Study From the Book of Genesis,44

Today we study chapter 44 of the Book of Geneses. There are many biblical principles and lessons in this chapter. But I choose the most useful one in the Biblical Counselling.

Joseph continued to test the character of his brothers by commanding his servants to place his brothers’ money in their sacks and a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack.

In response to the servant’s accusation of steeling the silver cup, Joseph’s brothers insisted on their innocence and promised to give up to die whoever had Joseph’s silver cup.  After searching all the brothers’ sacks, the servant found the cup with Benjamin. In genuine despair for Benjamin’s prediction, the brothers tore their clothes. They could not let Benjamin to die! (Ironically a few years earlier, the same brothers had been debating whether to kill Joseph. Instead of tearing their own clothes in grief, they had torn Joseph’s rope in order to cover up what they had done).

So why is the silver cup so important? Here, divination is the practice to consulting the will of gods by observing the liquid in a special cup. Allegedly Benjamin had stolen not only a silver cup from the Egyptian ruler, but also had stolen a significant one. His action could have had grave consequences.

Joseph demanded that the youngest son, the presumably guilty one, became his slave. Joseph’s parting words, “go up in peace to your father,” were a test. Would the brothers leave Benjamin as a slave in Egypt as they had left Joseph? For the bothers, Joseph words must have been especially bitter. There would be no peace in their father’s household if Benjamin became an Egyptian slave.

Judah explained to Joseph the deep despair his father would experience if he lost Benjamin. Then he offered himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place. Instead of showing indifference to his family as he had in the past, Judah offered his own life to save Benjamin.

Structure

Verses 1-17: Joseph’s cup.

Verses 18-34: Judah intercedes for Benjamin.

Principle 72: verse 44:18- ----"---Then Judah came near to him(Joseph) and said ‘ O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for you are even like Pharaoh’.”

Lesson 72:  according to many biblical scholars, Joseph in many aspects was a shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here Judah intercedes for his brother Benjamin that he would not been taken as a slave. Instead, Judah offered himself as a slave to Joseph in place of Benjamin. That teaches us to intercede for our brothers and sisters for their well beings before the Lord Jesus. 19/07/2026.