Genesis 44:1-34

In this chapter, we resume the story of Joseph. The biblical account has had him in Egypt for over 22 years. He was originally sent to Egypt after his brothers sold him into slavery. Now, through a series of divine circumstances, Joseph has risen to become the second-in-command in Egypt, overseeing all the affairs of the country. Egypt was in the midst of a terrible famine, and Joseph was in charge of all food distribution for the entire country. The story picks up with Joseph’s brothers coming for the second time to buy grain, and other food for their starving family in Israel. His brothers still don’t know that they are dealing with the brother they sold into slavery. This chapter begins with a new test that was given to Joseph’s brothers before he revealed his identity, and before the incredible reconciliation that will unfold in the next chapter.

Scripture continues, “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.” 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. 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’” (Gen. 44:1-17).
Joseph sets up this next test for his brothers.  Vs. 1-17

When you read this account, you might ask yourself, “What was Joseph trying to do with this elaborate situation that he had set up for his brothers? What was he trying to accomplish?" Some readers might assume that Joseph is acting out of resentment, trying to get back at his brothers by giving them a taste of the cruelty they once showed him. But I don’t believe that is the case at all. I believe that Joseph’s actions, and his motivation, were clearly stated for us in Scripture. If you look back at Genesis 42:15-16, Joseph stated, “In this manner, you shall be tested.” There’s no ambiguity here. His intention from the beginning was to test his brothers. For those who think that Joseph harbored resentment and hatred towards his brothers, you must also consider the fact that three times during these encounters with his brothers that Scripture states that he wept. He wept when he first saw them in Genesis 42:24, where it states, “He turned himself away from them and wept.” Again, in Genesis 43:30 it declared, “His heart yearned for his brother, so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep.” Later in Genesis 45:2, after all these tests that he put them through were completed, it says, “He wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.” The facts are clear from these passages that Joseph was deeply moved when he encountered his brothers, which does not sound like someone consumed by bitterness, or a desire for revenge.

Joseph’s ultimate purpose.

Joseph’s purpose in putting Benjamin in a position of danger was again, not to torment his brothers, but to test them. He wanted to see if they would treat Benjamin the same way they had treated him. Remember, Joseph was once his father Jacob’s favorite son, and now, with Joseph presumed dead, Benjamin has become Jacob’s favorite. How would the other brothers treat the two favored sons? Would they give Benjamin up just like they did Joseph so many years ago? Would they return to their father Jacob, and lie about what happened to Benjamin as they did with him? Or, would they stand up for Benjamin, and show that they had truly changed? This was the test Joseph put before his brothers.

Always remember that the testing of people is a very biblical and divine principle, which we see throughout Scripture. In Genesis 22:1, it declares, “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham.” God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice the son that he loved so dearly. In Exodus 16:4, God told Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.” God tests His people with the way they handle His blessings and His provision for them. And don’t forget that Jesus tested His disciples in John 6:5-6 when Jesus asked Philip, as Scripture records, “Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ This He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.” All these examples of God’s testing reveal something about the hearts of those being tested. Joseph, just like God, used these tests to reveal his brother’s hearts.

The breaking point.

Joseph knew exactly what he was doing with these tests. Remember that Joseph wanted to see if his brothers would treat Benjamin as they had treated him. The culmination of this test came in Genesis 44:16, when Judah said to Joseph, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? How shall we clear ourselves?” Judah is at a breaking point, not knowing what to say, but he was obviously willing to do whatever it took to save Benjamin. He was pleading for a way to make this right, and to resolve the problem. I wonder if these were possibly the very same words Joseph himself used, when he was being sold into slavery? Did he plead with Judah in the very same way?  

Judah also acknowledged his guilt from his past actions when he states, “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” (Gen. 44:16). Clearly, he was admitting his guilt, knowing that he was now reaping the consequences of what he had done to Joseph. This concept of reaping what has been sown is found throughout Scripture. The conscience of man cannot ever be quieted without forgiveness and reconciling the issue with God. Paul the Apostle stated in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Judah's admission shows that the test was having its intended effect, and this moment marked the complete turning point in Judah’s life.

Did Joseph practice divination?

Another question that comes up from the reading of this chapter, is the question of Joseph’s statement about his use of divination. Joseph told his servant to mention to his brothers that his cup that was stolen was a divining cup. Divination was a common superstition and practice in those days. A divining cup would supposedly reveal the future by observing the way liquid swirled or bubbled within it. But did Joseph actually use divination? Absolutely not. Joseph knew exactly who had the cup, it was no mystery to him. He didn’t have to use a divining cup to know who had the cup. Neither did Joseph use divination in interpreting the dreams of the baker, butler, or even Pharoah’s dreams. I believe the mention of divination was part of Joseph’s ruse, and part of the test, to show his brothers that they couldn’t fool him.

