Today in God’s Word

Today in God's Word—November 2024

East Tallassee Church of Christ

November 30, Genesis 44

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

- John 15:13

When I was a small boy, my mother would sometimes recite a poem about a family of children who professed love for their mother. They all claimed to love her, but only one stayed to help Mother do the chores, thus demonstrating the love.

A test of love or loyalty is the climactic event of many stories. There's just such a moment in Genesis 44. Unless you've been paying close attention, you may be surprised at the real hero in this high drama.

Joseph had to find out. He needed to know. Would his brothers abandon Benjamin like they had abandoned him more than twenty years before? Would they, given the chance, walk away and return home without their baby brother, regardless of what their callousness might do to Benjamin or their father? It was encouraging to see them celebrate Benjamin's special portion at the luncheon. Had they changed? He devised one final test to know for sure.

When Joseph told his steward to fill their sacks with food and return their money as he had done before, he gave one additional order. He instructed him to put Joseph's special silver cup in the youngest brother's bag. Joseph was planting evidence that would implicate his baby brother in a crime he did not commit!

The brothers loaded up and left early the next morning. But before they had gone far, Joseph's steward caught up with them, and on Joseph's orders, charged them with stealing his master's divining cup. The men were shocked. They were confident that no such theft had occurred. They were so sure of their innocence that they said the thief would die, and the rest of them would become Joseph's slaves if such a thing had actually happened.

It was high roadside drama. The men opened their sacks. The steward (knowing all along where the cup was) started with Reuben's sack and went through each one in order. The tension built, sack by sack through ten brothers. The brothers grew more indignant as each bag vindicated them. Finally, only one sack remained. Joseph's steward plunged his hand down into Benjamin’s bag and pulled out Joseph's silver cup! The brothers were so dismayed that they ripped their clothes in agony. The steward told them that only the "thief" had to go back with him. The rest were free to go. But they loaded their donkeys, and the ten returned with Benjamin to face his punishment with him.

Don't miss the phrase, "When Judah and his brothers came...." Judah had been emerging and was now without question the spokesman and leader of this band of brothers. Judah is the one who answered Joseph's charge. He said they would share their brother's guilt and punishment. Joseph reiterated that only the one who had the cup had to stay. The rest could go home in peace to their father. It was another opportunity for the brothers to run away and leave Benjamin behind.

And then the spotlight shone on Judah, not Joseph. His plea to the "Egyptian governor" is one of the most beautiful speeches in the Bible. He made four impassioned points. (1) When we told you about our family, you insisted that we bring our brother back if we ever wanted to return. (2) When we told our father what you said, he at first refused to let Benjamin go with us because he feared losing Benjamin as he lost Joseph. (3) It will kill our father if we go home without Benjamin. And then he spoke the most dramatic words of all, the climax of this whole drama: (4) Please let me take my guilty brother's place. I will bear his punishment. Please let him go home to his father.

You get it, don't you? It was good that the brothers honored their father and loved their brother enough to go back with him. The presumption of guilt was strong. He did have the cup. But they were willing to go. Now Judah steps up and in his finest hour, volunteers to take the place of the guilty because he loves him so much he would rather be punished himself than see it happen to him.

Tears are leaking from my eyes and rolling down my cheeks as I write these words. Judah is one of the most powerful types (a symbolic representation) of Christ in all the Old Testament. In this moment, Judah is Jesus. I am Benjamin, and so are you. No evidence was planted to falsely accuse us. We are guilty. To do the Father's will and redeem us from our sins, Jesus took our place. He set us free by sacrificing himself for us.

Oh my friend, as we read today, we’re standing on holy ground! Hundreds of years before, Judah’s grandfather Isaac was on the altar to be sacrificed when God provided another Lamb to take his place. God did what he asked Abraham to do. He offered his only Son. Now Judah typifies Jesus, who died so we could live. In Judah’s humble plea I hear a pre-echo of the roar of the real Lion of Judah. Joseph knew now. He could no longer hold back the tears. It was time to unmask.

Copyright © 2021 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.