Genesis 44:3-34 Joseph's Cup

To see Genesis 44:3-34 without my comments click HERE.

In the last posting we see that Joseph had his silver cup put in Benjamin's sack. Although he was framing him, or setting him up, the final outcome for Benjamin would have been a good outcome either way. If his brothers disowned him and left after finding the cup then Benjamin would have lived out his days in the land of Egypt with Joseph. If his brothers didn't disown him when it was discovered then that would mean that Joseph's brothers have changed since they sold him into slavery 22 years prior.

This silver cup mentioned was not just an ordinary “silver cup” because the Egyptians practiced a pagan art called “Hydromancy” through which various procedures would determine their future and they would receive answers from their pagan gods. Today a form of Hydromancy still exists with fortune tellers and such that read tea leaves. This cup of Joseph's was in essence a portal to the gods, so it wasn't just an ordinary silver cup. Although Joseph did not practice Hydromancy, as far as his half brothers who did not recognize him as being Joseph were concerned, it was the ultimate of insults to take the cup from an Egyptian official. Joseph told his brothers that they would have had no chance at all to get away from Egypt with his cup because his contacts with the spirit world made him divine (Strong's #5172) v15.

Joseph's brothers knew the Egyptians practiced Hydromancy and taking the cup from the Governor of Egypt was serious business. Joseph recognized the god of Abraham when he dined with his brothers and told them they rewarded good with evil.

Upon finding the silver cup in Benjamin's sack the brothers knew there would be trouble. Judah, who was instrumental in selling Joseph into slavery 22 years earlier, told the entire story of his father and the events leading up to this point. He also told him that if Benjamin did not return with him to Canaan land then their father Jacob/Israel would literally die from a broken heart.

At this point Judah manned up and told Joseph that he will take the place of Benjamin as his servant v33 If he would let Benjamin go. I am sure the memory of selling Joseph into slavery earlier had bearing on his decision as he rented his clothes and repented. 

I praise the Lord for the outcome of this story in which this test could only have happened because Joseph had a forgiving spirit that came from directly from God. Because of his position, Joseph had the ability to have his brothers killed at anytime based only upon his whim. Joseph recognized that everything in his life happened because of Yahweh.