Genesis 44

I.                 The Set-up (Genesis 44:1-12)

a.      Genesis 44:1 – And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks [with] food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

§        Here again like the unnamed servant to Abraham who traveled to Abraham’s homeland to take a bride for his son, here we have an unnamed servant who is carrying out the will of his master. Could this be another “type” of the Holy Spirit?

§        In the midst of the 2^nd year of famine, drought, foreshadowing the drought of God’s Word in the end times that we are now living

b.      Genesis 44:2 – And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

§        Here we are seeing the final act of Joseph’s ruse, what is the purpose of this ruse, why are we being told this story, what was it executed in this particular way?  Is there a dual meaning?

§        Here we see Benjamin is a key component of Joseph’s plan to bring about repentance and salvation to the rest of the brothers, and eventually reunite all of the brothers (including Joseph) with their father. 

§        Benjamin is the youngest, innocent of the deeds of his brothers. 

§        Benjamin could represent another “type” of the “body of Christ” in this particular instance.

§        Cup – גביע gĕbiya`, masculine noun, A larger cup from which wine is poured distinguished from smaller cups from which it was drunk

o       “The silver cup was a sacred divining vessel, then commonly used in Egypt for predicting the future.  Water was pouredin the cup, then oil, and the future was “divined” by interpreting the suggestive shapes the oil made in the water” Great People of the Bible and How They Lived, p. 66

§        What was the cup made of? What did the brothers sell Joseph for?  Silver, to this point Benjamin received none of the silver that the brothers split between themselves for the sale of Joseph.  Benjamin has now innocently and unknowingly received his share of the price.

§        This was Joseph’s personal cup, from his cup the wine is poured into all of the other cups.  Joseph has a special position of authority in Egypt, no one can drink from his cup unless Joseph gives it to them to drink.

o       Silver is also symbolic of testing/trials/purification:

·        Psalm 12:6 – The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

·        Psalm 66:10 – For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

·        Proverbs 17:3 – The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

·        Proverbs 27:21 – [As] the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so [is] a man to his praise.

·        Isaiah 48:10 – Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction

·        Zechariah 13:9 - And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.

§        So what is the parallel we can draw between the cup of Joseph and the cup of Jesus?

o       John 18:11 - Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

o       Matthew 20:22-23 - But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but [it shall be given to them] for whom it is prepared of my Father.

·        In both of these instances it appears Jesus equates the cup that he has been given with martyrdom, both of He Himself as the first to die, but also the followers of Christ who are martyrs and make up the body of Christ.

o       Joseph gives Benjamin his cup (under the pretense that Benjamin stole it).  Benjamin is unjustly blamed for doing something he did not do.  Benjamin will “symbolically” be judged by Joseph.  The other brothers will be forgiven.

c.      Genesis 44:3 – As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

§        Why are we told this?  Details like this are omitted all the time but here we are told when they left and it was in the morning when it was light.

§        I Thessalonians 5:4-5 - But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

§        What day is Paul referring to in this passage? He is speaking of the Day of the Lord and that it comes as a thief

§        This day was to be a “type” of the Day of the Lord for the brothers.

o       Did Benjamin know?

o       Jasher 54:21-22 – “…and Joseph said unto him (Benjamin), I am Joseph thy brother, reveal not this thing unto thy brethren; behold I will send thee with them when they go away, and I will command them to be brought back into the city, and I will take thee away from them.”

o       We see here from Jasher that it is possible that Joseph did reveal himself to Benjamin and told him of his plan n part.

o       If this be an accurate representation then the day did not overtake Benjamin as a thief because he was made aware of the plan.

o       Likewise, we are made aware of the God’s plan through His Word, and it is revealed in part to those who seek it.

d.      Genesis 44:4 – [And] when they were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

§        A question that he knew would draw blank stares, for they knew nothing of his plan.

