Genesis 44:18 Commentary and Bible Study

The brothers are still bowed to the ground before Joseph and speaking to him from that low position. There is no bravado about them anymore. They acknowledge he has an absolute right to do with them as he likes. They are on the ground at some distance from him. But now Judah takes his life in his hands and comes near to this man who is going to determine their fate. He has given up appealing to any rights he may have, or arguing his innocence. He does not attempt to deny the sin they are accused of, even though they are innocent, because he knows they are sinful in many other respects, and believes that God has justly brought all these troubles on them. All he says is going to appeal to Joseph’s pity. He appeals on behalf of them all. He is now being completely open and placing his terrible dilemma before this man. Can he be moved to compassion or will he prove to be heartless? Judah will do his best to lay out the extreme agony of their situation.He rehearses the whole history of Joseph’s interaction with them and the fortunes of the family. He still does not know who he is speaking to, nor how powerfully his words will move the heart of this governor of Egypt. He speaks perhaps with little hope that he is going to get through to the man, but his account of the fortunes of the family are devastating to Joseph. The seeker prays in near despair that he is going to be heard, but his simple sincere prayer moves the Lord’s heart more than he realises. Joseph’s strictures have deeply affected the workings of the family. Judah is careful not to blame Joseph for any of this, but it is part of his argument that the troubles they now face have come about because of their careful adherence to all he has said, and even their father has been forced to go along with it, even though it hurt him much to do so. Joseph learns for the first time how the brothers falsely explained his absence, and what pain this had cause his father. Judah raises the possibility that the retaining of Benjamin may well bring about the death of the father through grief. Finally he offers what he had been leading up to: that he take the place of Benjamin, and act as surety for him as he has promised his father he will do. Joseph can bear it no more. His love for his father and brothers cannot be hidden any longer. He is overcome with emotion. He offers himself into slavery instead of Benjamin. That's the key. There is the action. Joseph wouldn't give up until there was an action. ‘I will serve as a slave’, says Judah. That had to be. And only then did Joseph reveal himself. It's a model for evangelism. It's a parallel, conviction even. That's so refreshing. Those hardened, callous men were convicted, but it wasn't enough. There must also be repentance. We have to say, ‘I will give up the world for Christ’s sake. I will be ever, only, all for thee.’ Christ does all the earning and all the suffering on our behalf. What a wonderful representation of the Lord Jesus Christ Joseph is! As the sinner draws near to Christ, he at first sees only severity and judgment. Christ is teaching us the seriousness of our condition, and the foolishness of thinking that we can justify ourselves before him. It may seem to the seeker that Christ has a heart of stone, but that is because he is hiding his compassion from us. Joseph charged his brothers with crimes they had not committed. Christ does not do that; there are enough crimes and sins we have committed, but God exercises his sovereignty in bringing all manner of difficulties and obstacles into our lives which he has the perfect right to do without explaining himself to us. These do not necessarily relate to any particular sin we have committed, but they are designed to hem us in with our own consciences.In so many respects, they are now changed men. brought to confess their guilt and to acknowledge that God has discovered it, as was Joseph’s intention. They are made to express deep concern for their father now, whereas before they had lied to him and it did not worry them what he suffered such grief at the loss of a son. Now Judah is ready to take the place of Benjamin in a noble act of self-sacrifice. He has promised Jacob that he will act as surety for his younger brother, and now he is making good on his promise, even though it is going to cost him dear. How different this is to the Judah who in hypocrisy had said, ‘What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? ²⁷ Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. (Genesis 37:26-27)’ Judah’s words to Joseph now are clearly sincere and all deceit seems to have gone from him. This final speech indicates the true repentance of Judah and his brothers and Joseph is satisfied.