December 13, 2023

Genesis 44 (HCSB)
Joseph’s Final Test
44 Then Joseph commanded his steward: “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s money at the top of his bag. 2 Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with his grain money.” So he did as Joseph told him. 3 At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wrong!’” 6 When he overtook them, he said these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal gold and silver from your master’s house? 9 If any of us is found to have it, he must die, and we also will become my lord’s slaves.” 10 The steward replied, “What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.” 11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city. 14 When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him.15 “What is this you have done?” Joseph said to them. “Didn’t you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?” 16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ iniquity. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.” 17 Then Joseph said, “I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father.”

Judah’s Plea for Benjamin
18 But Judah approached him and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 and we answered my lord, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me so that I can see him.’ 22 But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.’ 24 “This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported your words to him. 25 But our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us some food.’ 26 We told him, ‘We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother isn’t with us, we cannot see the man.’ 27 Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One left—I said that he must have been torn to pieces—and I have never seen him again. 29 If you also take this one from me and anything happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.’ 30 “So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life— 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’ 33 Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.”

Neil Andrews
Chapter 44 delves into profound spiritual insights, unraveling the layers of redemption, divine providence, and the complexities of human transformation. In this chapter, Joseph crafts a meticulous test for his brothers, planting a silver cup in Benjamin's sack and accusing him of theft. This test serves as a crucible for the brothers, unveiling their deep transformation and maturity since their betrayal of Joseph.
From a rabbinical standpoint, it underscores the concept of teshuvah, the profound Jewish doctrine of repentance and return to one's better self. Genesis 44 invites us to contemplate the depth of compassion and forgiveness. The brothers, once perpetrators of treachery, now exhibit an unwavering loyalty to Benjamin. Judah's impassioned plea to protect their youngest sibling demonstrates a transformed heart. This narrative echoes the Rabbinic belief that genuine repentance can ignite profound change within individuals. Moreover, this chapter underscores the tapestry of divine providence. Despite past sins and transgressions, God's intricate plan unfolds, bringing about reconciliation and redemption. Joseph's actions serve as an allegory for the way in which God orchestrates events to lead us toward redemption, even when we are burdened by past mistakes. In our spiritual journeys, we can draw inspiration from Genesis 44. We are encouraged to embrace compassion, seek forgiveness, and place our trust in the divine providence that guides us toward reconciliation and personal transformation. Just as Joseph's brothers found redemption, we too can discover profound hope and transformation through sincere repentance and divine guidance.