Bible Reading: Genesis 44; Job 10; Mark 14; Romans 14
Genesis 44:33-34 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. 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.
Can a person change? The answer is, yes, with God's help! Judah was a changed man and Joseph had to know if there was any change in his brothers. When they came walking into his court asking for Egyptian corn, they did not recognize Joseph. They had sold him into the hands of Midianite traders years before and had forgotten him. It had been Judah's idea to sell Joseph as a slave.
Genesis 37:26-27 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
Now they were standing in his presence trembling! The famine was so severe in the land of Canaan that Jacob sent them to Egypt to buy corn. Joseph was accusing them of being spies and they did not recognize him. He gave them the grain they wanted, but he made Simeon stay and they were told that the only way they could return is if they brought their youngest brother with them. The brothers recognized that they were guilty of sinning against their brother Joseph and their sin had caught up with them.
Genesis 42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
When they returned home and told their father he was grieved and said he would not let Benjamin go. However, they soon ran out of food again and had no choice. Jacob allowed Benjamin to go. Joseph set them up by having a special silver cup placed in Benjamin's bag of grain. They headed home and Joseph's servant caught them and accused them of theft. When they opened the bags, the cup was in Benjamin's bag. When they were brought before Joseph they were told he would keep Benjamin as a slave. However, Judah spoke up! He asked for Joseph to take him instead of Benjamin!
He had promised his father that he would bring Benjamin home. He was a different man than he had been. Now he was not just looking out for himself. He was willing to become a slave so that Benjamin could go home. Joseph had not allowed them to know who he was and had put them to a test to see if they were the same. They were not. They had changed. Have you changed? Has the Lord shown you over time the need to be a giver and not a taker? Has Jesus Christ brought the cleansing work of redemption to your soul?
In Christ,
Rody
