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Text: Genesis 44
Joseph sets up the brothers so that Benjamin will be forced to stay with him in Egypt. He has his servants hide a royal cup in Benjamin’s luggage. In the morning, the brothers are sent back to Canaan. Unbeknownst to them, Benjamin has a royal cup in his sack. Joseph then sends some servants to stop the brothers and have them searched and accused of theft. When Joseph’s royal guard identifies the cup, the brothers are terrified. Joseph orders Benjamin to stay in Egypt because the cup was found in his bag. But Jacob will die if the brothers come home without Benjamin. This is when Judah steps up and offers his life a ransom. Judah must now make good on his promise to be surety for Benjamin. He must offer himself in place of Benjamin.
Responsibility
- Judah takes responsibility for sin that isn’t his (vss 14-17)
- Now, it’s true that Benjamin didn’t steal any cup from Joseph. But Judah doesn’t know all that. All Judah knows is the cup was found with Benjamin. For Judah to offer himself for Benjamin’s supposed sin is his propitiation.
- The one that takes responsibility is the leader; this is what God defines as leadership.
- Remember David? David asks why no one is dealing with Goliath. God says there’s a leader.
- In Judah is found the kind of leadership that is like Christ.
Ransom
- Judah explains the predicament that if they return without Benjamin, Jacob will die a miserable man.
- Joseph is caught between a rock and a hard place. He wants Benjamin to stay with him, but he doesn’t want his dad to be troubled thinking Benjamin is dead. When this exchange happens, Joseph will not be able to refrain himself anymore and he’ll reveal who he is to his brothers.
- Yet in this exchange is the character of Christ found in Judah. He offers himself a ransom for Benjamin. Look at verses 33-34.
Royalty
- Judah will now carry the seed of the Messiah
- Genesis 49:8-12 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
- Why not the Lion from the tribe of Joseph? The simple reason is Joseph is #11 in line. Judah is the fourth born son, and since Reuben, Levi, and Simeon have been disqualified, Judah is the next brother in line to carry the seed.
- Judah takes responsibility for sin that isn’t his. He offers himself a ransom. And for this, he is made royalty.
- Philippians 2:5-11
