Judah’s Plea: A picture of grace
Notes
Transcript
Good morning, everyone! Whether you're here with us in the room or joining online—listening live or later—we’re truly glad you're here. You're part of our extended spiritual family, and we're thankful for you.
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For the rest of us, grab your Bible, get comfortable, and get ready for what God has for you today.
Now, we have been in the story of Joseph for quite a while, and we still have a bit to go on this journey. However, before we keep moving forward, I want to remind you of where we have been. Joseph has been through a great deal of trouble in his life.
If Joseph lived today, he might be prescribed therapy and medication to help process the trauma he endured. But Joseph leaned on something even more powerful—he trusted in the Lord, consistently and deeply. Something that many of us have forgotten how to do in the modern age.
So, Joseph has been the favored son who was left for dead and forgotten after being sold into slavery. Then he worked and God lifted him up to the highest point in Potipherars house, just to be thrown into prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Still…he trusted God, and God lifted him up to the highest point in the jail and he was given a small amount of hope with Pharaohs cupbearer and baker…but they just forgot him like everyone else did. Finally, God lifted him up to the second most powerful person on the planet and he is serving there in our story today. What’s happened is that he has come face to face with his brothers who left him for dead and sold him as a slave…In just a bit, when he reveals himself to them, this is what he says, “As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose." —Joseph . In other words. What man means for evil…God means for good!
Then, just when we think Joseph’s story is all about survival and success, we discover it's really about something deeper—transformation. Not just Joseph’s, but his brothers’ too. Remember, the same God who lifted Joseph up was also working quietly, slowly, in the hearts of the very men who hurt him. The famine that brought them to Egypt was no accident. The tests Joseph gave them were no coincidence. God was doing heart surgery—cutting through pride, fear, and regret. And now, in Genesis 44, we see the result: not revenge, not repetition, but redemption.
You know, there are moments in the story of redemption when the grace of God shines so brightly that it breaks through the sin, guilt, and shame of human hearts like sunlight piercing a dark prison. Genesis 44 is one of those moments. Here, in the courts of Egypt, we witness not a royal decree or a prophetic miracle—but something perhaps more stunning: a broken man, Judah, offering himself as a substitute for another. And what brought him to this point? Not coincidence. Not conniving. But the sovereign, orchestrating hand of God.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God can take a sinner and turn him into a selfless servant—if you've ever asked whether grace is strong enough to reach even the hardest hearts—then Judah’s plea is the answer. And it points us forward to the ultimate Substitute, the One greater than Judah, who stood in our place before the judgment seat of God.
This morning we are picking up in Genesis 44, so go ahead and open your Bibles there so that you can be read y to follow along. We’re really focusing in on Judah this morning. It’s fascinating to me that the man who once led the charge in selling his brother, will now be begging for the safety of his brother. This is what it looks like with God truly changes your heart.
Let’s go ahead and read
Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’
As we read this passage, we step into a courtroom—a tense moment between Judah and the ‘lord of the land’, Joseph. What looks like a desperate plea from a guilty brother is actually the result of a sovereign hand guiding every famine, every journey, every detail. God has not been absent—He has been orchestrating everything for this very moment. Let’s look together at…
God's Sovereignty in Circumstances (Gen. 44:18–20)
God's Sovereignty in Circumstances (Gen. 44:18–20)
Immediately Judah approaches Joseph with honor. He intercedes for Benjamin with genuine humility begging to take the place of Benjamin. Judah sees that Joseph is the second to Pharaoh with great power and deserving of great respect. He is unaware of who Joseph is, but God has orchestrated events to bring both men to be at this point perfectly. The tension in this setting has been created by God to expose sin, produce repentance, and ultimately to reconcile a family and bring a people that he chose through this current famine.
What is truly amazing in this story is that God governs both the famine and the family. Nothing in this story has been accidental. Nothing has happened by chance. Joseph’s betrayal wasn’t random—it was divinely designed. His imprisonment, his rise to power—all orchestrated by the hand of a sovereign God, working not just in events, but for redemption. Next week we will read in vs 7 that Joseph will say
And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.
R. C. Sproul says that, “God’s providence means not only that he foreknows events, but that he ordains them for his purposes.”
Isn’t it miraculous that God uses a famine not just to bring Joseph’s brothers to Egypt, but to bring their hearts to repentance? You see, God’s sovereignty is not about control…it is about redemption. You see, God writes better endings that we every could. Joseph’s enslavement led to Egypt’s very salvation.
Another theologian says, The providence of God is like Hebrew words—it can only be read backwards. Do you every feel that? Like after you have been through the wringer you can see how God has been providing for you the whole time…Sometimes it’s hard for us to see or feel that as we are going through things, but it is always true.
