Genesis 43 44, The Test

Now please open your Bible with me to Genesis starting in chapter 43

Hear the word of the Lord Now the famine was severe in the land and when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt their father said to them

Go buy us a little food But Judah said to him the man solemnly warned us saying you shall not see my face

Unless your brother is with you if you will send our brother with us We will go down and buy you food, but if you will not send him we will not go down But the man said to us you shall not see my face unless your brother is with you

Israel said Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?

They replied the man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred saying is your father still alive?

Do you sir do you have another brother? What we told him was an answer to these questions could we in any way know what he would say that he would say bring your brother down and Judah said to Israel his father send the boy with me and We will arise and go that we may live and not die both we and you and also our little ones

I will be a pledge of his safety from my hand You shall require him if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you then let me bear the blame forever

If we had not delayed We would now have returned twice Then their father

Israel said to them if it must be so then do this Take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bag and carry a present down to the man a little balm and a

Little honey gum myrse pistachio nuts and almonds Take double the money with you carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks

Perhaps it was an oversight take your Take also your brother and arise go again to the man

May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin and as for me

If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved So the men took this present and they took double the money with them and Benjamin and they rose and went down to Egypt and Stood before Joseph when

Joseph saw Benjamin with them He said to the steward of his house Bring the men into the house and slaughter an animal and make ready for the men are to dine with me at noon

The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph's house and the men were afraid

Because they were brought to Joseph's house and they said it is because of the money which was replaced in our sacks the first time

That we are brought in so that he may assault us and fall upon us and make us servants and seize our donkeys so they went to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the door of the house and said oh my lord, we came down the first time to buy food and When we came to the lodging place

We opened our sacks and there was each man's money in the mouth of his sack our money in full weight

So we have brought it again with us and we have brought other money down with us to buy food

We do not know who put our money in our sacks He replied peace to you.

Do not be afraid Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you.

I received your money Then he brought simian out to them and when the man had

Brought the men into the Joseph's house and given them water and they had washed their feet and had their and had given their donkeys

Fodder they prepared the present for Joseph coming at noon for they heard that they should eat bread there

When Joseph came home they brought into the house To him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground and he inquired

About their welfare and said is your father? Well the old man of whom you spoke. Is he still alive?

They said your servant our father is well He is alive and they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves and he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother

Benjamin his mother's son and said is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me

God be gracious to you my son Then Joseph hurried out for his compassion grew warm for his brother and he sought a place to weep and he entered his chamber

And wept there then he washed his face and came out and controlling himself He said serve the food and they served him by himself and them by themselves and the

Egyptians who ate with him by themselves Because the Egyptians could not eat with the

Hebrews for that That is an abomination to the Egyptians and they sat before him the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest

According to his youth and the men looked at one another in amazement Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table

But Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs and they drank and were married with him

Then he commanded a steward of his house fill the men's sacks with food as much as they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of a sack and put my cup the silver cup in the mouth of the sack of the youngest with his money for the grain and He did as Joseph told him as Soon as the morning was light the men were sent away with their donkeys

They had gone only a short distance from the city Now Joseph said to his steward up follow after the men and when you overtake them say 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

When he over when he overtook them he spoke to them these words and they said to him

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 mouth of our sacks. We brought back to you from the land of Canaan How then could we still 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 He said let it be as you say He who is found with it shall be my servant and the rest of you shall be innocent then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and each man opened his sack and he searched beginning with the eldest and Ending with the youngest and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack

Then they tore their clothes and every man loaded his donkey and they returned to the city When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there

They fell before him to the ground Joseph said to them. What deed is this that you have done?

do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination and Judah said what shall we say to my lord?

What shall we speak or how shall 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

But he said 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 up in peace to your father

Then Judah went up to him and said oh my lord, please Let your servant speak a word in my

Lord's ears and let not your anger burn against your servant for you are like Pharaoh himself

My lord asked his servant saying Have you a father or a brother and we said to my lord?

