(Genesis) Genesis 44:16-17 — J. Vernon McGee

Judah Confesses the Brothers' Iniquity

Verse 16,. "'And Judah said, What shall we say unto my Lord?'. And I think this, again, is one of the finest speeches that this man is going to make here, and I won't be able to finish it all today. It just looks like in this continued story, we get to the dramatic point, then I have to leave off.

Confession and Joseph's Judgment

But let me read. "'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.'.

He makes full confession that it's because of their sin that this has come upon them. 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.'".

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

Now, you see, he's going to hold Benjamin, and he says to these other brethren, go on home, you're free, but Benjamin's going to stay. Now, listen to Judah. "'Then Judah came near unto him and said, O 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.'".

Jacob's Love and Fear of Loss

You see the position that Joseph occupies. "'My Lord asketh servants, saying, Have ye 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, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

And thou saidest unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my Lord, The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

And thou saidest unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. And it 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 will we 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 he's torn in pieces, and I saw him not since. And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Joseph's Test of His Brothers

We're looking here in the 44th chapter of the book of Genesis to one of the most human stories and dramatic stories that you possibly could have. You'll recall that the family of Joseph, that is the boys, eleven of them have now come down to the land of Egypt again to buy corn.

Joseph insisted that they bring their brother Benjamin with them, and they brought him along. And he made them a dinner, invited them to dinner. And as we concluded chapter 43, we read, They drank and were merry with him.

Apparently, they were at ease now. They accepted Joseph's hospitality, and they feel very comfortable. But he's preparing a test for them, and we saw that he sent them back home, but he took his cup. I wish I could say more about that cup, but it was used for divining, for prophecy.

I don't think you can read into it here anything of a heathen nature, for this man was a prophet of God. We've had several instances of that. But we find that that cup was put in the sack of Benjamin, and when the brethren came back, they were so sure that the cup was not there, they said, The man should be put to death if you find it in any sack, and the rest of us will be your slave.

They were so sure it was not with them. But of course, Joseph had put it in Benjamin's sack purposely, or had one of his servants there to do that. When it was discovered, all of them came back. They went in before Joseph, and Joseph wanted to test them now about their love for their brother, Benjamin.

He says, All right, Benjamin is guilty, leave him here, he'll be my slave. You see, they had sold him into slavery one time, and now he says, Just leave him here, be my slave, the rest of you can go home.