Genesis 44:12–20 (ESV) —
12 And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. 15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” 16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
18 Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’
NOTE: Joseph never says that he practices divination, only "a man like me can indeed practice divination." I doubt Joseph practiced divination since he clearly said to Pharaoh, only God can give to Pharoah the answer he seeks. The law had not been written yet, and it is possible no one saw divination as evil. Apparently, men in high positions like Joseph in Egypt, did indeed practice it. In any case, by calling it what Joseph did, it undercuts the argument that they had brought back the previous money and certainly are not greedy for gold.
All of this brings us to our climax. The search from eldest to youngest (with each passing man, the men either were more relieved or more worried) increases the stress. The finding of the cup in the last bag of the youngest was the worst possible outcome.
In my opinion, Judah's comment, "God has found out the guilt of your servants" seems more like a reference to the general guilt of the group (because of what they did to Joseph) than Benjamin's specific act of taking the cup. He doesn't say that but why does he say God has found out the guilt when none were guilty. Why not lead off with a "I swear we did not do this thing, someone has framed us?"
Judah takes the lead over his three older brothers, partly because he was the one who swore to his father to bring back Benjamin and partly because he has become the new leader in the family. He then very expertly explains their whole family story in the next paragraphs (tomorrow's reading).
How does this apply to us? Rather than fighting for their innocence, Judah humbly begins to ask for mercy. There have been times where we have been dealt with unjustly. Joseph was, and now all the brothers are facing an unjust verdict. One can be bitter. Or one can rest upon God who is in charge of all things. We do what we can, we do the best we can, and we remain confident in God's ultimate control.
PONDER:
- How have I responded to injustice in work or in relationships?
- Do I seek to justify myself or clear myself, or do I cling to God?
PRAYER: Father, my life has been easy compared to others. I have faced injustice but never on the scale that others have. I pray that even so, I would cling to you and to your mercy knowing that this life is not even a drop in the bucket compared to eternity.
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