§        People who are not living for Jesus think that they are good people, but are walking blind with no redemption.  What will their response be when asked this question?

e.      Genesis 44:5 – [Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

§        Indicates that the cup was used for divination (not that Joseph himself practiced this)

§        1 Corinthians 11:27 - Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

o       Permission was not given for them to take the cup therefore they “took” it unworthily

f.       Genesis 44:6 – And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

§        The good servant always does as he is instructed

g.      Genesis 44:7 – And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

§        They rightly state the law in that God does forbid stealing even though the law has not yet been given.

h.      Genesis 44:8 – Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

§        Basically they are saying…”What you are saying doesn’t make any sense, we brought back to you the money we found in our sacks in case it was an oversight on your part, why would we steal a cup?  We’ve proven ourselves to be honest mem.”

i.       Genesis 44:9 – With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

§        Shows the confidence that they had in each other that they were so sure that this could not be true they pledged themselves

§        Penalty for stealing from the palace was death according to the code of Khammurabi

§        Here the cup is aligned with death, to take the Lord’s cup is to die!

o       By taking part in the Lord’s communion we die to our flesh and blood and take on His flesh and blood

§        Benjamin, the only one who is innocent among them, is the one who unknowingly is in possession of the cup.

§        The brothers make the same proclamation about Benjamin as Jacob made against Rachel when she stole her father’s images; however, in this instance Benjamin is innocent.

§        Jesus also innocent and given a cup:

o       Matthew 26:39 - And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].

§        The guilty brothers’ words condemned Benjamin to death, but he was innocent.  They transferred their guilt to him (though it was unknowingly).  Similarly humanity transferred all of their guilt to Jesus who was innocent.

j.       Genesis 44:10 – And he said, Now also [let] it [be] according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.

§        Again the transference of sin upon Benjamin, the one who is in possession of the cup.  What does the cup represent?

k.      Genesis 44:11 – Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

§        Matthew 16:27 - For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

§        Matthew 6:20 - But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

§        Every man will have to “open their sack” and be judged by the Lord, what do we have in our “sacks”?

II.               Passing the Test (Genesis 44:12-34)

a.      Genesis 44:12 – And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

§        With every search of every sack the brothers were likely gloating in their own righteousness, then it was found with Benjamin, the worst case scenario.

b.      Genesis 44:13 – Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

§        They rent their clothes and returned to Egypt

§        They all went down to Egypt and did not try to abandon their brother.  All for one and one for all.

§        Not only do they show their concern for their brother, but also their father realizing how much Jacob loves him.

c.      Genesis 44:14 – And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he [was] yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

§        Another instance of fulfilling Joseph’s original dream

d.      Genesis 44:15 – And Joseph said unto them, What deed [is] this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

§        Of course he could divine it, he set it up

e.      Genesis 44:16 – And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we [are] my lord's servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.

§        “God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants” – Judah equates their misfortunes to God finding out their iniquity.

o       Judah’s speech indicates that he still does not believe Benjamin took the cup, but that this was justice being exacted by God.

o       This is the confession of sin Joseph that Joseph was awaiting

§        Judah’s genuine confession of guilt and the assignment of undeserved guilt upon Benjamin

f.       Genesis 44:17 – And he said, God forbid that I should do so: [but] the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

§        Joseph says he finds no fault in them, they are innocent

g.      Genesis 44:18 – Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou [art] even as Pharaoh.

§        Judah, who has pledged himself as a surety to his father for the safety of Benjamin, takes the lead.

h.      Genesis 44:19 – My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

i.       Genesis 44:20 – And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

j.       Genesis 44:21– And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

k.      Genesis 44:22 – And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for [if] he should leave his father, [his father] would die.

l.       Genesis 44:23 – And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

m.    Genesis 44:24 – And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

n.      Genesis 44:25 – And our father said, Go again, [and] buy us a little food.

o.      Genesis 44:26 – And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother [be] with us.

p.      Genesis 44:27 – And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two [sons]:

q.      Genesis 44:28 – And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

§        Joseph learning of what transpired with Jacob after his brothers sold him

§        Now he understands what they told to Jacob in order to satisfy his desire to know what happened to his son.

r.       Genesis 44:29 – And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

s.      Genesis 44:30 – Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad [be] not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

§        What does this mean, his life is bound up in the lad’s life?

