Standing In our Place

Testing Loyalty

After dinner Jospeh lines us one more test. It was a test he experienced previously after being wrongly accused.

Genesis 44:1–17 CSB

1 Joseph commanded his steward, “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver at the top of his bag. 2 Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with the silver for his grain.” So he did as Joseph told him. 3 At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wrong!’ ” 6 When he overtook them, he said these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” 10 The steward replied, “What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.” 11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city. 14 When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him. 15 “What have you done?” Joseph said to them. “Didn’t you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?” 16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ iniquity. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.” 17 Then Joseph said, “I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father.”

Enjoying the fruit of faith requires us to count the cost. But is also requires us to pass the test.

This is also a theme that showed up in the life of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now Judah is being confronted with the same.

Two times he is given the opportunity to give up his brother and go home in peace. In each case Judah refuses.

He doesn’t make excuses. He doesn’t even plead his innocence. He and his brothers share in the burden of Benjamin’s unjust punishment.

Substitutionary Atonement

But it doesn’t stop there. Upon Jospeh’s pardoning of the other brothers and decision to keep Benjamin, Judah does the unthinkable and offers himself up in Benjamin’s place.

In verses 18-29 Judah recounts all of the events leading up to that moment.

Remember when we told you about our dad and our youngest brother?

Remember how we told you his brother was dead and our dad loved him most?

Well when you told us to bring him back our dad basically said no way.

The only reason we’re here today is because I promised my dad I would keep him safe.

So I know you have a right to keep Benjamin here but I’m asking you to take my life instead.

Genesis 44:32–34 CSB

32 Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’ 33 Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.”

To experience the fruit of faith you must count the cost and pass the test.

But what happens when you realize you cannot pass test. What happens when you’re confronted with your failure and guilt.

For you to get the grace somebody else has to receive the punishment.

Judah is saying, “Let me be that substitute. Let me pay the price for my youngest brother.”

The fruit of faith requires some kind of substitutionary atonement.

The only way these brothers could go free is if Judah paid the penalty to atone for Benjamin’s crime.