Do you trust God is writing your story this morning? You don’t have to understand it, but look back so far and see how God has provided for you ever step of the way.
It isn’t just situations that God redeems. God redeems people. Look at how Judah has been transformed. Judah’s approach to Joseph is divinely timed . God has brought Judah through several situations that has led him to this very point. Remember this is the same Judah who led the betrayal of Joseph…now he leads the intercession for Benjamin.
Judah’s leadership is not incidental—it is divinely purposed. His heart has clearly been transformed, but we can’t miss that it was God who orchestrated every event to bring him to this moment. From Judah’s past betrayal to this present intercession, every step was guided by God’s sovereign hand. His repentance is real, and his decision sincere—but even that sincerity is the fruit of divine grace working in him.
But God’s sovereignty is not cold or mechanical. It’s not just about arranging events— shaping hearts. And that’s what we begin to see in Judah. As the story narrows from the big picture of providence to the personal burden Judah bears, we’re shown that God’s sovereign hand is not only moving nations… it’s moving a man to love, and to plead.
Let’s keep reading,
Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.’
“When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’
Here Judah brings Joseph back to the heartache of their father Jacob, remembering the pain and covenant promise surrounding Benjamin. This is not just sentiment—it’s a testimony to the transforming work of God. The same Judah who once callously suggested selling Joseph is now a man deeply aware of covenant obligation. God’s grace is at work here, pulling love out of a once self-centered heart.
Judah makes…
A Substitutionary Plea (Gen. 44:21–29)
A Substitutionary Plea (Gen. 44:21–29)
Judah remembers the covenantal obligation to his father Jacob and the significance of Benjamin’s life. Judah realizes that if his father has to relive the loss of Joseph through loosing Benjamin that he might as well put him in the ground himself. It’s more than just not wanting his father to suffer though…
Here we see that Judah remembers the weight of his promise. Remember that Judah made a pledge to Jacob back in
I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
Judah’s speech, the longest in the Bible by any of Jacob’s sons, marks the turning point in the relationship between Joseph and his brothers. In a display of great humility, Judah referred to Joseph as my lord.
Judah is keeping his commitment even under pressure, showing the fruits of true repentance—faithfulness even when it hurts. Judah is putting himself on the line by addressing Joseph this way. But you see…true repentance doesn’t just admit guilt—it embraces responsibility.
That’s not all we see though. Judah reflects the Fathers heart . He is pleading not just for Benjamin’s sake alone…but the sorrow it would bring to their father.
Judah’s selflessness reflects Philippians 2:4 (ESV): ‘Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others..’ This is the very mindset of Christ (v. 5), who emptied Himself and became obedient to death.
There is a major shift here in Judah. He is not seeking his own preservation, but pleading for others. This shift from self-preservation to sacrificial concern marks a gospel transformation in Judah’s heart. Judah is learning here what Christ will one day fully embody—substitution is at the heart of redemptive history, ultimately fulfilled in Christ
bearing the burden not just for the weak, but out of love and obedience to the Father.
Now Judah’s memory has been stirred, his loyalty awakened. But love and loyalty alone are not enough—redemption requires more. It demands a substitute. And so we come to the climax of Judah’s transformation, where grace flows most clearly—not just in his words, but in his willingness to take Benjamin’s place. Let’s read
“Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy’s life, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.
At the heart of this conversation—Judah offers to take Benjamin’s place. This is a shadow of the gospel right here. A man steps forward and says, ‘Let me bear the burden.’ This is not just desperation—it is intercession. A picture of the kind of grace that lays down its life for another. Judah is no longer just speaking to the second most powerful man in the world—he’s standing in the gap for one who can’t stand for himself . This truly is…
A Picture of Grace and Intercession (Gen. 44:30–33)
A Picture of Grace and Intercession (Gen. 44:30–33)
Judah offers himself in Benjamin’s place in a profound act of grace and sacrifice. Judah offers himself as a substitute. When Judah said, “Let your servant remain instead of the boy…” That was the most clear act of substitution in all of Genesis. This is a picture of grace…You see, grace is not a passive action that happens to someone…grace moves us to action in the light of God’s mercy.
Judah is a type of Christ…in other words, he is pointing us to the one who would not only offer, but fully become our substitute and pay the price for us all.
Here’s what is really awesome about how God works…This intercession that Judah is making on behalf of Benjamin proves the transformation that has taken place in his life. That’s because, Intercession flows from transformation. Meaning when you have been transformed by the Gospel, you will intercede for others. That might look different from one person to the next…but there will be an inate desire to stand in the gap for someone who cannot stand themselves. That is the very heart of the Gospel. Judah’s words echo the high priestly heart of Jesus—he pleads for one who doesn’t yet know the danger he’s in. That is intercession. In the story of Joseph…the brother who was most guilty of betrayal is now mirroring the ministry of reconciliation. This is God’s grace working inward and flowing outward.
