Have you ever experienced hunger pains to the point that it was difficult to focus on a task? I remember asking myself before we moved into China in the 1980’s, “Will we have enough food to eat?” Thankfully, we never lacked.
In fact, the farmers brought their fresh vegetables and fruits to the gate of the university and sold them there. I enjoyed the dòufu (豆腐 – tofu English) and “miànjīn” (面筋) which is a Chinese wheat gluten, a chewy, high-protein food made by washing starch from wheat dough, used widely as a meat substitute. The Mandarin oranges and finger-sized bananas were also delicious. Praise be to God for daily bread – and for a variety of daily breads!
Jacob saw that his family’s grain supply was gone, so he urged his sons to return to Egypt to buy more. Judah reminded Jacob that they must bring Benjamin with them to purchase grain.
“And Israel said, ‘Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?’ But they said, ‘The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’ Then Judah said to Israel his father, ‘Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.’” Genesis 43:6-10
Judah offered to be the scapegoat if anything happened to Benjamin. In the future, One from Judah’s family line will bear the blame for all sin that has ever been committed by people. In Matthew 1:21, an angel told New Testament Joseph, “She [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” People only need to believe in Jesus and profess Him to be saved from their sins.
“And their father Israel said to them, ‘If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take double money in your hand and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!’” Genesis 43:11-14
They did have food. Honey, pistachios and almonds are delicious and nutritious. Matthew Henry Commentary says, “We may live well enough upon plain food without dainties; but we cannot live upon dainties without plain food. Let us thank God that that which is most needful and useful is generally most cheap and common.”
Jacob must give his son Benjamin into the hands of his brothers. Perhaps, He suspected them of murdering Joseph. He said, “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” Benjamin is Jacob’s only surviving son from his marriage to Rachel. He gives up this beloved son so others may live.
“So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, ‘Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.’ Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, ‘It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.’” Genesis 43:15-18
Though invited to dine with Joseph in his magnificent house, the brothers of Joseph are not feeling good about their situation. Previously, he accused them of being spies. After they paid him for grain during their last visit, they found their money back in their sacks. They are afraid. Is he just toying with them before he executes them?
“When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, and said, ‘O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so, we have brought it back in our hand. And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.’ But he said, ‘Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.’ Then he brought Simeon out to them.” Genesis 43:19-23
“Peace?” “Don’t be afraid?” “The God of our fathers gave us the treasure in our sacks?” What is the man talking about? They were very unsettled. At least Simeon, who was imprisoned when they left Egypt is still alive and well.
“So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house and bowed down before him to the earth. Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, ‘Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?’ And they answered, ‘Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.’ And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, ‘Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?’ And he said, ‘God be gracious to you, my son.’ Now his heart yearned for his brother; so, Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, ‘Serve the bread.’” Genesis 43:34-31
Joseph’s brothers were treated with honor. Servants washed their feet and fed their donkeys.
When Joseph arrives, they present to him the spices, myrrh, balm, honey, pistachios and almonds that they brought from their homeland. They bow to the floor before him.
Joseph was overwhelmed with emotion when he saw his brother Benjamin. He blessed him. He left the room to weep. Then, he returned to initiate the banquet.
“So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So, they drank and were merry with him.” Genesis 43:32-34
Joseph seated his brothers around the banqueting table according to their ages. He removed the Egyptians from the room lest they treat his brothers disrespectfully. He gave Benjamin the most generous portion of food. The brothers are finally happy to be there.
“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. 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.’” Genesis 44:1-5
Joseph set a trap for his brothers. Their downfall must be unsuspected and devastating so that they reap what they had sown, and hopefully repent of what they did to him.
“So he overtook them, and he 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.’ 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. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.” Genesis 44:6-13
Joseph’s brothers were so upset that they tore their clothes to demonstrate how their hearts felt. They had thought all was well, but now, they are on their way back to Egypt.
“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 you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?’ 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, ‘Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.’” Genesis 44:14-17
Numbers 32:23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” In Luke 12:2-3, Jesus said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the rooftops.”
Joseph’s brothers fell before him, thus, fulfilling the dream that the Lord had given to him. Judah spoke on behalf of his brothers. God had exposed their iniquity. Iniquity refers to unequal treatment of others. He believed Joseph would enslave them all. But no, the better punishment for them is to keep Benjamin and send them back to their father without him. This will destroy their father before their eyes.
“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.’” Genesis 44:18-23
Judah advocated for his father, not for himself.
“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.’” Genesis 44:24-29
Judah does not want to see his father die in sorrow.
“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.’ 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?’” Genesis 44:30-34
Judah was now willing to suffer on behalf of another.
Praise God that a descendant of Judah, Jesus Christ, bore the blame for our sins on the cross. He atoned for sin that we could not expunge from our records. He saved us from bearing the guilt and penalty for our sins.
Judah was the same man who suggested Joseph be sold to the Ishmaelites for silver. He was the same father who raised two sons that were so wicked God slew them. He was the same man who went into his daughter-in-law when she was veiled and posed as a harlot to gain a heir by him. He was the same man who said, “Let her be burned” before he knew that she was righting a wrong that he had done to her. Judah, like us all, had committed many sins throughout his life. He did not deserve the least of all God’s mercies but God was gracious to him. Gracious to bring him to repentance! He no longer wanted to be the same man as he was in the past. He was going to place the well-being of another, his father, before himself. Praise the Lord!
In Romans 2:4, the Lord asks us, “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Joseph followed God’s leading in dealing with his brothers, especially with Judah. Rather than destroy Judah and his brothers, the Lord helped him to convict them of their sins. God helped Judah and his brothers to see that forgiveness of sin was their only hope for salvation.
No comments:
Post a Comment