Genesis 44.18-34-Judah's Appeal

Wednesday February 20, 2007

Genesis: Genesis 44:18-34-Judah’s Appeal

Lesson # 285

Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 44:1.

On Sunday morning we began a study of Genesis 44 by noting Genesis 44:1-13 where we saw Joseph testing the integrity of his brothers by “planting” his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack.

By planting his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack, Joseph is testing his brothers as to whether or not they will remain loyal to Benjamin even when he looks guilty of theft or will they abandon him in Egypt as they had done to Joseph.

Joseph has not revealed his identity to his brothers at this point since he is not convinced that if his brothers were faced with the same set of circumstances as when they mistreated him that they would act differently.

Therefore, Joseph recreates what took place between him and his brothers twenty years before in order to test to see whether or not they have truly been changed by God and would if given the chance again, not repeat the same crime.

Joseph wanted to discover if his brothers would sell their father’s favorite and Rachel’s son, Benjamin as a slave as they had sold him who also was his father’s favorite and Rachel’s son.

He also wanted to know if they would again treat their father insensitively as they did when informing him of his demise twenty years before by letting Benjamin remain in slavery as they did with him.

On Tuesday evening we began a study of Genesis 44:14-34, which records Judah offering himself to Joseph in place of Benjamin.

But before offering himself to Joseph in place of Benjamin, we saw in Genesis 44:14-17 that Judah admits on behalf of his brothers that they are guilty of selling Joseph into slavery twenty years before.

This evening we will study Genesis 44:18-34, which records Judah appealing to Joseph to release Benjamin, offering himself in place of Benjamin so as to not break his father’s heart.

Genesis 44:1-2, “Then he commanded his house steward, saying, ‘Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack. Put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.’ And he did as Joseph had told him.”

Genesis 44:3, “As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys.”

Genesis 44:4-5, “They had just gone out of the city, and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward, ‘Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.’”

Genesis 44:6, “So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.”

Genesis 44:7, “They said to him, ‘Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.’”

Genesis 44:8, “Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?”

Genesis 44:9, “With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves.”

Genesis 44:10, “So he said, ‘Now let it also be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and the rest of you shall be innocent.’”

Genesis 44:11, “Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.”

Genesis 44:12, “He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.”

Genesis 44:13, “Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.”

Genesis 44:14, “When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.”

Genesis 44:15, “Joseph said to them, ‘What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?’”

Genesis 44:16, “So Judah said, ‘What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord's slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.’”

Genesis 44:17, “But he said, ‘Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.’”

Next, we come to the longest speech recorded in the book of Genesis in which Judah makes an impassioned plea to the lord of Egypt.

This speech is divided into three parts: (1) Judah recounts the two previous journeys to Egypt (See Genesis 44:18-29) (2) Judah emphasizes the adverse impact on his father if Benjamin is enslaved in Egypt (See Genesis 44:30-32) (3) Judah offers himself as a slave in the place of Benjamin (See Genesis 44:33-34).

In this speech, Judah never mentions the theft of the silver cup or of the innocence or guilt of the accused but rather appeals to Joseph’s sense of fairness and mercy by making mention of his father repeatedly and was designed to impress Joseph with the speaker’s noble sacrifice.

Therefore, let’s look at Genesis 44:18-29, which contains the first part of Judah’s speech, in which Judah recounts for Joseph the two previous journeys that he and his brothers made to Egypt, which is recorded Genesis 44:18-29.

Genesis 44:18, “Then Judah approached him, and said, ‘Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh.’”

Judah begins his speech with deferential language, honoring Joseph and acknowledging his power and authority over him and his brothers to do as he pleases with them.

Genesis 44:19, “My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’”

In Genesis 44:19-23, Judah summarizes their first journey to Egypt and first audience with Joseph.

Judah reminds Joseph that he had shown real concern in their personal affairs by inquiring if they had a father and another brother and which concern demonstrated that he was a man of compassion and mercy and so this is an appeal to Joseph’s compassion and mercy.

Genesis 44:20, “We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’”

The statement “we have an old father” refers to Jacob/Israel and the statement “a little child of his old age” is a reference to Benjamin.

The statement “a little child of his old age” implies that Benjamin was spoiled by his father because he was the lone surviving child of his favorite wife Rachel.