We have a father an old man and a young 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 upon him

We said to my lord the boy cannot leave his father for if he should leave his father His father would die and then you said to your servants unless your youngest come brother comes down with you

You shall not see my face again When we went back to your servant my father We told him the words of my lord and when our father said go again buy us a little food

We said we cannot go down if our youngest brother goes with us Then we will go down for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us

Then your 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 and I have never seen him since if You take this one also from me and harm happens to him.

You will bring down 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 Sheol For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy

So 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 boy 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

May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well, have you ever been tested?

Anyone take an SAT yesterday, of course, we've all been tested in school usually with plenty of an advance notice

Knowing kind of generally what we're testing on and why for some jobs You have to be tested in order to be able to do the job

You know lawyers have to take the bar exam so they can practice law, you know Obviously, you don't want someone saying they're a lawyer

Maybe even representing you in court who doesn't really know the law for some jobs

You may have to take a drug test, you know Like if you drive a bus or some kind of a heavy equipment something like that and those tests aren't really tests of knowledge

You know, whatever knowledge is in our brain, but of whatever substance is in our body Of course, the real goal of the test is to find out what you do in your spare time

So you don't show up at the job Unable to do the job. And of course the reason they do the test you think they could just ask people right you take drugs

You get drunk too much But they do the test because if they just ask people if you take you do you take illegal drugs some people

Especially those who actually take the illegal drugs would lie So they don't just trust right they they ask for a test and that's what tests are all about We don't trust people to self report now.

I suppose teachers could ask students You know, do you know your material? You know it to an a -level you think you know, it's an a -level or a b -level maybe and students can you know

Okay Sometimes we lament having to take or give so many tests now, wouldn't it be great if we had a life

It's just free of tests But how else are we to know what you know what the students are learning how much they're learning

By how they feel they've learned by just asking them Are we tested when it comes to God About whether we're really a believer

Now surely not many would object today since faith they say is purely an inward thing and after all all we need is faith right and Faith shows itself in different people in different ways and maybe even for some

It doesn't really show itself at all That is they are you you can tell by testing their lives things that can be tested

They're really no different from unbelievers, maybe even worse, but they still have faith. How do you know they have faith because they say so But if their life test negative for the effects of faith does that mean they have no faith

No, many insist today. No signs are necessary. All you must do is is just say you believe self -reporting, right?

It would be like a student insisting that he really does know math I'm a math expert and when you test him, he can't add two and two together

Okay You know you he insists he really does know his English very well, but he can't write a proper sentence

Since he really I'm a master of my American history and he doesn't know who the first president was but of course

We we know that when it comes to math or English or history

We don't just take a student's word for it. We test them but when it comes to faith

If he or she says they believe Do we just take their word for it?

and So we get to the situation of studies, you know, they do these polls and studies and so forth that that show

Supposedly show that Christians you sometimes hear this that Christians really have the same or even higher

Divorce abortion child and wife abuse rates than people who are non -religious, you know the point well

What's it good to do be a good is it to be a Christian because you know They're no different and the problem with those studies is though that is that they they just take people's word for it

About whether they are Christians or not. I was asking you a Christian. Yes, you abuse your wife.

Yes It would be like asking people if they are math experts and they say, you know, are you a math expert?

Yes I'm a math expert and then find See how the good these self -reported math experts are in math and the outcome then is that math experts are

No, I'm really no better at math then non math experts. The conclusion therefore is

No need to no need to teach math in school No need to teach math because math experts aren't any better than non math experts

Of course something's wrong with the approach Right when they do those studies and then you know when they do them and then ask the people testable questions like How often do you go to church?

