| “And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack” (Genesis 44:12). |
| If you read the story in Genesis 43 and 44, you will find that eventually Jacob allowed Benjamin to go down to Egypt with his brothers, because there was no other way to get food. But then it seems as if Joseph plays a mean trick on them. After giving them a good meal in his home, he gives them their wheat and lets them start out for home. But he tells his steward, the man in charge of his house, to put his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack, to make it look as if Benjamin stole it. Then he tells the steward to catch up with them, and find the silver cup. |
| You can imagine the brothers’ feelings when they find the cup in Benjamin’s sack. Joseph says Benjamin must stay in Egypt and be his servant, and the rest could go home. What would the brothers do now? Would they just leave Benjamin there? No, Judah offers to stay in Egypt in Benjamin’s place, so that Benjamin could go home. |
| At this point Joseph knows that his brothers are really repentant, and he tells them who he is. He tells them that he will look after them in the land of Egypt, and to go and bring their father down with them. |
| Again, all this reminds us of the Lord Jesus. Benjamin was the only brother who was not involved in selling Joseph into Egypt, yet he is the one in whose sack the silver cup is found. Would the other brothers let the only innocent one among them suffer? But the Lord Jesus was the only One who had never sinned, yet He bore that awful load of sin on Calvary’s cross. No one offered to take His place, for no one else could bear our sins. Benjamin had not stolen the cup, either. It had been put there deliberately by Joseph’s steward. But now Judah was willing to take Benjamin’s place, instead of allowing him to suffer. Tomorrow we will see what happens when they start out for home again. |