§        Sometimes people love someone so much that if that person dies, it brings so much sorrow that the other dies.  We see people who have been married for 50 years or more one spouse dies and the other dies shortly thereafter. 

t.       Genesis 44:31 – It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad [is] not [with us], that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

u.      Genesis 44:32 – For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

v.      Genesis 44:33 – Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

§        Judah has had quite a transformation from when he was a youth full of rage and jealousy toward Joseph to a man with compassion and love for his father.

§        “We cannot judge what men are by what they have formerly, nor what they will do by what they have done…” Matthew Henry Commentary

w.    Genesis 44:34 – For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad [be] not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Genesis 43

I.                 Jacob resists sending Benjamin to Egypt (Genesis 43:1-14)

a.      Genesis 43:1 – And the famine [was] sore in the land.

·        It’s amazing to what extent God will go in order to accomplish His plan.

·        Why a famine?  Why does God choose certain methods to accomplish His plan?

·        God’s plan entails more than just what we see, more than just moving Israel to Egypt, more than just elevating Joseph to his position of authority.  There are so many things happening here that we are not made aware that bring about the complete plan of God.

·        With God it seems that His methods are as important as the results.

·        This can also represent in the material realm those things that will happen in the spiritual realm.

o       Amos 8:11-12 - Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find [it].

b.      Genesis 43:2 – And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

·        Luke 12:29-31 - And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

·        Jacob demonstrates the flaw so many of us do today, if we ignore a problem long enough we think it will somehow go away.

o       Easy for us to say in retrospect, we know that its Joseph in Egypt and not a foreign king as Jacob believes.

·        Jacob does not demonstrate the faith that Abraham had, he has a hard time trusting God (probably because of circumstances in the past)

·        How often do we let past circumstances affect our faith and trust in the Lord? 

c.      Genesis 43:3 – And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.

·        Of all the brothers Judah was the one with enough courage to confront his father.

·        How often are we afraid to confront someone with bad news?

d.      Genesis 43:4 – If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

·        We’ve been given clear direction on what we must do, we’ll do what you ask, but the rules were given to us.

e.      Genesis 43:5 – But if thou wilt not send [him], we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.

·        We’re not going to waste our time traveling all the way to Egypt only to be turned away because we have not complied with the request of the ruler.

·        How often do we ignore the commands of God spelled out in Scripture and do what we think God wants us to do?  And then think that it is pleasing to God. 

o       Deuteronomy 4:30-31 - When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God [is] a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

f.       Genesis 43:6 – And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye [so] ill with me, [as] to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

·        Jacob now resorts to blaming, “why did you tell him you had a brother?”

·        First defensive tactic…ignore problem, second…blame others

g.      Genesis 43:7 – And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, [Is] your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

h.     Genesis 43:8 – And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, [and] also our little ones.

·        We begin to see Judah emerge as a leader among the brothers

·        He is speaking prudently, either we stay here and all die with no chance of survival or we take Benjamin and at least have hope that the man will keep his word.

i.       Genesis 43:9 – I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

·        Judah bears responsibility for Benjamin’s safety

·        Ironic that it was Judah who made the suggestion to sell Joseph into bondage

j.       Genesis 43:10 – For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

k.      Genesis 43:11 – And their father Israel said unto them, If [it must be] so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

·        Thus international trade was introduced to the world

·        Proverbs 18:16 - A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

·        Proverbs 21:14 - A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.

o       Where Jacob may lack in faith he more than compensates in wisdom

o       We must understand that faith is given by God and everyone has a different measure.  When we lack faith we need just spend time in God's Word and our faith will increase.

§        How do we increase our faith?

-        Romans 10:17 - So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

§        How do we increase wisdom?

-        James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

l.       Genesis 43:12 – And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry [it] again in your hand; peradventure it [was] an oversight:

·        Jacob is taking every precaution to ensure his sons safety

·        He again demonstrates a lack of faith in God and a reliance on his own abilities in sticky situations. 

m.    Genesis 43:13 – Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

·        Sometimes God has to eliminate every option so you choose His will.