Do you pray? Do you read your Bible? Do you give and Then study those who actually do those things

You know those then are the people they call Christians You know They regularly go to church and privately pray and they read their

Bible when they find that those people are Remarkably better that they have much lower divorce rates and abortion rates and rarely abuse their wives and children

The people who are in other words the people who are testably doing more of the things that Christians do spiritually also testably

Do the don't do the bad things the good people are not supposed to do

But still some Christians have been teaching over the last century or so that you can have real faith

Saving faith and that it may not show up in any testable way

Faith they say is purely an inward condition Maybe it's just claiming to agree with a few basic facts

And if that doesn't make any difference in your life that can be observed Well, that's too bad

We wish you were better, but that doesn't mean you don't believe what's to say you believe

You can be assured of your salvation if you say you believe it's kind of like saying you can be

Considered a math expert if you say you are even if you fail a math test

You can be considered an Olympic runner if you just say you are even if you can't jog a mile

Saying you have it is all you need. We have no way to test it many people believe now the

Puritans called that theology Antinomianism against the law.

It's been called easy believe ISM Its proponents call it free grace.

Sounds great, doesn't it free grace? Recently apologist Michael Brown has published a book attacking it as we calls it hyper grace

You got to make up a new term right sell a book The question is can faith be tested or is it something like is it something like knowledge athletic skill?

Drugs in your body that test can show is there or not Or is it just something purely inward you just can't tell

Well the answer to that We'll see we'll see at least assumed I think in this passage in these two chapters in four parts first Israel's uncertainty then

Joseph's hospitality Then Benjamin's culpability and finally Judah's advocacy

Now first Israel's uncertainty that you see that in the first 15 verses of chapter 43 If you recall the end of chapter 42

Jacob now who is here now called Israel was adamant that Benjamin is Not gonna go with you all down to Egypt Even if it meant possibly not getting

Simeon back Okay, that just wasn't a risk worth taking as we saw

Jacob was in the dark He didn't really know what was going on He didn't know that this Lord of the land his sons talked about was really his long -lost

Joseph He didn't know that his sons were being tested by Joseph He didn't know he was being tested

By God as In chapter 42 and so here Jacob now called Israel.

He's Israel He's the head of the family the head of the people of God on earth the head of the church He should believe in God's providence

You know life he sounds bitter here, but life has hasn't really been hard on Jacob Life's turned out pretty well.

He was forced out of his father's home largely because he lied and He fled to his uncle's estate in Mesopotamia and out there sure his uncle tried to cheat him, but it turned out for his good

Really, you know, he got he got two and really four wives whether that's good or not. I don't know it resulted in twelve sons

God blessed his shepherding and so he got rich off his uncle's flocks Until he he had to flee back to his homeland now

He was afraid coming back home that his brother would be angry and would try to kill him Only to find though his brother

Esau forgiving and peaceful and glad to see him So life has turned out pretty well for Jacob despite all the all these times what it could have gone very badly

But there's just one horrible thing That that he can't get over His son

Joseph he thinks is gone mauled by some wild animal

That one tragedy he feels is just looms over Everything else until he resigns to living the rest of his life in mourning until he says his gray head

Goes down to shield to the dust of death Now he should have known by now the surprising providence of God protecting him from Esau Prospering him multiplying his children.

He should have known even if he doesn't have you know he doesn't have Romans 828 to turn to yet, but he should have known to rely on on God that God will bring something good out of this tragedy now sometimes we might experience some tragedy hopefully not the loss of a child for some it has been that and then

What? It's easy to say all things work together for good to those who love God if those things, you know

People like that promise and those things you're you're hoping something good will come out of maybe or like maybe a traffic jam

Injuries that keep you from your favorite sport Irritating people you got a co -worker and his drives up the wall

Not getting the first college you want to go to have to settling for second third choice

Maybe the girl a boyfriend Breaking up with you that kind of thing, you know, do you say well it's something good to come

God works all things for good Now sure emotionally those might seem momentous at the moment

Especially if the traffic jam is keeping you from something really important or you you know, you've trained hard for this sport

But now you can't do it The person irritating you you think you're about to blow your stack or you really thought that boy or girlfriend

He or she was the one and now they broke it off Can you believe that God has something good for you in that maybe to learn patience maybe to plan ahead

You're not so cutting it so close or that you have more important things to do in your life than athletics

Or to set your affections on Christ and not be so dependent on another person for your happiness.

Those are hard lessons Believing in God's providence, but they're much easier Than what

Jacob is going through Losing his children

He thinks his favorite first then another Simeon detained in Egypt by that cruel man

Known only to him as the Lord of the land and now they call him here over and over again the man And now being asked to risk a third maybe more

Maybe he hoped the famine would let up, you know, and he would he could just cut his losses at two

Leave Simeon down there too bad tough luck But he doesn't and so he's got to make a decision They've run out of grain and they have no bread.

They can't live on honey and pistachios and almonds alone They need bread.

So the brothers must go back to Egypt now Judah speaks up his pleas here

You notice they begin and they end this portion of the story of bringing

Benjamin to Egypt He reminds his father in verse 3 the man Solemnly warned us saying you shall not see my face unless your brother is with you the brothers ago agreed to go if Benjamin goes with him, but But won't go if he doesn't and he repeats that in verse 5 for emphasis

Israel is Uncertain now, he certainly didn't want to send Benjamin So he complains in verse 6 about them even telling the man.

Why have you been so bad to me? Telling that man about Benjamin. He sounds like I'm a man who's bitter at the way life has turned out

Trying to hold on to something Fearfully, he's gonna lose it all Not trusting that something good is about to come about.

I think here is a picture of a believer But one who is hurt by losses and disappointments who's missing something or someone

Dear to him and forgetting that God works all things together For good so You know, yes him.

Why did you even tell him they say, you know, how are we supposed to know? They of course didn't know they were being tested that Joseph think about Joseph questioned them about Benjamin I think what that shows about Joseph Shows that all that he suffered

Didn't make him totally self -absorbed He's wondering about his only full brother

If the other brothers had that done something to him, you know with himself out of the way

He knew that Benjamin would be the next favorite The you know, the only other brother of Rachel and so he's wondering

Over these years, especially when the ten brothers show up There's just ten of them the ones that sold him away to slavery and there's no

Benjamin and wonder if they started harassing Benjamin, too Maybe they plotted something against him, too and so for all he knew

Benjamin had been sold away to some other passing caravan or Maybe there was no caravan and the brothers had done to Benjamin what they had first planned to do to Joseph And we asked them and they said he was alive.

He was maybe he was relieved But you know, come on you're gonna trust these guys.

They're self -reporting. He doesn't fully trust them So we demanded they they bring

Benjamin down and then he's really gonna test them Jacob doesn't know any of this is going on just like we don't know often what

God has planned for us when our plans go awry When we suffer some disappointment

You know when it's we're getting injured and our favorite sport or something just goes wrong or worse yet some tragedy

Contrary to the prosperity preachers. We are never promised that we will be spared tragedy

But we are promised that God will work some good out of it that much we can depend on Well Judah again speaks up starting in verse 8 appealing

Like Reuben had before at the end of chapter 42, you know showing that there can be a substitute

But this time he's more thoughtful. He's wiser This time he's putting himself forward, you know, not rashly his own two sons like Reuben did in verse 9

Judah says I will be a pledge of his safety from my hand

You shall require him if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you then let me bear the blame forever

Lofty words but if the time comes If he's tested

Will they be empty words? Israel is uncertain

But that was enough Judas Words and the fact that if they don't go soon, you know, they're all gonna die

It's not as though they really have a choice if it must be so he says in verse 11 and it must be so So take a gift.

He says, you know, maybe some honey and other gifts will sweeten the man up take double the money Refunding what was put back in the sack hoping

Judah Jacob is hoping it was just a mistake implying there in verse 12 That Jacob wasn't really certain that he was being told the truth

By his sons about the money being put back in the sacks Maybe he's probably wondering it.

Maybe his son stole it. He says take double back Maybe it maybe it was maybe it really was a mistake like they said

But he doesn't quite trust them. Does he? Finally you could take Benjamin and then a blessing in verse 14

May God Almighty in Hebrew else should I? the

God who revealed himself to Abraham and covenanted or bound himself to them that that Family would multiply and be blessed and be a blessing to the nation's here.

They are facing starvation their life You know He's wondering if he's gonna lose all his children and he looks back to that promise to Abraham May the

God who made that promise to us that we would multiply be as many as the stars of heaven El Shaddai God Almighty may that God Grant you mercy

Before the man and may he send back your other brothers in Benjamin He trusts them into the hands of Almighty God well

Sort of he's still uncertain If I'm bereaved to my children I'm bereaved

Does Jacob pass the test I Really don't know

He has in the past. He took the name Israel Prince of God as he's called here or God prevails

It could be interpreted. He puts away the idols that were in his family. He built an altar to the Lord He's committing himself to the

Lord, you know God the God of Israel God's gonna be his God. He said he is on he is uncertain here

He's vacillating between distrust and finally kind of fatalistically casting himself on his fate if I am bereaved

I am bereaved if he passes He does he does just barely not with all

A's Just because we believe that true faith and salvation shows itself Doesn't mean it always does so perfectly

But he does call on the name that God revealed himself to Abraham, you know that special Covenant name

God Almighty El Shaddai when everything in him feels that his world is falling apart he calls on that name and sometimes

That's enough to pass the test Next from verses 16 to 32.

We see Joseph's hospitality And it's an unexpected hospitality to them this mysterious character

It was first, you know to them He's a harsh man who spoke roughly to them interrogated them threw them into prison threatened him took one of them as hostage

He was the man They didn't expect to be hosted at his house With such a surprise they were sure something ominous was up and something was up.

They were being tested They passed the first part of the test simply by bringing Benjamin notice in verse 16 says when

Joseph saw Benjamin with them Then he decided to host them story could have gone a whole nother way

There would be no Benjamin. They hadn't done to Benjamin what they had done to Joseph after all

So prepare some fresh meat and invite them for a big lunch. This is a very this is very disconcerting to these brothers

You know, they're afraid they want to get their grain Hopefully get Simeon and get out of there as fast as they can

What should be a gesture of grace and peace is interpreted by them as a threat.

Maybe they're gonna be accused of Stealing the money. Maybe that's what it's about. Notice the verse 18.

They're nearly hysterical knows that verse 18 He's brought us here to assault us and make us slaves and seize our donkeys

As though a man is rich and powerful as Joseph, you know cares about their donkeys But those are the kind of wild conspiracy theories that people think up when they feel threatened when they don't trust so so nervous

They come to that steward of Joseph's house and you know, they tell him what happened. We're innocent.

Really the steward responds soothingly Peace Shalom Be at ease

Be well It says do not fear your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you

No, they didn't expect that Out of an Egyptian out of these people who are making them so nervous

They didn't understand it everything. They've been interpreting as threats and danger is actually mercy a

Severe mercy. Yes, but certainly more mercy than they deserve

They nearly killed their brother instead sold him to a caravan going down to Egypt and now that same brother is speaking to them through the steward says peace to them

In second Corinthians chapter 2 Paul speaks of the gospel being the the aroma of life to those who are being saved

That's how we we feel about it and the aroma of death The stench of death to those who are perishing those who are not being saved

It's the same gospel but interpreted differently. It's the Word of God's peace shalom to his people

But unbelievers hear something different to unbelievers the God of the Bible often seems so Severe his threats of stern.

