The Story of Joseph (8)

Following the meal with Joseph, the brothers began the return journey to their home. Their sacks were again filled with food to feed their families. They were very happy with the way things had turned out for them; Simeon was with them again, and Benjamin was safe with his brothers. They had been treated very well and thought within themselves that father Jacob need not have been worried.

Suddenly they noticed a man, a servant of the governor coming up behind them. What did he want? He called out to them, “Men, men, why have you been so rude to the governor? You have rewarded him evil for good.”

Joseph’s brothers asked, “What have we done?”

“One of you has taken the governor’s silver cup.”

“No,” the brothers said, “we would never do such a thing. We even brought back the money that was in our bags after our first visit. That will show you that we are honest men. Please look in our bags, and if you find the cup in one of our bags, let that man be killed, and the rest of us will be your slaves.”

These were terrible words. The man proceeded to open each bag. He started with Reuben, no cup. Then Simeon, again no cup. Finally, he came to Benjamin’s sack, and ... there was the silver cup. No, not Benjamin! The brothers were crushed. If Benjamin were to be killed, what would happen to father Jacob? They would not let the man take only Benjamin, but they all returned to stand before Joseph. Can you imagine how afraid these brothers were to stand before the governor, or how angry Joseph would be?

When they stood before the governor, he said to them, “What have you done? Did you think that I would not find out these things?”

Then Judah spoke for all the brothers and said, “Oh my lord, let thy servant speak, and please do not be angry with us. God has found out the iniquity of thy servants. Behold, we are thy lord’s servants, all of us including the little one.”

Then Joseph said, “God forbid that I would do that, but he in whose sack the cup was found, he shall be my servant, and the rest of you can return to your own land.”

Then Judah began to speak. “Sir,” he said, “you asked us about our father and whether we had any other brothers. We were told that we should bring our youngest brother if we wanted to buy food again. Our father did not want to let him go, and he said that if anything happened to our little brother, it would cause him to die. If we do not bring our youngest brother home again our father will die. I will be your servant instead of Benjamin.”

Then something strange happened. Joseph commanded all of the Egyptians to leave the room, and he began to cry. When Joseph was alone with his brothers, he cried out, “I am Joseph, is my father still alive?”

The brothers looked at each other, and they became very afraid. Joseph? And he is next to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt? What will now happen to us?

Joseph saw that his brothers were very afraid. “Do not fear,” he said, “God has determined that I should be here so that your lives would be spared. There are still five more years of famine coming, so hurry and bring my father; tell him that I am lord over all of Egypt and that God has determined that I may provide for all of you during these difficult years.”

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