can pay for more grain as well as pay for the grain that they believe they received for free by accident. Jacob then prays to God that they will receive mercy from the one in charge and that he will let Simeon and Benjamin come back to him.
Facing Joseph Again (Genesis 43:15-34)
Now Joseph’s brothers return to Egypt and enter into Joseph’s presence. Joseph orders his steward for his brothers to be taken to his house and to prepare an animal for a meal. So the steward brings the brothers to Joseph’s house and the brothers are terrified (Genesis 43:18). They are afraid that they are being brought to Joseph’s house because it looked like they were thieves who did not pay for the grain last time. They think they are going to his house and they are going to be attacked, overpowered, made to be slaves, and their animals will be seized. You can imagine as they walk to Joseph’s house how they think their lives are over, like Joseph must have thought when he walked off as a slave to the Midianite traders. The brothers then starting tell their story to the steward. We only came to buy food the first time we were here. When we were on our way home we found the money with the grain in our sacks. We have brought that money back and have no idea how that money was put in our bags!
Listen to the answer from the steward in verse 23. He tells the brothers to not be afraid. Their God put the treasure in your sacks because I received your silver. You are not being brought to Joseph’s house as thieves. We received payment. Your God is why you have your money. God is why you have been cared for. Then the steward brings out Simeon to them. Simeon is still alive and now he is released to them. The brothers are given water to wash their feet and feed for their animals. Now the brothers get their gifts ready for Joseph’s arrival for the meal. When Joseph comes in, they offer their gifts and bow down before him. Joseph asks about their father and the brothers respond that their father is alive and well. Then the brothers bow down before Joseph again.
But Joseph sees his brother, Benjamin, his true blood brother. Joseph has to leave the room because he overcome with tears to see his brother again. Then Joseph washes his face, got himself under control, and came back out with the order to serve the food. At the table Joseph places the sons in order of age (Genesis 43:33). The brothers then look at each other in amazement that Joseph has placed the 11 brothers perfectly in order of their age. Remember that these men are adults now and it would not be obvious who was older than who. The portions were taken from Jacob’s table. But notice that Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s.
However, I want you to notice that Joseph still does not reveal himself. Even though the brothers have returned, and even though he has spoken kindly to them and given them a feast, he still has not revealed himself to them or reconciled with them. Why not? As we noted in our last lesson, we are still seeing Joseph and his brothers working through it and works in progress.
A Silver Cup (44:1-34)
Joseph tells his steward to fill the men’s sacks with grain, as much as they can carry. He has puts the money back in their sacks again. But this time Joseph has a plan. He also has his silver cup put in Benjamin’s bag with the money and the grain (44:1-2). Now I want you to think about what you think Joseph is doing. Be thinking about this as the account unfolds. The next morning all the brothers are sent home. But after going a short distance, Joseph tells his steward to take men and track them down. When you overtake them, say to them, “Why have you repaid evil for good?” Tell them that they have done wrong by taking his cup.
So Joseph’s men overtake the brothers and do just as instructed. The brothers deny taking anything and proclaim that they would never do such a thing. We even brought the silver back from the first time to show that we were not thieves. Now look at verse 9. They state that if they find the cup with anyone, that person will die and the rest of us will be your slaves. But the steward lessens the terms in verse 10. He says whoever has the cup will be my slave and the rest of you will be free from blame. Now what appears to be Joseph’s plan? Joseph’s plan by putting the cup in Benjamin’s bag is that he will have Benjamin come back to Egypt to live with him and send off the other brothers. Why do you think Joseph would do this? Not only would Joseph likely desire to be with his brother, but it is reasonable to believe that Benjamin is suffering the same mistreatment that he suffered from those brothers. These brothers have shown themselves to be untrustworthy. They are the two sons of Rachel and it is clear that Benjamin is now the favored son since Jacob initially would not send him to Egypt to buy grain.
The steward opens the bags of each brother and then finally comes to Benjamin. They open his sack and the cup was found in his sack. The brothers tear their clothes and all return to the city. They are brought back before Joseph and fell on the ground before him. Notice who speaks to Joseph’s charge in verse 16. It is Judah. Judah says that they have no defense because this is God who has exposed our guilt (referencing how they sold off Joseph to slavery). So he says that they will all become Joseph’s servants. But notice Joseph rejects this in verse 17. He only wants to keep the one who had the cup. The rest of them can go home in peace. What do you think Joseph expects the brothers to do here? He likely expects them to agree and leave Benjamin there. They left Joseph in a pit. They left Joseph to Midianite traders. They will surely leave Benjamin to save their own skins.
But Judah is not going to let that happen. Judah has more to say beginning in verse 18. Judah explains everything. You asked us about our family. We have a younger brother and his brother is dead and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left and his father loves him (44:20). You said to bring him but our father said no but you said we had too. Our father said he will die if anything happens to Benjamin. Look at verse 32. I made a guarantee to my father to bring him back. Now listen to verse 33. Judah pleads for Benjamin’s life. Let him go back with his brothers and let me remain here as your servant instead. He cannot go home without Benjamin because he cannot bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.
The Winds of Change
Let me ask a question from this account. Can people change? You know we have a saying that people don’t people. We say that people can’t change. But I want you to look at these brothers. Reuben slept with his father’s concubine. Simeon and Levi committed mass murder as vengeance for Dinah. Judah sleeps with prostitutes and sold Joseph into slavery. Now more than 20 years have passed by. Have these men changed? These brothers have.
You know it is interesting to consider how we are often unwilling to give people time to learn, grow, and change. We immediately write people off that they could never be any different and they can never change. We destroy marriages because we proclaim that our spouse will never change. We destroy family relationships because we declare that our family will never change. We end friendships because they will never change. But let me ask you a question. Have you changed? Have you changed since you were a teenager? Have you changed since you were in your 20s? Have you changed since you were in your 30s? Have you changed at all? Have you grown at all? Have you been transformed at all? I think we would all say that we have changed. Then why do you think someone else won’t change? Do we understand that God has the power to change people?
Friends, if people cannot change then we are all doomed. If we can’t change, then we are all lost. If we can’t change, then we have no hope at all and Jesus died in vain. Jesus died and rose so that we would be changed back into his image. Repentance means change. Repentance is about changing the way we think and changing course of our lives. God commands us to change.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)
Please notice that God gave these brothers decades to change. We give people 10 minutes. We do not give people time to change. We draw lines in the sand. But God works with us to move us and change us. People can change and change significantly by God’s power and by God’s grace. Are you glad that others have been patient with you and allowed you to change? Will you show the same patience and grace to others?
See Jesus
But I want us to end by seeing a foreshadowing of Jesus. Amazingly, Judah will be the one through whom Christ will come, not Joseph. Notice Judah is interceding on behalf of Benjamin. Judah is willing to give his life to set Benjamin free from enslavement. Judah will give his very life so that Benjamin does not bear the punishment. Judah said that he would bring this son back to his father. It is a wonderful picture of what our Savior did for us. He interceding for you, giving his life to set you free so that you do not have to bear your punishment. Jesus was the guarantee to bring his lost children back to the Father.