LESSON 24
Genesis for Today: Chapters 44-46a
by Herb Drake
Copyright (c) 1998, 2020, Herb Drake.
This work may be freely reproduced and distributed provided that no changes are made, no revenues are collected beyond the nominal cost of media, and credit is given to the author and House Church Central. Any other use requires the written permission of the author. Citing this material on other Internet sites is encouraged, but is to be done only by providing a hypertext reference to this file on this server.
Joseph Detains Benjamin
Joseph's plan to test his brothers becomes more complex as he has his steward again return their money by hiding it in their sacks of grain, but he adds his silver divining cup to Benjamin's sack. When the brothers start on their way, he has the steward catch up to them to demand the return of the stolen divining cup. The brothers invite the steward to search for the cup and promise that, should the cup be found, the bearer should die. To maximize the dramatic tension, the search proceeds in the order of oldest to youngest (a reminder of Laban's search for his taraphim stolen by Rachel?). When the object is found in Benjamin's sack, the whole company is so distressed that they tore their clothes and returned to Joseph who now has grounds to imprison, or even execute, Benjamin.
Joseph feigns righteous indignation when they return to his presence. Judah offers that all of the brothers be made Joseph's slaves as atonement, but Joseph refuses and suggests that only Benjamen be enslaved.
Judah's Emotional Plea
Judah's plea is one of the most splendid speeches in the Bible. His love for his father is so great that, fearing a return without Benjamin would surely cause his death, he offers himself to serve as Joseph's slave in Benjamin's place. His is the kind of love that God has--it is manifest in action much more than mere words. It is certainly the climax of the Joseph story, and one of the main features of Genesis. As we will see when Jacob blesses his sons, this self-sacrificing behavior overcomes the sin of the affair with Tamar and will make Judah, and therefore one of his two sons, the bearer of the promise of Abraham into future generations. In so doing it displays God's forgiveness and mercy.
A comparison of this speech with the New Testament (especially 1 Corinthians 13) might be helpful:
| Love is... | Judah's Plea | New Testament |
|---|---|---|
| Unconditional | Judah doesn't know whether Benjamin is actually guilty or innocent of taking the cup. His love for Jacob is unconditional as well, even thougth he realizes that Jacob loves Benjamin more than himself. | We, as Christians, do not love as much as we should. |
| Active | True love is active. Judah does not stop with merely expressing love verbally. He is willing to put his love into action. | Christ came from heaven to the cross because of his love for us. |
| Sacraficial | No one could fault Judah if he walked away from this situation. Nobody is accusing him of stealing the cup. But he is willing to sacrifice his own freedom on behalf of the beloved. | Christ died on the cross; a suffering servant. |
Joseph Reveals Himself
Judah's words are too much for Joseph. He can contain his subterfuge no longer. Unable to maintain his composure, he has everyone but his brothers leave, and then weeps so loudly that even the Pharaoh hears him. Joseph's childhood dreams have now been fully realized
Joseph finally reveals to the brothers that he is their brother, the one that they sold into Egypt. He tries to assure them that he bears no ill will toward them, but his testing had been so stressful, and the brothers guilt so large, that they still fear that there will be painful consequences. (Perhaps they feel that Jacob is protecting them and worry that Joseph will strike when their father dies.) It was God, Joseph said, who was behind his being sold into Egypt, because he was the only one with the ability to alleviate the famine and save multitudes from starvation.
Pointing out that the famine still has five more years to run, he invites them to return to Canaan. Benjamin is given five garments, "the garments of reconciliation." They load up their belongings and resettle in Goshen, "the best land in Egypt." The reference to Rameses is an anachronism, as the pharaoh Rameses did not reign until the 13th century BC, so the reference needs to be understood as the location of the city that Rameses would found much later. Joseph supplies them generously, especially Jacob and Benjamen, and sends them on their way with the command, "Don't quarrel along the way."
When they arrive, Jacob has difficulty believing the good fortune that both of Rachel's sons are still alive, but quickly comes around and expresses his eagerness to reunite with Joseph before he dies.
God Blesses Jacob's Move to Egypt
On the way to Egypt, Jacob stops at Beer-sheba and offers sacrifices. God told him in a theophany, giving him assurance that he needs to make that move. This is the first theophany in the Joseph Story and can be compared to the earlier theophanies in the Jacob cycle (at Bethel and the Jobbok).
- They were dreams or visions at night.
- They take place on a political boundry
- They occur at a spiritual boundry.
A spiritual boundry refers to a crisis of faith; the thephanies take place at a time in Jacob's life that contains an element of fear or rnxiety.
A list of those making the move, including many wives, children, and grandchildren, numbered seventy, including Joseph's two sons and their families.
| Genesis 42-43 | Genesis 46b-48 |