Genesis 44 Heart Stopping Fear

Joseph’s brothers have just finished an amazing meal and been reunited with their brother, Simeon. On their way home heart stopping fear grips them as Benjamin is taken away in chains.

Joseph is not through with his brothers. He has to KNOW that their hearts have changed. He has seen their devotion to one another during these two visits. He has also seen their willingness to do as he commands. But is their obedience just that; obedience for the sake of their own safety or is it true humbleness? He loves them dearly and wants them to know that it is him, but he cannot trust them yet. They will be put to one final test. At the end of that test Joseph will know where their hearts are.

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Zaphenath-Paneah has been acting very strange, thinks his most trusted servant. Both times this group of men have come to Egypt, his master is not himself. The steward is certain that his master knows these people’s language, yet he only speaks through an interpreter. He accuses them of being spies, without any proof. He throws them all into the king’s prison, yet lets all but one go home. He INSISTS that they bring their youngest brother if they ever want to see him again. And one of the strangest acts his master has commanded was for him to place the money used to purchase the grain given back to them. Not in their hands but snuck into the mouths of their sacks.

Now, his master is entertaining them in his own house and has given specific orders as to seating and serving arrangements. His master keeps watching them all during the meal, but says nothing to them. His master just snuck from the room to his own chambers.

“I know something is bothering him about these men, but I don’t know what it is, or how to help my master” thinks the servant as he watches his master’s retreating back.

Zaphenath-Paneah turns back and beckons his servant to follow him. He hurries to his master’s side.

“Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain” (verses1b-2).

Zaphenath-Paneah’s servant is truly confused now. This will be the second time these men have left Egypt with food and paid nothing for it. But, why put the master’s cup in the sack of the youngest? The servant says nothing, other than, “Yes master.”

All is done exactly as Zaphenath-Paneah has instructed. The men’s sacks are waiting for them when the meal is concluded.

“This was a wonderful meal” Reuben says as he bows before the man. “We are most honored by your invitation and your generosity. We must be on our way now. Our families are waiting for us.”

“The hour is late. It is not safe to travel in the night. Remain here for the night, they you can go on your way in the morning.”

“Thank you, my lord. We will go and seek lodging for the night.”

“My portico has plenty of room to accommodate all of you. Stay here and you will be well protected.”

“It is a generous offer my lord. But we have imposed on your hospitality long enough.” Reuben is getting nervous and wants to be on their way as FAST as possible.

“Nonsense.” Joseph claps his hands and his servant appears at his side. “Prepare sleeping mats for these men on the portico. They will be staying under my protection for the night.”

The servant rushes off to complete his master’s request. The translator relays to Reuben the order Zaphenath-Paneah has just given.

Reuben’s heart sinks a little. “Thank you, my lord” is all he can say. To say anything else would most likely anger the man. Reuben bows deeply then returns to his brothers’ side.

“We are staying the night.” He hesitates a moment before continuing. “On the man’s portico.”

The brothers looked at one another. This man was confusing to them. He called them spies, threw them in jail, kept Simeon, and now, fed them an extravagant meal. Judah steps close to Reuben and in a low voice asks; “Is it safe?”

“Safer than refusing him would be” Reuben quietly replies.

The brothers all nod. This night will not be one that they relax and enjoy. They will be on their guard.

As dawn breaks, the brothers rise and begin preparations for getting out of the city.

“Should we say anything to the man” asks Dan

“I’m not going looking for him” Gad replies.

“If he shows up, we will thank him again. If not, let’s just get out of here before anything else happens” replies Reuben.

“I’m with you brother! I’ve seen enough of Egypt to last me a lifetime!” replies Simeon.

The brothers quickly stack their sleeping pallets in an orderly fashion, then hurry to retrieve their donkeys. The donkeys are waiting for them, already loaded with their grain sacks.

“It looks like we are expected to leave right away” comments Judah.

“Let’s not disappoint them then” offers Levi.

The brothers gather their donkeys and begin making their way out of the city.

With every step of the donkeys the tension in the group ebbs a little more. Conversation within the group is also stilted in the beginning but grows the further they get from the man’s doorstep. So much has happened since they were first sent to buy food the first time. They are relieved to be a whole group again and to finally be going home.

The brothers had no idea that they were being observed by the very man they were worrying about. Joseph was watching from a window that overlooked the place he had prepared for them to sleep. He watched as they retrieved their donkeys. And he watched as they made their way out of the city.

Not long after the men cleared the city gates, Zaphenath-Paneah called his servant. “Quickly, I want you to follow the men who just left. You are to overtake them and then say this to them: “Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this” (verses 4b-5).

Zaphenath-Paneah’s steward’s mind is spinning! HE put the cup there on his master’s ORDERS! These men didn’t steal anything. What is his master up to? He must have some reason for acting in this manner.

A sly smile begins to form on his master’s face as he recognizes his steward’s confusion. Zaphenath-Paneah’s steward nods his head in a knowing response to his master’s changed expression. Now he is eager to see what will happen next.

Within half an hour the fast moving steward and guards overtake the slow moving band of brothers. The steward approaches the group and, without a hint of deception, renders the words his master told him to say.

