# 2 2024 Dev. Ge. 44:13. God’s Test! Was it successful? Read all of chapter forty four first . We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Ge. 44:13 “At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.”
Ch.44 continues the story of Joseph in Egypt. God placed Joseph where He needed him to be to fulfill God’s purposes. This chapter is the culmination of Joseph’s testing his brothers from the first time they came to him for food. It begs the question; does God test us at times? Does God allow Satan to tempt us sometimes?
Vs.1-5 The Test. Joseph is determined to understand if his brothers had changed in the last twenty years. We know very little about the brothers. We see that Reuben offers Jacob his two children if Benjamin is not returned to him. But Jacob did not accept that offer. When they finally had to go back Judah guaranteed Benjamin’s safety. Reuben had tried to save Joseph but failed, Judah was the one who suggested selling Joseph instead of killing him. Providentially, a caravan came along at the right time, a caravan of people related to them.
The test was that Joseph had his silver cup put into Benjamin’s grain bag and they did not get far.
Vs.6-9 Joseph’s steward was sent after them and accused them of taking Joseph’s silver cup. The brothers were incredulous, why would we do a thing like that? Whoever is found with the cup, “ he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.” This is what Jacob had said to Laban when accused of stealing his gods.
Vs.10 -13 “Very well, then,” he said, ‘let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.”’ The search proceeded, beginning with Reuben down to the youngest. There was a lot of tension but the closer the steward came to the end of searching the better the brothers were feeling, until of course the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. ‘ At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.”
Vs.14-15 Joseph plays his diversion to the hilt: “Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?” After all that had happened the brothers still did not have a clue.
Vs.16-34 “Judah replied. ‘What can we say…God has uncovered your servant’s guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves… But Joseph said: ‘Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will be my slave.’”
After this Judah approached Joseph, and reiterates their earlier conversation about his family as well as the conversation they had with his father and the family situation concerning Benjamin. He ends his conversation with: “ How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”
He lays his father’s possible grief at Joseph’s feet. Was God’s test through Joseph successful? Yes, The brothers had changed due in part because of the result of selling Joseph to Egypt, Jacob’s grief, and their dealings with Joseph brought it all back to them and confronted them with the reality of family and loss.
We all need confrontation at times, yes, God does test us and Satan temps us, but God stands with us and gets us through whatever happens to us! Amen and Amen!
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