Genesis Chapter 44

Joseph Tests His Brothers Hearts

As these ‘Tests’ are given to Joseph’s brothers, think of areas of your own life where you have faced various kinds of ‘tests’. Is God ‘testing’ you now in any areas of your life?.

44:1-3

Notice how precise and organized Joseph is in implementing a carefully thought out plan to REALLY Test the brother’s true heart attitude toward Benjamin and their father. The Steward of Joseph’s household would be an extremely trusted individual that Joseph knew would fulfill all his commands and keep everything confidential. Notice that he again gives them all the grain they can possibly carry and then has their money, now doubled, placed BACK in their sacks. Joseph’s Silver Cup would have been an ornate silver goblet that ONLY he would use. All the household would recognize it as ‘Joseph’s Cup’. When we are fooled or deceived the first time by someone, we are probably caught ‘off guard’, so to speak. However, when dealing with that same person again, we should be more cautious. There is an old saying: Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on ME! Yet, the brothers obviously don’t even think to check their bags before leaving Egypt this time!

44:4-6

Joseph wastes no time in implementing his plan to severely ‘test’ his brothers. He has his trusted Steward go after them with the explicit instructions of what to say and how to search their bags for his ‘stolen’ Silver Cup. Although Joseph did NOT see the future using the cup, the superstitious Egyptians believed he saw the future somehow through this Silver Cup. Joseph evidently let them think that since they did not believe in the One True God. (6.) The Steward obeys Joseph and overtakes the brothers and accuses them of stealing the Governor’s special Silver Cup, using the exact words Joseph had instructed.

44:7-9

Immediately the brothers begin to defend themselves, insisting that they had returned the money that they ‘found’ in their sacks; and insisted that they would not have stolen anything. Then they tell the Steward that they are so sure they are innocent that IF they find the Silver Cup in one of their sacks, then that person shall die, and the rest of them would become slaves of the Governor. How quickly they forgot the earlier trip; when the money mysteriously ‘appeared’ in their sacks, although none of them had put it there. Yet they foolishly promise that whoever is found with the Silver Cup shall die! We must be very careful about making statements regarding situations, and then promising outrageous things because we THINK we are absolutely right. Ever make a rash promise, and then discover you cannot keep it?

44:10

The Steward says that it shall be as they spoke. Yet he deliberately changes the terms of their rash promise to state that the guilty person would be the slave, yet the rest of the brothers would be found innocent. We can almost feel the tension and anxiety they all must have felt at this point.

44:11-13

Each brother takes his sack, places it on the ground, and opens the sack for the search. The Steward, as Joseph had instructed, began with the eldest and then searched each sack carefully. He then searched each brother’s sack going from the eldest in their correct birth order all the way down to Benjamin. Keep in mind that the brothers are clearly seeing that the Steward knows who is the eldest, and their exact birth order. Remember that the mathematical chance of knowing their exact birth order was one out of 39,917,000! They must have been overwhelmed with anxiety and fear by this time. They also see that their money is back in their sacks, just as happened the first time! As the Steward began to search Benjamin’s sack, their hearts and minds do doubt were severely stressed. We can imagine the absolute horror they felt when the Silver Cup was lifted out of Benjamin’s sack!

44:13-14

The tearing of their clothes is a sign of severe sorrow and grief, beyond what they can endure. Remember, they had told the Steward that the person found with the Silver Cup would DIE! They all load up their donkeys and return to the city with the Steward. Obviously the Steward has armed men with him to make certain the brothers return to Egypt and back to Joseph. When they arrive at Joseph’s house, he is there waiting for them. They immediately fall down before him, laying prostrate before Joseph, with their faces on the earth as a sign of total and complete submission to him.

44:15

Joseph immediately asks them ‘what is this evil you have done?’ He goes on to tell them that they should realize that a man such as he can detect and know by ‘divination’ everything that they do; that they can hide nothing from him. Joseph is telling them this to elicit a confession and find out what their hearts are regarding Benjamin and their father.

44:16

Judah confesses, saying they have no defense, they are ALL guilty, God has exposed their iniquity. God will also expose our iniquity if we refuse to confess and repent of all evil. Our inner thoughts of evil and wickedness is this ‘iniquity’ that is spoken of. For out of our hearts, comes the evil words, thoughts and actions. God’s Word clearly tells us that our hearts are the source of all evil. That is why we ask God to search our hearts and cleanse us of all evil. The world’s ridiculous mantra of “just follow your heart!” is utter foolishness! Don’t fall for it. Judah tells Joseph that he, and all his brothers, are now ‘my lords slaves.’ He says that they all are guilty.

44:17-18

Joseph replies that God forbid that he should make them all slaves, but says that only the man who was found with the Silver Cup shall be his servant. He tells them that the rest of the brothers are free to go in peace back to their father. Judah had promised his very life to protect Benjamin, and now he bravely steps close to Joseph and begs him to allow him to speak to him privately. This would mean that only the interpreter would be present with them, IF Joseph allowed this conversation.

44:19-34

It appears that Joseph allows it, as Judah begins the narrative of telling Joseph, through the interpreter, what has transpired since they were asked if they had a father and another brother. Notice that Judah now gives more details about the background of Benjamin being Rachel’s only other son, and that the first son of Rachel, Joseph, was torn to pieces, or so Jacob thought; and he had grieved all these years. Judah’s sincere concern for his father’s experiencing the grief, and certain death in terrible sorrow, over the loss of Benjamin has caused him to willingly insist that he must stay in Benjamin’s place, giving up his life for him, becoming Joseph’s slave forever. Judah knows that he is the one who suggested they sell Joseph as a slave, and that he is guilty of his presumed death. Judah does not want to cause his father any additional sorrow and grief by not bringing, or sending, Benjamin home safely to him. We now see a genuine spirit of self-sacrifice in Judah’s heartfelt plea. This willingness to die, or sacrifice himself, for Benjamin and his father, is a clear Type of the coming Messiah and Savior, Jesus, who would sacrifice Himself and die for us. When we confess and repent of our evil ways, God can, and will, turn us back to Him. God can bring good out of even our foolish and selfish sins, when we truly repent. Remember, nothing is impossible for God! Thank you Jesus!