The expression “little child” is an inaccurate translation since the expression is composed of the noun yeledh (dl#y#) (yeh-led), which means, “young man” and the adjective qatan (/fq) (kaw-tawn), which means, “youngest.”

“Old age” is the noun zequnim (<yn!q|z+) (zaw-koon), which is in the plural form expressing the condition of advanced age.

Therefore, the Hebrew text describes Benjamin as “a young man, youngest child of his old age.”

At this point in the narrative, Benjamin was more than twenty-two years of age since Benjamin was born before Joseph went down to Egypt.

The statement “his brother is dead” is a reference to Joseph who is the lone full brother of Benjamin.

Judah’s account is unintentionally inaccurate since Joseph is not dead but is in fact standing right in front of Judah.

The statement “he (Benjamin) alone is left of his mother” means that Benjamin is the lone surviving child of Jacob and Rachel.

The statement “his father (Jacob) loves him (Benjamin)” means that Jacob has not changed and still plays favorites with his children by doting upon his lone surviving child of his favorite wife Rachel.

This statement acknowledges and emphasizes his father’s favoritism since it was Jacob’s love for Joseph that caused his brothers to hate him but is now the basis for showing mercy to their father.

Genesis 44:21, “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.’”

This statement is a reference to the first audience that Joseph had with his brothers, which is recorded in Genesis 42:15-16.

If you recall, Joseph accused his brothers of espionage in order that he might verify their statement that they are honest men and that Benjamin was in fact alive and had not been killed by his brothers.

Based upon the past actions of his brothers in attempting to kill him and selling him into slavery, Joseph sought to test the veracity of their statement by demanding that they produce Benjamin and bring him into his presence.

Genesis 44:22, “But we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’”

Genesis 44:23, “You said to your servants, however, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’”

A comparison of Genesis 44:22 and 23 along with Genesis 42:20 and 43:5 indicates that the statement in Genesis 44:22 was made during the second audience with Joseph but was not recorded.

Judah demonstrates great tact in omitting any reference to the accusations of espionage and their imprisonment.

Genesis 44:24, “Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.”

This statement is a reference to the conversation between Jacob and his sons after returning from Egypt the first time and is recorded in Genesis 42:29-38.

Genesis 44:25, “Our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’”

In Genesis 44:25, Judah is recounting his father’s statement, which is recorded in Genesis 43:2 and which statement expressed his father’s sentiment that the famine will only last a little while longer, which was not to be the case.

Genesis 44:26, “But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.’”

In Genesis 44:26, Judah is recounting his statement to his father, which is recorded in Genesis 43:3-5.

It was absolutely essential to produce Benjamin for the lord of Egypt since this would disprove the espionage charge leveled against the brothers by the lord of Egypt.

Genesis 44:27-28, “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons and the one went out from me, and I said, ‘Surely he is torn in pieces, and I have not seen him since.’”

Judah is recounting for Joseph a statement his father made, which is not recorded as being spoken by Jacob upon the return of his sons from Egypt.

The statement is recorded here in order to give the reader more details regarding what Jacob said to his sons upon their return from Egypt.

It is recorded here and not included with the previous conversations that Jacob had with his sons when they returned to Egypt but is recorded here in order to emphasize that for the first time Joseph learns of his father’s reaction to his alleged death.

Genesis 44:29, “If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

In Genesis 44:27-29, Judah is recounting and giving more details concerning his father’s statement, which is recorded in Genesis 42:38.

Judah makes reference to Rachel (“my wife”) and Benjamin and Joseph (“two sons”), the latter of which Jacob believed to have been “torn in pieces” by wild animals.

Next, we come to the second part of Judah’s speech, which is recorded in Genesis 44:30-32 and emphasizes to Joseph the adverse impact on his father if Benjamin is enslaved in Egypt.

Genesis 44:30-31, “Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Judah emphasizes the bond of affection between their father and Benjamin and makes his father’s words his own by stating that their father will die if Benjamin does not return home to him.

Now, we come to the final part of Judah’s speech, which is recorded in Genesis 44:32-34 in which Judah offers himself as a slave in the place of Benjamin.

Genesis 44:32, “For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’”

Judah’s statement explains why he is acting as the spokesman for all his brothers.

Judah makes reference to two distinct legal idioms in the days of patriarchs in order to emphasize the seriousness with which he is willing to assume responsibility of Benjamin.

The statement “your servant became surety for the lad to my father” is a reference to the first legal idiom, which refers to the statement Judah made to his father, which is recorded in Genesis 43:9.

This statement means that Judah guaranteed his father the safety of Benjamin by pledging that he will give his life and forfeit his estate in order to protect Benjamin.

The statement “If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever” is a reference to the second legal idiom, which refers to another statement Judah made to his father, which is recorded in Genesis 43:9.

This second idiom is used with respect to bloodshed indicating that Judah will be held responsible and will be required to give an account if Benjamin dies.

Judah’s promise to his father in Genesis 43:9 “then let me bear the blame before you” in the Hebrew text literally reads, “I will have been guilty of sinning against you.”

In the Hebrew text of Genesis 43:9 and 44:32 the word “forever” is composed of the adjective kol (lK)) (kole), “all” and articular plural form of the noun yom (<w)y) (yome), “the days.”

Therefore, together these three words literally mean “all the days (of my life)” indicating Judah is promising his father that he will bear the personal guilt and blame “all the days of his life” if Benjamin dies and not for all of eternity.

“Then let me bear the blame” is the verb chata (afj) (khaw-taw), which is in the qal stem and means, “to be guilty of a moral wrongdoing or sin,” which causes offense to another.

Therefore, this verb indicates that Judah is saying to his father that if he does not bring Benjamin back to Jacob alive, then he will have been guilty of sinning against his father and would also bear the personal guilt and shame as well.

Genesis 44:33, “Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.”

Genesis 44:34, “For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me -- for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?”

Judah is hoping that Joseph will understand his dilemma in which he finds himself and will be sym¬pathetic to his petition.

If Judah returns to Canaan without Benjamin, his father will die.

Judah is directly related to this situation since it is he who had assured his father of Benjamin’s safe return, offering himself as surety.

Judah laid out all the facts and now the situation is seen in the light of what Benjamin’s captivity would do to this patriarch about whom in previous audiences Joseph previously seemed to show concern.

If Joseph would consent to a substitution, his father’s death could be averted but if he did not consent, then Judah was willing to become his slave since he could not bear to bring any more grief upon his father.

He would prefer to remain a slave in Egypt than to be free in Canaan and witness the pain and suffering he had helped to bring upon his father.

Ironically, the one who was responsible for the idea of selling Joseph into slavery now offers to make himself the slave of his own victim, which is another manifestation of the providence of God, which contends that our lives are not governed by chance or fate but by God.

Judah feels responsible since he was the one who came up with the idea to sell Joseph into slavery.

However, we must remember that Judah did so only to prevent the death of Joseph.

The fact that Judah proposed to his brothers the sale of Joseph to the Midianites rather than killing him along with the phrase “Judah departed from his brothers,” which is recorded in Genesis 38:1 is a clear indication that Judah did “not” agree with his brother’s desire to kill Joseph and so he separates from them.

If you recall, in Genesis 37 we read that Reuben intervened and prevented his brothers from killing Joseph and proposed as an alternative to killing him with their bare hands that they throw him into an empty cistern and letting him die of natural causes.

This alternative was proposed by Reuben with the intention of saving Joseph when his brothers were not around.

After this Reuben left his brothers while they ate a meal and during the meal the talk was certainly revolving around Joseph and the idea of killing him.

Genesis 37:25-28 records Judah proposing to his brothers the sale of Joseph to the Midianites in order to prevent the murder of Joseph by his brothers.

Judah’s statement in Genesis 37:27, “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh” reveals that he has a conscience in that he acknowledges and reminds his brothers that Joseph is their brother.

Judah, like Reuben, disguised his desire to prevent the murder of Joseph because he feared for his own life since Simeon and Levi had recently killed all the men of the city of Shechem in retaliation for the rape of their sister Dinah.

Even though selling Joseph into slavery was evil, Judah felt that Joseph was better off alive as a slave than being dead.

Like his brother Reuben, Judah was guilty of a lack of moral courage and self-sacrifice in that he was not willing to stand up to his brothers and sacrifice himself if need be, to prevent the murder of Joseph.

Judah’s offer to be a substitute for Benjamin typifies the Lord Jesus who is our Substitute.

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died as a substitute for all of us.”

1 John 3:16, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”