Divination, whether it’s using a divining cup, reading palms, card reading, Ouija boards, seances, astrology, or idols are all a demonic distraction to fool people into thinking that Satan has the same power as God. The Bible condemns these practices, calling them an abomination. In Jeremiah 10:5, God spoke of the idols in Israel, “They are upright like a palm tree, they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good.” In addition, Moses commanded the people of Israel, “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD” (Deut. 18:9-12). If you want to seek guidance from the Lord, you should turn to Scripture where you will always find the truth. Learning how to discern the will of God for your life is an essential part of discipleship. If you would like to study more on this topic, I have two articles that I’ve written, entitled “Understanding the Will of God,” https://covenantkeepers.org/bible-studies/discipleship-studies?view=article&layout=edit&id=453 , and “Finding the will of God for your life,” https://covenantkeepers.org/bible-studies/discipleship-studies?view=article&layout=edit&id=454

The reaction of Joseph’s brothers.

It is important to notice Joseph’s brother’s reaction when they discover the silver cup in Benjamin’s bag. It declared that they “tore their clothes,” which was a universal sign of intense grief and sorrow (Gen. 44:13). In Genesis 37:34, when Jacob heard that Joseph was dead, “He tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.” Therefore, the tearing of clothes was a cultural way of expressing profound grief. This was also a powerful gesture of sorrow and repentance from all of Joseph’s brothers. Joseph would have noticed their torn clothing when they arrived back at his home, and it must have been an encouragement to him of the changed hearts of his brothers.

Judah intercedes for Benjamin.  Vs. 18-34

In these final verses of this chapter, Judah intercedes on behalf of Benjamin. As you read Judah’s words, you can sense the deep emotion, the pleading, and the urgency in his voice. It’s one of the most powerful examples of intercession that we have recorded in Scripture. Judah approached Joseph and said: “Then Judah came near to him and said: ‘O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’ 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.” 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.’ 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?” (Gen. 44:18-34).

At this moment, Judah has stepped forward as the leader in the family, and pleads with Joseph that he might take the place of Benjamin, and become Joseph’s slave. This request revealed that a profound change in the character of Judah had been accomplished. Judah, who once had no regard for his father or for Joseph, is now completely focused on the life and well-being of both his father, and his brother. What a remarkable change has taken place in this man’s life, because remember, it was Judah who had originally suggested selling Joseph into slavery. For over 20 years now, the weight of his guilt must have been crushing him, and now he becomes willing to offer himself as a substitute for Benjamin, an act that showed a significant transformation within his heart.

A time to speak up!

What a powerful example Judah was and is to all of us to speak up, even when it might be a seemingly lost cause. Judah knew that if he remained silent, all was lost, and Benjamin would become the slave of this Egyptian ruler. Therefore, he began to plead with Joseph to take him as a slave instead. This action by Judah is a reminder that there are moments when we need to speak up, and take the opportunity before us, especially when the Holy Spirit prompts us to do so; we must seize the moment.

There are many biblical examples in Scripture that confirm this necessity for standing and speaking when there are critical issues that are before us. Now, you may be reading these words right now, because you need to hear this truth. Is there a need for you to speak up for what is right or good? Or, will you remain silent and allow a terrible injustice to take place? Remember the example of when King Saul wanted to kill David because of his jealousy toward him, and Jonathan spoke up to his father questioning his hatred of his friend? Scripture declared that, “Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, ‘Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you. For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?’ So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, ‘As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed’” (1 Sam. 19:4-6). This stopped Saul for a short time with his intent to destroy David.

Also, Esther, who was a Jewish woman who had become the wife of the King of Persia was challenged by her uncle Mordecai to speak to her husband, in order to protect the Jewish people from an impending genocide. You remember that Haman sought to kill all the Jews because of his hatred for them. Mordecai sent a message to Esther saying, “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14). She seized the moment, and spoke to her husband, and delivered her people.

Another example was Abigail the wife of Nabal, who seized the moment and opportunity to speak to David, and persuade him not to kill her husband, and all the males in her house. Nabal has disrespected David’s men who had protected his sheep and goats. Abigail came to David and Scripture declares that, “She fell at his feet and said: ‘On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant” (1 Sam. 25:24). Because she spoke up, David was persuaded by her intercession, and was immediately stopped from his intended purpose.  
These examples make it clear that speaking up to encourage someone not to do evil is such a worthy endeavor. You might keep someone from doing evil, or you may encourage them to do what is good and righteous. It may prove fruitless at times to speak up, but you will never know unless you try.