“Why have you repaid evil for good? You have stolen my master’s cup. The one he drinks from. The one he practices divination from. You have done evil for doing this!”

The brothers are dumbfounded. What is going on? Reuben, as the eldest, speaks for the group. “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s servants” (verses 7-9).

The steward replies; “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent” (verse 10).

The brothers unload their donkeys and line up their bags on the ground. Each stands behind his own bag while the search begins. Reuben’s bag is opened first. In the mouth if it is his money again. Reuben is stunned to see this. He knows that he didn’t place it there. But the steward didn’t ask about money and he told them himself that he had placed their money back in their sacks the last time. Still an unease begins to grow as the guards continue their search.

As the search nears its end the unease begins to recede after having reached its zenith about midway through. Each man’s money has been found returned again but the servant and guards aren’t interested in their money. As soon as the last bag is opened, the ground seems to drop away from their feet. Benjamin and Zebulun watch the guard as his meaty hand emerges from Benjamin’s sack, holding a silver cup. The same cup they saw at dinner last night!

All eyes turn to Benjamin. What is this! How can this be? There must be some mistake!!! The brothers all cry out and tear their clothes in anguish.

“Bind this one” the guard barks to his fellow guards.

Benjamin begins to protest. “I didn’t do this! I don’t know how it got there!”

The guards and the steward turn a deaf ear to his cries. As Benjamin is led away, the steward turns and faces the remaining brothers. You are free to go. This man will be taken to my lord.”

“Not a chance!!!” replies Judah. The brothers quickly reload their donkeys and drive them HARD. They are NOT going to let Benjamin out of their sight!

Joseph is watching from his porch as the two groups arrive. His steward, the guards, and Benjamin only moments before his brothers. Their donkeys look ready to drop after being driven so hard. Joseph is pleased to see his brothers’ urgency in following Benjamin, but that is not enough to convince him yet.

Zaphenath-Paneah’s steward approaches him. “This is the one who was found in possession of your cup my lord.”

“So! You would take advantage of my hospitality? You will pay for your insolence now! You are to become one of my slaves. You will be stripped of the filthy rags of your people and placed in my stables. You will serve me there for the remainder of your life. IF you please me in this role I MAY consider increasing your station from dung shoveler to grainer.”

The brothers arrive in the beginning of Joseph’s pronouncement. They don’t know what to make of the finding of the man’s cup in Benjamin’s sack, but they do know that they can’t go home without him. It would KILL their father.

The brothers all fall to the ground before the man. Joseph looks at them with feigned anger. “What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?” (verse 15).

Judah speaks up. “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” (verse 16).

“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 in peace to your father” (verse 17).

Judah couldn’t hold his place any longer. He jumped up and went quickly to Zaphenath-Paneah’s side. “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ear, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, saying ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a younger 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.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’

“We went back to your servant my father, we tole him the words of my lord. And when our said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brothers goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Then you servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’

“Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Shoel. For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the goy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me. I fear to see the evil that would find my father” (verses 18-34).

Tear are streaming down Judah’s face as he makes this plea. The rest of the brothers are clinging to each other on their knees, waiting anxiously to know what will become of Benjamin. The guards are blocking the brothers from touching Benjamin who waits, bound with head bowed in prayer.

(to be continued)

I notice in Judah’s plea for his brother, that his main concern is Jacob. All the brothers recognize that Benjamin is Jacob’s favorite. They are not jealous of that relationship like they were with Joseph’s. They recognize the hurt they caused their father with “the death” of Joseph. They cannot stand to see him hurt like that again. It tore their hearts, but not enough to tell him the truth. I have no doubt that if Jacob had known what had become of Joseph he would have moved heaven and earth to get him back. He would have also severed ties with the brothers responsible for his plight. But that was not God’s plan.

Judah had no idea he was bearing his soul to the very brother he sold into slavery. He was fully prepared to do just as he said; to serve this man for the rest of his life. I wonder if he even thought about someday meeting up with the brother he sold as one slave to another. He was so wrapped up in this moment and his plea for his father’s life, that I doubt he even contemplated what he was agreeing to. His heart was breaking for his father AND his father’s favorite son. He would do whatever it took to preserve both of their lives. That was love!

Lord Jesus thank You that YOU loved me that much! Not only did You agree to take my place in exchange for my freedom but You went through with it! There was no reprieve at the end of Your plea. Satan agreed to the exchange wholeheartedly, not realizing that he was buying right into God’s plan. I can almost see the smile developing on the Father’s face as Satan signs his name on the final contract. He is thinking, “We got Him now boys!” while He is waiting for the moment the contract melts in Satan’s hands. All except the words “Paid In Full” that is.

I’m SO looking forward to tomorrow’s conclusion of the brother’s plea for Benjamin! I can feel Joseph breath again after holding his breath in anticipation of their reaction. “Will they pass the test? Will they demonstrate changed lives or are they the same ruthless brothers who threw me into a pit and sold me into slavery; without even a glance backwards to see if I was alright?” Those questions are finally answered.

THANK YOU for Your stories Father. And thank You for letting me retell them a little deeper. I KNOW there is so much more still there that I haven’t yet been shown, but for now, I LOVE what Your Spirit is showing me! Keep me always coming back for more!