Genesis 44 – Study
For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Passage: Genesis 44:1-13
1 Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: ‘Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.’ And he did as Joseph said.
3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, ‘Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, “Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.”’
6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, ‘Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.’
10 ‘Very well, then,’ he said, ‘let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.’
11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
A. Find Out:
- What 2 things were put into each man’s sack? v.1
- Into whose sack was the silver cup put? v.2
- How far did Joseph let them go? v4How did the brothers respond to the accusation? v.7-9
- To what does the steward agree? v.10
- How did the brothers respond to the find? v.13
B. Think:
- Why do you think Joseph “frames” his younger brother?
- What do you think the brothers felt when they left first of all?
- What do you think they felt when they were being taken back?
C. Comment:
Apart from Jesus being unjustly tried and crucified, this is clearly one of the most apparently unjust episodes in the Bible. We need therefore to look for the motivation behind it. Was Joseph just playing with his brothers? Was he trying to make life as unpleasant as possible for them, or was there some other ulterior motive behind what he was doing.
As we read on in the story in the next few chapters, we will see that Joseph’s heart is very much open to the Lord. It is inconceivable that he is doing it purely to punish his brothers. The most likely reasoning is that he is trying to engineer a situation where Benjamin has to remain with him and the brothers have to fetch their aged father, and this all without them realising the truth of what is happening.
As we said previously, Joseph had every good reason to mistrust his brothers. If he wants to ensure he sees his father again he has got to ensure the brothers bring their father to him. If they catch wind of who he is they may flee in fear and never be seen again. He cannot just leave his role in Egypt and clear off back home – he has obligations, and so he quietly manipulates the circumstances to bring about a desired end effect, and part of that is to bring out the best in his brothers.
D. Application?
- Do we consider it joy to be tested by difficulties that produce perseverance? (James 1:2)
- The Lord looks for the pure in heart, men without guile (John 1:47). Let’s not be schemers!
Passage: Genesis 44:14-34
14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, ‘What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?’
16 ‘What can we say to my lord?’ Judah replied. ‘What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves – we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.’
17 But Joseph said, ‘Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.’
18 Then Judah went up to him and said: ‘Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, “Do you have a father or a brother?” 20 And we answered, “We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and 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 down to me so I can see him for myself.” 22 And we said to my lord, “The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.” 23 But you told your servants, “Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.” 24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.
25 ‘Then our father said, “Go back and buy a little more food.” 26 But we said, “We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.”
27 ‘Your servant my father said to us, “You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, ‘He has surely been torn to pieces.’ And I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my grey head down to the grave in misery.”
30 ‘So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life, 31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the grey head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, “If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!”
33 ‘Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.’
A. Find Out:
- What did the brothers do when they came in? v.14
- How did Joseph say he knew? v.15
- How does Judah respond? v.16
- But what does Joseph say to this? v.17
- What does Judah say will happen to Jacob? v.30,31
- So what does he ask instead? v.33,34
B. Think:
- How does Joseph set up the situation to see how the brothers will respond?
- How would you describe Judah ‘s approach?
- What does it say about Judah? (see John 15:13)
C. Comment:
On their arrival back the brothers fall before Joseph in abject submission to him. The dreams of his youth have certainly come true. When challenged, Judah takes the lead and accepts their guilt, so subdued is he, but Joseph isn’t having that. He wants to hold onto Benjamin. So far, we have considered that probably Joseph is trying to maneuver his father into coming to Egypt. Quite probably he also wants to see how the brothers now react to the likely loss of the youngest son. Years ago, they had contributed to the loss of the favorite son with no thought for Jacob’s feelings. Perhaps they harbored similar feelings for the youngest brother! How will they act? He is giving them an opportunity to relive that history but act differently.
Joseph’s test is fully vindicated by Judah ‘s response. Here is now a man who is willing to lay down his life for the sake of his father’s feelings and for the sake of his younger brother. He has truly changed, this is no longer the Judah that Joseph once knew. He, like Joseph, has changed over the years. We sometimes forget how much we have changed or how much others have changed over the years. Through all that is happening, bit by bit, the brothers are being revealed in a better light. God does this – works on us to show to heaven the possibilities of redeemed mankind.
D. Application?
- How do I feel about the members of my family? Willing to lay down my life (my “self” at least) for them?
- Ask the Lord to help you with family relationships and thank Him for your whole family.