·        Jacob finally relents when he has exhausted all other options

·        How often do we fight against God’s will until there are no other options then we ask ourselves “why didn’t I do this in the first place?”

n.     Genesis 43:14 – And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved [of my children], I am bereaved.

·        Notice here finally Jacob invokes God’s mercy upon his sons’ dealings with Joseph.  Little does He know God has already answered the prayer!

·        Bereaved - שכל shakol, verb, to be bereaved, make childless, miscarry

·        Joseph, by the power of God, has been given control over these circumstances, Jacob has not.  This is a perfect illustration of how God, having complete control, waits on us to relinquish control before He acts.  Joseph could not bestow his mercy upon his brothers until Jacob allowed them to come back to Egypt.

o       Sometimes we just have to let go…

II.               Brothers return to Egypt (Genesis 43:15-25)

a.      Genesis 43:15 – And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

b.      Genesis 43:16 – And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring [these] men home, and slay, and make ready; for [these] men shall dine with me at noon.

·        Note that before he ordered his servant to make preparations he verified that Benjamin was in fact with them, Joseph was a man of his word and likely would not have accepted them if they did not honor the deal.

·        12:00 for 12 brothers

c.      Genesis 43:17 – And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

d.      Genesis 43:18 – And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

·        Fear is such a natural response to anything new or unfamiliar.

·        Jesus continually tells His followers to fear not.

·        Our own imagination is are sometime our worst enemy.

o       Romans 1:21 - Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

e.      Genesis 43:19 – And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

f.       Genesis 43:20 – And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

g.      Genesis 43:21 – And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, [every] man's money [was] in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

h.     Genesis 43:22 – And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

i.       Genesis 43:23 – And he said, Peace [be] to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

·        What does Joseph’s servant know about the God of Israel?

·        Quite a bold and prophetic statement

j.       Genesis 43:24 – And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave [them] water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

·        Sounds like a full service gas station of antiquity:

o       check the fluids,

o       wash the windshield/check the tires and

o       fuel the vehicle

k.      Genesis 43:25 – And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

·        They prepared the present for Joseph’s noon arrival

III.             Joseph meets with his brothers (Genesis 43:26-34)

a.      Genesis 43:26 – And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which [was] in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

b.      Genesis 43:27 – And he asked them of [their] welfare, and said, [Is] your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? [Is] he yet alive?

·        Still trying to retain his cover by stating “The old man of whom you spoke”

·        Trying to hide his anxiousness to see his father

c.      Genesis 43:28 – And they answered, Thy servant our father [is] in good health, he [is] yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

·        Again fulfilling Joseph’s original dreams

d.      Genesis 43:29 – And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, [Is] this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

·        Joseph had not seen Benjamin except possibly as an infant

e.      Genesis 43:30 – And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought [where] to weep; and he entered into [his] chamber, and wept there.

·        All sorts of emotions going through Joseph here, but he had a plan to test his brothers and had to pull it together and regain his composure if it were to be a successful test.

·        This portrays how Our Lord Jesus yearns for us, but must first allow God’s plan to run its course.

f.       Genesis 43:31 – And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

g.      Genesis 43:32 – And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that [is] an abomination unto the Egyptians.

·        Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

·        Why was it an abomination for the Egyptians to sit with the Hebrews? Obviously cultural differences at the time, but could it be also that they represented that which is born of the spirit and Israel represented that which is of the flesh?

o       John 3:6-7 - That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

o       John 20:17 - Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father…

h.     Genesis 43:33 – And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.

i.       Genesis 43:34 – And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

·        Five, the number of grace, Benjamin has grace bestowed upon him from his brother Joseph

·        This points back to the v.29 blessing Joseph said to Benjamin, God be gracious unto thee…”  Joseph is now administering God’s grace on Benjamin.

·        This could also have served as a test of Joseph’s brothers in that he would observe their countenance to see if there was any jealousy.  Remember that is what drove them against Joseph was their jealousy of their father’s favor.