But what kind of man does this? How did the one who once sold his brother become the one who now offers himself for another? Sovereign grace doesn’t just intervene in our circumstances—it invades our hearts. And the Judah who speaks now is not the Judah of Genesis 37. He has been changed.
For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.
Judah closes his plea with a profound cry: ‘How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me?’ This is the cry of a man who has truly changed. Grace has humbled him. Sovereignty has brought him low. The selfish brother of old has become a broken man willing to be bound for the sake of another. This is not merely Judah’s character development—it is the power of God’s grace transforming a rebel into a servant.
God’s Transforming Grace (Gen. 44:34)
God’s Transforming Grace (Gen. 44:34)
Judah now cannot bear to see his father suffer. This is a radically changed man. Remember that God’s grace is not only unmerited favor…it is transforming power, and that is evidenced in Judah. Of course…if we are honest we have to admit that the transformation in Judah mirrors the regeneration that is given to those who cling to the empty tomb. Real change only follows the humility of realizing that you don’t actually deserve anything, and you don’t actually know anything. You are nothing but a wretch in the hands of a savior.
Judah is no longer the same man. The Judah of Gen. 37, or Gen. 38 would have never asked how he could go to his father without his brother. He would have simply moved on with his life. However, there has been a change in Judah. We read about that change in
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Regeneration is a sovereign act of God—and it always produces lasting change. People sometimes ask, “Can you lose your salvation?” The truth is, your salvation was never something you earned to begin with—so it’s not something you can lose like a set of keys. If God has begun a good work in you, He will carry it to completion.
But if your change was only for a season, not a transformation of the heart, then hear this as a loving invitation: come to Jesus—not for a temporary fix, but for a grace that endures forever.
Through Judah we see repentance in action—marked not just by sorrow for the past, but by a deep desire to act differently in the present.
Grace reorients Judah’s love. This final plea is not motivated by self preservation…it is motivated by love, concern for his father and his brother. Judah has received a new spirit and a new heart.
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Once Judah was indifferent to his fathers pain, now he is devastated by the thought of causing it again. God’s grace rewires your affections—no longer loving yourself most…This is the fruit of the spirit at work.
As we move closer to Joseph’s revealing in the next chapter, we’re left with one great truth: Judah’s story is only a shadow. There is a greater Intercessor still—One who didn’t just offer, but actually gave His life as a ransom for many. The Lion of Judah who stood where we should have stood, and secured for us not just food in Egypt, but eternal life in the presence of God.
Judah’s transformation prepares us for the One who would come from his line and be the ultimate Substitute and Intercessor—Jesus Christ.
Christ, the true Lion from the tribe of Judah, has stepped in as our substitute. God's grace does not merely orchestrate events—it transforms sinners into intercessors.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
What Judah offered with trembling words, Christ fulfilled with outstretched arms—bearing the punishment we deserved so that we might be reconciled to the Father.
Have you trusted in Christ who stood in your place—not just offering…but enduring the full weight of justice, so you could be reconciled to the Father?
What we witness in Judah’s plea is not simply a brother trying to fix a mistake—it is a broken man standing in the gap, transformed by grace, and moved by covenant love. Judah, once the cold-hearted schemer who sold Joseph into slavery, now offers himself in the place of his brother, not for reward, but out of love for his father and compassion for the innocent. This is not the Judah of Genesis 37. This is a Judah reshaped by providence, humbled by guilt, and remade by grace. And in that moment, in the courts of Egypt, the shadow of Christ is seen.
Judah’s plea points us forward—to another Son of Judah who would not only offer Himself in our place, but actually go to the cross to bear our sin. Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, is the greater Intercessor, the truer Substitute, the better Brother. He didn't just say, "Let me remain instead of the boy"—He said, "Let Me be condemned so that My people may be free." And He was. At Calvary, justice and mercy met in the blood of the Lamb.
So, if you’re here today and you’ve never trusted in Christ—see what kind of Savior He is. You don’t need to clean yourself up first. Come to the One who has already stood in your place. Lay your guilt at His feet and trust the One who bore it on the cross.
And Christian—do not forget the power of the grace that saved you. If God could transform Judah from a betrayer into an intercessor, then He can finish the good work He started in you. Let that grace continue its work. Let it move you from guilt to obedience, from selfishness to sacrifice, from sin to service. This is not just Judah’s story. This is the Christian’s story. And ultimately, it is Christ’s story written on the lives of His people.
So what will you do today? Will you leave out of here in just a moment and continue on about your life…or will you allow the power of the Gospel change you to be a representative of Christ to your neighbor?
Let’s pray:
