"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."
Genesis 50:20
Part 6
Yesterday: Benjamin Goes to Egypt
“But God meant it unto good.” (b)
God has given the brothers favor in the eyes of the ruler in Egypt (Joseph). They eat a meal in his home, something unheard of in Egypt up to that time.
Today: Benjamin “Brings Trouble” to the Brothers
“But God meant it unto good.” (c)
The Egyptian ruler, Joseph, has shown his brothers great kindness by feeding them a meal in his home. They still did not recognize him.
When it was time for the men to leave and go back to Jacob, Joseph had his men pack up as much grain as the men could carry. And once again, he had their money put on top of the grain in their sacks. And to Benjamin’s sack, beside the money, the servants added Joseph’s silver cup that he drank from at the table. Ruben and the brothers left Joseph, but Joseph’s men came after them before they made it scarcely out of the city. When Joseph’s men caught up with the brothers, the steward said,
“We were good to you! So why have you been bad to us? Why did you steal my master’s silver cup? My master drinks from that cup, and he uses it to learn secret things. What you did was wrong!’” (Genesis 44:4b-5, HSB).[1]
The brothers were shocked! They assured Joseph’s steward that there was no way they could’ve done this thing. One of the brothers boldly spoke up,
“If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord’s servants” (Genesis 44:9, BBE).[2]
The steward agreed, and the search began. One at a time, their donkeys were unloaded, and their bags were searched, from the oldest to the youngest. And when they unloaded Benjamin’s donkey and opened the sack of grain, of course, there was Joseph’s silver cup. Judah and his brothers were escorted back to Joseph’s house and again fell on their faces before him. Joseph spoke to the brothers and said,
“The man who took my silver cup will be my servant.”
Surely Jacob’s words blared in their brains! Judah begged Joseph to let him stay and send Benjamin back to his father, so their father will not die (Genesis 44:18-34).
Why were all these troubles finding these men? They only want to feed their families! But one after another, it seems like the hits keep coming. Someday, in the future, David will say,
“The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses” (Psalm 25:17).
At the time, the brothers probably did not consider these things as coming from God’s good hand. But behind the scenes, God was at work. He was not just working on sparing their lives, but He was working on changing their hearts as well. They had hated their brother Joseph with fury, and so they sold him off into slavery.
“For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart” (Psalm 11:2).
Jacob’s son’s hateful sin was done in the past. There was no record that the men’s hearts were any different now. God is definitely in the process of changing their hearts.
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
It’s not just what a man says or does, but it is his very personal thoughts that he meditates on down in the depths of his heart that matters. No one else knows what’s in his heart except for God.
“Shall not God search this out? for He knoweth the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21).
These men need a change of heart that only God can give them.
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
They are in serious trouble. Their backs are against the wall. What will become of them? From a human perspective, they are in a world of hurt and at the mercy of a foreign ruler that they did not know or have any clout with. His steward found Joseph’s silver cup in Benjamin’s sack of grain. It looks like he is a thief. Judah offers himself to Joseph to be his slave. He requests that Joseph let Benjamin go back to Israel with the brothers so that his father Jacob will not die of grief. The anxiety in Joseph’s house must’ve been profound.
Finally, Joseph could not keep his emotions in check any longer, and he wept in front of everyone in the room. The brothers must’ve been stunned. This is not the way that foreign prime ministers conduct their business. And then Joseph sent away all the household help and was alone with his estranged brothers.
“And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence!” (Genesis 45:3).
Please come back tomorrow as we witness the reunion between Joseph and his brothers.
Quote: “As every mercy is a drop obtained from the ocean of God’s goodness, so every affliction is a drachm [dram[3]] weighed out in the wisdom of God’s providence” (James H. Aughey) (1828 – 1911).
[1] HSB is The Harvest Study Bible from Harvest Ministries in Guam.
[2] BBE is The Bible in Basic English.
[3] The drachm is “a unit of weight formerly used by apothecaries [pharmacists], equivalent to 60 grains or one-eighth of an ounce.” That’s very light! This definition was Downloaded: Saturday, August 14, 2021. From: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=define+drachm. Oxford Languages provide Google’s English dictionary.