The Story Through the Bible Gen 43

The Head brother?

Lets talk quickly about some family dynamics we’ve somewhat touched on a little bit. Reuben is the oldest brother but it’s clear over the last chapter that he’s lost his standing. He’s complained, blamed, and made wild promises (killing his two sons) and is still rejected by his father Jacob when it comes to being trusted with Benjamin. We don’t hear from Reuben again. His leadership is finished. Judah however steps but when the time comes. He makes it clear what the hard decision will have to be (Benjamin comes with us or we don’t go and starve.) Judah steps into the roll well even using his own father’s words to make clear the necessity that they go with Benjamen by saying the same phrase about “live and not die” like Jacob said back in 42:2. Now that we just have a picture of what we’re getting into I didn’t really know how we should approach this I don’t like just doing chapter 43, but I don’t entirely like doing 44 without 45. The solution here will take us back to some of our chiastic structure understanding. A few of us are taking the same class on preaching/teaching and in one of the lessons the instructor talks about chiastic structure without ever using the word. I don’t remember what he called it though the mountain method of plot or something? In any case his explanation worked very well as we think about a narrative story like this. We have some basic plot - setting > conflict > rising action > climax > falling action > resolution or next plot tie-in

Lets map out together 43 and 44 like a plot as if we were back in school writting class.

What’s our setting?

-Land of Canaan land of Israel where the famine is still ongoing Gen 43:1-2

Conflict?

-To get food we need to take Benjamin but dad doesn’t want him to go Gen 43:3-7

Rising action?

Convincing dad to let Benjamin go Gen 43:8-14 Trip out and confession to the servant about the extra money & Simeon is returned Gen 43:15-25 Joseph’s table Benjamin is singled out Gen 43:26-34

Climax?

-Benjamin is caught with the silver cup! Gen 44:1-12

Falling action?

EVERYONE returns to egypt - they don’t leave Benjamin in the dust Gen 44:13 Judah offers himself over his brother Gen 44:14-34

Resolution?

Chapter 45 and our next plot!

How do we map these events out to be chiastic?

A (43:1–14) — Crisis & sending Benjamin

Famine compels return; Judah guarantees Benjamin; prayer for mercy (43:14).

B (43:15–23) — Brought to Joseph’s house; fear over silver

They fear the money in their sacks; steward says, “Your God… put treasure in your sacks.”

C (43:24–28) — Formal audience & bowing

Gifts presented; they bow; Joseph asks about the father; “peace to you.”

D (43:29–34) — Benjamin favored at the table

Joseph blesses Benjamin; seated by age; Benjamin gets fivefold portion; they drink.

E (44:1–2) — Pivot: the cup/test planted

Joseph hides his cup in Benjamin’s sack to trigger the test.

D′ (44:3–12) — Benjamin singled out by the search

Oath of innocence; search by age from eldest to youngest; cup found with Benjamin.

C′ (44:13–14) — Return & bowing in judgment

They tear garments, return, and bow before Joseph; stand before him as judge.

B′ (44:15–17) — In Joseph’s house; guilt over silver

Joseph presses the charge tied to his cup/silver; “God has found out the guilt of your servants”; slavery proposed/limited.

A′ (44:18–34) — Crisis resolved by Judah’s pledge/substitution

Judah recounts the father and pleads mercy; offers himself in Benjamin’s place to spare the father.

Now if the center of this plot structure we’ve mapped out is the important thing to notice where does that point us?

It’s at the climax - the ONE thing we can’t have happen Benjamin is taken into captivity - When we’re looking back at our big picture stuff what is the parallel point in a previous story here? - Joseph in a pit - The choice that was made then was to sell him off to slavery or restore him to his father. If the brothers really repented from this sin we could see that repentance in how they handle a similar situation later. Similar in selfishness and self preservation. We see the fruit of repentance in how they respond here. We see a similar point in the shift from the leadership of Rueben ,who complained about the situation and grasped and actions to fix things, to Judah who is acknowledging sin moving from selfish to selfless and working from the position of repentance where God used the changed heart to bring about the reconciliation we get in the next chapter.