He makes them uneasy and nervous and Then he speaks peace to his people as in our

Psalm today 85 verse 8 he will speak peace to his people his saints and they are

Often surprised we are to see that he has life to hear peace

When before we thought we were being threatened CS Lewis wrote of his conversion surprised by joy

It's often for God's people surprised by life here. The brothers are surprised by peace

But it's not a complete piece yet, they're still being tested Joseph apparently wants them at ease

Being themselves. He was stored simian to them has them cleaned up feeds their donkeys You know that they thought that he was gonna steal from them

But Joseph comes in verse 26 and they bow to him for the first time now all 11 of them like in that dream

He asked about their father. Is he well literally there in Hebrew? It says does he have? Can you believe it peace?

shalom again, they respond He had shalom life

And they bowed again a second time in verse 28 He sees Benjamin and blesses him

God be gracious to you my son and then he has to hurry away And it says he says in verse 30 his compassion grew warm For his brother and he sought a place to weep and he entered his chamber his bedroom

And he wept there This is the second time this has happened to him overcome with emotion the

Bible often to talk about what people feel But what usually what they do because if they really feel it they really are it whatever they like here it will show

In what they do his compassion is so great is yearning to be reconciled with his brothers is so overwhelming it just gushes out of him and Many people think that's what reconciliation is, isn't it?

You know with God or with other people is feeling warmly about them

Never mind what they done you feel good about them now you'd be reconciled But as we saw last week sins can't just be wished away and ignored.

He wants to be reconciled He wants it so badly. You see here. He's weeping for it

But are they repentant Well more testing is necessary Have these brothers really changed?

Well, he could simply ask them. Couldn't he? I mean that would be the modern way of doing it Reveal who he is.

Hey, I'm Joseph after all and then ask him do you feel sorry for what you've done? And if they say yes, which of course obviously they will

And all that settles it doesn't it? I Think that they're saved and won't be judged for their sins

You know, are you sorry that you've offended the Holy Judge of all the earth? And do you believe him? And yeah

You'll say yes people then assure them that they're saved even if they show no signs of change

Joseph doesn't believe that he hosts them. He wants to be right with him

He yearns for it with with all his heart so much so he can't always control himself, but he has to know

Are they really repentant or do they have those same hard hearts

That sold him away to slavery. So we test him he favors Benjamin Notice that right in front of them giving giving him

Benjamin five times as much food as the rest preferential treatment

Joseph knows how How their dad's preferential treatment, you know to him to Joseph that really ticked him off Remember the coat thing the coat of many colors.

Oh, that was preferential treatment. Only Joseph got that and they were that does they hated that How will they respond now that we find in chapter 44?

There Joseph frames Benjamin to make it appear he has culpability

Joseph's special silver cup. It's probably a chalice or a goblet is put in Benjamin's sack and then as they have just left the brothers have just left with their food

He tells us to where to chase after them overtake them. He even tells him exactly what to say, you know roughly

Why have you repaid evil for good? And when he caught up with them, they denied it far be it from your from your servants to do such a thing

They say they you know, we brought back the money You put in our sacks. Why would we steal silver and gold from the man?

They are so sure that they are innocent that they offer that the one who did it be killed

Capital punishment for that one and the all of the rest of us will become slaves They did that of course assuming that they were, you know, absolutely certain that none of them took it that that would never happen

They were they it's kind of an outrageous display of what they're willing to just of their innocence they think

But Joseph is testing them You know, so they want to say the punishment will come on all of us But Joseph here through his steward comes back

You know to pin it on right on just on Benjamin. Will they abandon?

Benjamin if they can get away Scott free By giving up Benjamin, will they do it?

So no, he won't accept their offer that they should all suffer The only one to be punished he says in chapter 44 verse 10 it will be the one with the cup and He won't be killed.

He will just become a slave only him. The rest will be innocent Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it?

