Book of Genesis - Ch. 44, Vs. 1-34 (05/06/2001)

Joseph Tests His Brothers’ Loyalty to Benjamin

They'll tell us kind of where we are. Did you have you finish. They have returned the second time Benjamin is with them. They convinced their father that unless Benjamin went there was no need to go in.

So Joseph made them a believer. Didn't he spoke very very strong very hard to them he was a stranger to them and That man they said so Chapter 44 rather short, but we're going to see what happens. Joseph tests their love for Benjamin.

He wants to see if they will treat him as they Treat Benjamin as they did him 20 years before and he commanded the steward of his house saying Fill them in sack with food sacks with food. As much as they can carry and put every man's money in his sacks mouth.

He did this before and Put my cup the silver cup in the sacks mouth of the youngest and his corn money and He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. Now he's setting them up for yet another disappointment.

Anybody in the position of Joseph must be able to divine quote-unquote. And He's going along with that. As soon as the morning was light the men were sent away they and their asses and When they were gone out of the city and yet not far off Joseph said to his steward Up follow after the men and when thou dost overtake them say unto them wherefore have you rewarded?

Evil for good. Is not this it in which my lord drinketh and whereby indeed he divineth. Ye have done evil in so doing what the boys think at this time urge. All right the same deal going with what added clearance.

The Silver Cup and the Accusation of Theft

All right. His silver cup. And he overtook them and he spake unto them these same words and they said unto him Wherefore saith my lord these words. God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing.

Now every day we get the newspaper. Do we not? Those of you that subscribe to it. Is there a horoscope in it? All right, how many of you read the horoscope? Anybody. Put up your hand if you do. Put up both hands and leave Horoscope.

What. Well, I I didn't want to embarrass you to do so reveals what about you. About them. What is it witchcraft. What's wrong with witchcraft? Seems innocent enough. Just read your horoscope. See what it's going to be.

Well, it reveals the sad spiritual condition of the people today When they do such things. Behold the money which we found in our sacks mouth. We brought again unto thee Out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal out of the Lord's house?

Silver or gold. What do you mean? We we're we're not thieves. We've told you that from the beginning. With whomsoever they they knew they did not have it to this degree. With whomsoever of thy servants to be found let both let him die and we also will be my Lord's bondsman.

Now did they believe that they did not have it. Well. Go back to 40 to the first and he commanded the stewards of the house. They fill the men's sack with food as much as they can carry and in the youngest one.

So they were all lined up different Benjamins. Was this sack and this sack and this sack and so forth. They did not inspect. They didn't look to see if that's what had happened. They took for granted that there but the sack contained food.

Russell would you have looked. I Would have looked. They didn't. I Don't know whether it was trust or an oversight. And he said now also Let it be according to your words he with whom it is found shall be my servant and ye shall be blameless.

And they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground and Opened every man his sack and he searched and began at the eldest and Left at the youngest and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Just as much surprised as anything.

They wouldn't have made the statement previous to that if they had Thought that they might have stolen it. Then they rent their clothes and laid it every man his ass and returned to the city. I can just see him going back.

Nothing to say. Nothing they could say. They were caught with the goods. They didn't know how it got there. Judah and his brother came to Joseph's house. For he was yet there and they fell Before him on the ground again.

His dream comes true. The second time Joseph said unto them what deed is this that ye have done? Won't you not that such a man as I? Can discern. Can certainly divine. Now he's playing the part. We know that but Clarence do they know that?

No. And Judah said what shall we say unto my Lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has 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.

There's no mention of killing. There was at the beginning. You cannot judge a man By what he has done in the past. 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 to your father now.

He knows the cup was found in Benjamin's sack because that's where he put it. He knows that Benjamin is his full brother. That's why I insisted that he be brought down. He also suspects that his father being yet alive would demand that they bring him back.

But they can't do that. Here they're commanded to go and to leave Benjamin. Then Judah came near unto him and he said oh my Lord let thy servant I pray that you speak a word in my Lord's ears and Let not thine anger burned against thy servant for thou art even as Pharaoh you're second to Pharaoh only.

Judah’s Plea for Benjamin

Now religion does not destroy good manners. Judah was a Rather manly person here. We're seeing the real Judah by the way. My Lord asked his servant saying have ye a father or a brother. Now Judah's going to spend the rest of the chapter in his plea and a most eloquent plea That you will ever read anyplace.

Have you a father or a brother? 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 a little one. How old was he? Thirty a little one and his brother is dead and he alone is left of his mother and his father loveth him.

And thou saidest unto thy servant bring him down unto me that I may set my eyes upon him and We said unto my Lord the lad cannot leave his father. For if he should leave the father his father his father would die.

And thou saidest unto thy servant except you bring your brother. Except your youngest brother come down with you. You shall see my face no more. Do we have a brother? That sees the father's face. Can we look upon the father without the brother?

No way. And he came to pass when we came up Unto thy servant my father. We told him the words of my Lord and Our father said go again and buy us a little food and We said we cannot go down. If our youngest brother be with us, then we will go down for we may not see the man's face except our youngest brother be with us and thy servant.

My father said unto us ye know that my wife bear me two sons and The one went out from me and I said surely is torn in pieces and I saw him not since. Did you Find in the story any place in the history Where the boys confessed to their father what they had done with Joseph.

Even here in repeating it to this stranger they mentioned not what they had done and If you take this also from me and my Mischief befall him you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Jacob's not yet completely trusting his boy and trusting God. Now therefore when I come to my servant My father and the lad be not with us. Seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life it will come to pass when he seeth that the lad's not with us that he will die and Thy servant shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

You'll kill him if he's not there. You just he'll just let out die. For our 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 forever.

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. What's he? Pleading Joseph to do verge. Take me instead of the young man 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 upon my father. They all passed the test they all Without knowing it passed the test. Joseph is satisfied. We'll get into that next week. But he's satisfied now that they have Passed the test there who they say they are.

They still don't know who he is. But that's coming. Anything you'd like to ask Jesse dismisses, please.