How Judah responded revealed an even more important principle.

Judah’s speech was not just an example of speaking up at the right moment, but also an illustration of what true self-sacrifice looks like. His willingness to offer himself in place of Benjamin reflected a dramatic change in his character. He who had once sold his brother into slavery for money, now he is ready to give up his own freedom, well-being, and very possibly even his own life for the sake of his brother. This self-sacrificial attitude is a mark of true maturity, character, and love. This is the very heart that Jesus wants from every follower of His. Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Selfishness is a core struggle for every human being. Selfishness lies at the heart of all our personal, and world problems. Whether it is a marital conflict, issues with friends, or even larger societal problems, the real source of every division between people, boils down to selfishness. James taught, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:16). Paul also taught that the opposite of selfishness was love. Paul taught that love, “Does not seek its own” (1 Cor. 13:5). Where does someone get this love? True self-sacrificial love comes from the God who declares Himself to be love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:7-8). This self-sacrificial love was the proof of Judah’s integrity and willingness to honor his word to his father, even if it would cost him his own freedom. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 15:4 of a person who, “Swears to his own hurt and does not change.” This is the biblical definition of a person who sacrificially loves others. Judah now has become that person, willing to sacrifice his own well-being to keep his promise to his father. These words by Judah at that moment were what broke Joseph’s heart, and showed him that Judah was truly a changed man.  

Powerful lessons.

Judah knew and believed that he was responsible for what happened to Joseph. He carried this guilt and believed that he was deserving of punishment. Yet, Judah had no idea that Joseph, the one he wronged, is actually alive and standing right in front of him. Also, Joseph, the very person Judah thought had the power to condemn him, was actually the one who wanted to ultimately save him. Isn’t that an incredible paradox? But the reality is, this is a powerful illustration of Christ and the work He does in our lives.

Think of this paradox in your own life. Each of us comes to Christ carrying a heavy burden of guilt. This is why we are open to the message of salvation in the first place. We recognize our sin and the weight of our guilt, which leads us to seek Christ. But the amazing thing is, the God we are estranged from, whom we think wants to condemn us, is actually the one who wants to save us. His purpose is actually to bless us, but before that can happen, we must first humble ourselves and acknowledge our guilt before Him.

In addition, Judah tried to take responsibility for his brother by becoming surety for him, as he declared in verse 32: “For your servant became surety for the lad to my father.” The word surety means that you are a guarantee to pay for someone else’s debts. If they fail to pay their debts, you agree to do so. Often, we also try in many different ways to pay for our own debts, or someone else’s, but to no avail. Trying to be a surety for ourselves or others only makes things worse, because self-effort only brings on more guilt when you fail. However, the truth is, we can never pay for our own debts, or anyone else’s debts before God. Only Christ can fulfill that role. Hebrews 7:22 tells us, “By so much more, Jesus has become the surety of a better covenant.” Jesus is the surety and the guarantee, that God has forgiven my debts. Why? Because He paid the price for the sins of all mankind. I cannot save anyone. I would love to, but that is not within my power. Only Christ can offer forgiveness and salvation.

For those of you who may carry the weight of other people’s sins and failures on your shoulders, remember, it’s a losing proposition. We cannot save anyone, no matter how much we care for them. We can only pray for them, and speak to them when we have the opportunity, but ultimately, they must recognize their own guilt and their need of a Savior. Christ will reveal Himself to them, just as Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, but only after they have admitted their guilt. It is through that acknowledgment of guilt that Joseph (and ultimately Christ) became their savior.

Once Judah and his brothers admitted their guilt, Joseph revealed himself as their savior, and blessed them abundantly. He brought them to Egypt, gave them the best land, and provided for them in ways they could have never imagined. This is exactly what Christ does for each of us. As Donald Barnhouse once said in his commentary on Romans, “He saves us all from the gutter-most, to the uttermost.” Hebrews 7:25 echoes this same truth: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.” God is the only one who is able to save us from ourselves. Trust Him to do it!

Finally, we must also remember that the gifts Judah brought from his father, and his pleadings to Joseph did not change anything. What made the difference was Judah’s humility and willingness to be honest before Joseph. This is what allowed Joseph to show his grace and forgiveness. It was not any work Judah did, but it was solely Joseph’s heart and desire to extend grace and mercy. This mirrors the grace of Christ, which saves us, not because of any works of righteousness we have done, but because of His mercy. As Titus 3:3-7 declares, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward men appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” In the same way, Joseph’s brothers became heirs of a life they could have never imagined in Egypt, just as we, through Christ, become heirs to eternal life, a life we could never have earned or deserved! This is an incredible story of grace and mercy, and the spiritual lessons are powerful. I pray that you will take them to heart.