And doesn't it just the one who took it only become a slave? Okay, good deal And so they go through the sacks one by one they start with the oldest

With Reuben and working their way down the next No chalice, no chalice one after another

Looks like they didn't take it money maybe but not the silver chalice and then to their horror the last one

Benjamin has it he's culpable Now the test reaches its climax

Joseph has has stoked their jealousy of Benjamin to see if it's still there He's pinned the crime on Benjamin and offered lenient terms

Only the one with the chalice will suffer and he will only suffer slavery now

Will they trade their brother's freedom for their own? after all

Maybe he really did steal it. How else could it get in the sack like that? Will they hand him over to a life of slavery to get themselves off the hook

Will they not care? like before What the loss of Benjamin will do to their father as long as they can save their own lives

All the conditions are perfect for another betrayal now the test

Have they repented? Have they changed? Well that we see in Judah's advocacy they tear their clothes they return to Joseph house in the city and then for the third time three times

To show the fullness of it. They bow before Joseph in verse 14 this time

No, it's not a it's not a graceful kind of bow It's a desperate throwing of themselves at him for for his mercy.

He accuses them What have you done and Judah begins to speak? Not trying to justify themselves, even though they are innocent of this particular crime

He knows they've been guilty all of them except for Benjamin of that other crime that that that they are guilty

And now God has not let them get away Judah offers that they all be his servants, but now

Joseph is still testing You know, they these brothers they sold Him so Joseph into slavery just about 20 years before when they had nothing to gain

Except 20 pieces of silver. Will they do it now? Will they do it again when they have their whole lives to gain?

Joseph puts it all on Benjamin only he is gonna go into slavery and he says

You can go up to your father in Peace Peace Shalom life again, if only they leave

Benjamin It's so easy Is faith?

repentance Testable does it show itself in real changes?

Or just something we merely say we have Judah speaks up from verses 18 to 34 over half the chapter an eloquent appeal

He begs to be the substitute the same Judah who had he was the one who had the bright idea to sell

Joseph to the caravan The same Judah who is going to burn Tamar in the in the fire for the for the same immorality that he practiced

Judah approaches the man Calls him my lord Explains that Benjamin is the only son left of his mother.

They think the best of his knowledge that that his father loves him in verse 20

Interesting there Judah accepts that Jacob's love has preferred

Benjamin Just as before they had rejected that Jacob's love had elected

Joseph Many people resent the idea of love preferring

Choosing electing They will say that's that's that's unworthy of God that he loves all people equally and if some get his love more than others, it's purely because We decide to receive it.

It depends on us whether we're loved more or less by God. We see more of his love

But the truth is that just as Jacob loves some of his sons more than others God elects some people to be loved more than others.

He elects some to be his children God said through Malachi Jacob I loved he saw

I Hated not so much Even if you interpret that hating to meaning loving less

Well, that's the point God sovereignly loves some more than others now.

Will we resent him for that? Will we try to deny him that right?

like the brothers earlier had with Joseph or will we accept it like now finally

Judah does here Judah has accepted that his father's life is he says in verse 30 bound up with Benjamin's He says as soon as he sees

Jacob sees the boy is not with us He will die and your servants us will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol to death the same

Judah Who 20 years earlier? Set with his father for days on end

Mourning Looking Judah was looking like he was mourning at the loss of Joseph who wouldn't relieve his father's sorrow by just telling him the truth

Now he cannot bear What he would put his father through if he doesn't bring

Benjamin back that is just so horrible to him He will now give up his own life rather than let it happen again

And so he pleads in verse 33, please Let your servant me remain as a slave the same

Judah Who sold Joseph into slavery even when

Joseph was pleading for mercy? He just Judah wouldn't listen Judah didn't care now the same man begs.

Please take me please Now he's the one pleading

And now he's pleading to be made a slave To save his brother

Judah has a new heart How do you know It's testable

It shows in his life Now he's the first person in scripture to willingly offer his life for another

He won't be the last One of his descendants the lion of the tribe of Judah Pled for us in the hours before his death

He was our advocate Not for everyone Not for the world But for those whom the father had given that we may have eternal life eternal

Shalom he prayed and This is life. This is eternal life that they may know you the only true

God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent If you are one of God's people

Jesus prayed to the father that he would be your upset. He would be your substitute

So you could have that never -ending true Shalom now