Gen. 44:1-61And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? 5Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. 6And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. (Genesis 44:1‑6)
“And he commanded the steward... Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.” vv. 1, 2.
Jacob’s sons had a pressing need to return to their father and their families with the food for which they had made the long trip. Early the next morning, after dining in Joseph’s house the evening before, they set out on the homeward journey, not knowing that it would be quickly interrupted. No doubt they were in good spirits, for had not the “governor of the land” shown them great kindness, even inviting them into his house to eat? Furthermore he had not mentioned the money that had been found in their sacks on the first trip. Surely all was well with them now and they would look forward with pleasure to returning home there to tell of their amazing experiences.
If such were their thoughts they were much like those of natural man who, in the midst of pleasant circumstances that God has graciously provided for him, often forgets about his sins and his moral distance from God. He thinks not of the need of being reconciled to Him. But if the brothers for the time being put their consciences aside, Joseph realized that in the moral government of God his brethren needed to be searched more thoroughly. Love joined righteousness to bring about their restitution.
The more we look at Joseph’s plan at this time the more we are amazed at his divinely appointed wisdom in establishing circumstances that would not only discomfit and exercise his brothers, but would at once prove the sincerity of their earlier confession: “We are verily guilty concerning our brother.” Benjamin, innocent so far as their cruel crime was concerned, was to be the one through whom they would be tested. There would be an opportunity, in Joseph’s dealings with them, for them to sacrifice the younger brother, just as they had sacrificed Joseph many years previously and thus escape to their own comfort and safety. If this is to be their choice, they will then be confronted once more with the grief of their father; but they had known his grief long before when they falsely reported Joseph had been slain by a wild animal and they had hardened their hearts to the old man’s sorrow.
Had the hearts of these men truly been exercised as to their longstanding guilt? Had their confession of that guilt been real? Would the cause of Benjamin and Jacob now move their hearts or would they again be callously indifferent thereto in the desire to preserve themselves and to escape. The plan that Joseph put in motion would effectively bring out the truth of these questions as no other circumstance could.
“And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou do3t overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?... And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.” vv. 4, 6.
ML 09/10/1967