As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 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 dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.
And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father. (Gen 44:3-5, 9-10, 12, 18, 30-31, 33-34)
The testing continues. Have the brothers really changed, especially toward Benjamin, the new favorite? Joseph tries their hearts and exposes their character with this simple test of how they respond to his frame and an accusation of theft leveled against Benjamin. Judah steps up and offers himself instead of Benjamin, for the loss of Benjamin would certainly grieve his father significantly if not outright kill him. This is also part of the bigger test that GOD is carrying out to reveal the character of the children of Israel, and another step in the process of bringing the family safe into Egypt for the remainder of the famine.
GOD knows us, not only the hairs of our heads, but our character and our thoughts. He knows what still needs work within us, and where we need correcting and shaping to conform us to the image of His dear Son. He can and does use many experiences and of course, the consequences of our own actions, to reveal to us and in us that which He is correcting. Our response is to repent and obey, growing in His Word, and in the grace which He sheds abroad in our hearts. The more we spend time in His Word, the closer we draw to Him, the more like Him we become, and people will see Him in us, the hope of Glory.
We are to attract people to GOD; in our actions, our character, and what we say and think. We are to lift Him up, to acknowledge Him in all things, and apply His Word to all situations. We are to minister to the hurting, disciple one another in the Word, and most of all, proclaim the Good News of Salvation to all we meet. As we go, we are to tell all who will hear of the grace that comes from GOD to those who put their trust in Him and their faith in His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, that believing they might have life in His Name.
For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. Just as Judah stood for his brother, GOD took your place, and you must trust what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD with forgiveness and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new heart in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
GOD knows us, not only the hairs of our heads, but our character and our thoughts. He knows what still needs work within us, and where we need correcting and shaping to conform us to the image of His dear Son. He can and does use many experiences and of course, the consequences of our own actions, to reveal to us and in us that which He is correcting. Our response is to repent and obey, growing in His Word, and in the grace which He sheds abroad in our hearts. The more we spend time in His Word, the closer we draw to Him, the more like Him we become, and people will see Him in us, the hope of Glory.
We are to attract people to GOD; in our actions, our character, and what we say and think. We are to lift Him up, to acknowledge Him in all things, and apply His Word to all situations. We are to minister to the hurting, disciple one another in the Word, and most of all, proclaim the Good News of Salvation to all we meet. As we go, we are to tell all who will hear of the grace that comes from GOD to those who put their trust in Him and their faith in His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, that believing they might have life in His Name.
For GOD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. Just as Judah stood for his brother, GOD took your place, and you must trust what He has already done for you to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with GOD with forgiveness and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD who is GOD the Son, to give you a new heart in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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