THE SILVER DCUP

 

Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.  3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’”  6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks.

 

Lesson One:  So Joseph now puts his final plan into action.  He tells his steward to give them grain, their money back.  Then he tells him to put his silver cup, the one he drank from the night before into the sack of the youngest one.  This was Joseph’s ruse to get Benjamin to stay in Egypt but also to find out the true heart of his brothers.  Tests are a great way to find out the skill, knowledge and true nature of a person.  God tests us all the time.  They are designed to refine and purify us.  Here are four reasons testing is good.   Testing Assesses What has been Learned. It Identifies a persons Strengths and Weaknesses. Testing Measures Effectiveness and Determines Recipients of Awards and Recognition.

     Now noticed again the boys did not check their sacks again.  Is this is an oversight?  No because if they did in the sight of the steward it would be an insult to the Prime Minister and it would say they did not trust Him and this actually carried a death sentence in the ancient world.  Trust was the component of any long term relationship. 

     Now they had not gone far from the city when Joseph’s sends his steward them with the instructions that the cup stolen is used for drinking and divination.   Joseph owned a silver divination cup as did all Egyptian nobility at that time.  It was part of the objects every Prime Minister had.  We know Joseph did not need or use it.  Joseph also used this as a ruse his brother Benjamin back.  So when the steward caught up to them.  Now can you imagine they are just out of the city and a chariot comes out to catch them.  The steward repeated what Joseph said.  By the way in the ancient world you were expected to repeat your instruction word for word. 

     They claimed their innocence and even repeated how they had been honest by bringing back the money the second time.  We would all do this and even ask what do we have to gain by this.  This must have been a shock to them.  Of course they did not know what was going on. 

 

9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”  10 “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.”  11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

 

Lesson Two:  So then they go to the extreme. Why did they say this.   They were so confident of their innocence that they said.  The one who does this will die and we will become your slaves.  This is probably Rueben talking again.  They also said this because they knew that stealing from a Nobleman in the ancient world was a capital offence.  It would also involve having members of the thief’s family put into slavery. 

     The steward then said, Ok, it will be just as you say but whoever is found to have the cup will become my slave.  Now he said this because he was acting on behalf of Joseph.  What he did was he was downgrading the crime from a capital offence to a slavery issue.  As the Prime Minister representative he could do that. 

     So they lower their sacks and he searches their packs.  Now get this, he opens Rueben’s and inside they see the grain, their money.  Can you see the shock on their faces when they see the money.  The very thing they were using to proclaim their innocence was staring them in the face and can you feel the tension of the moment.  Jaws dropped faces hanging down.  What was happening.  All ten brothers have been searched.  Then Benjamin’s sack is opened and there is the cup.  The shock, the betrayal.  Benjamin what have you done?  The thing they promised their dad had just happened.  They tore their clothes.  I can see the look on the brothers face as they shot looks of betrayal and shock at Benjamin.    Benjamin how could you do this and Benjamin completely confused?  They loaded their sacks and donkeys and went back to the city.

 

14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?”  16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.”  17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”

 

Lesson Three:  Now Joseph was in the house when they arrived.  I love the staging for this.  They immediately prostrate themselves.  Before Joseph.  They knew he had the power of life and death.  They knew they were accused of a capital crime.  Joseph then states how could they do this did they knew he was a man who could find out things by divination.  A common practice among Egyptian nobles.  This was identifying him as an Egyptian.  It was also part of his ruse.  This was part of the testing process. 

    Then Judah spoke up.  This is when Judah took the eldest son role.  He spoke up because he had guaranteed Benjamin’s safety.  He also at that moment became the man God intended him to be.  Often the cream rises to the top and that is what happening.  What can we say, he repeats it twice.  How can we prove our innocence?  God has uncovered our guilt.  Judah says God has shown you this.  The God of Abraham, Isaac ad Jacob.  Joseph had referred to this God and now Judah was acknowledging it.  Judah was testifying to this heathen nobleman that God and God alone had shown him this.  This is a consequence of their sin.  Judah was confessing his sin and not looking for mercy but taking responsibility and the consequences with it.  When he stated that now not just Benjamin was his slave but they were as well.  True repentance not only bring confession but the willingness to face whatever punishment comes with it.   This was the first time that Joseph saw the reformed nature in his brothers.  Judah was showing this.  This was Judah’s moment. 

     Then Joseph rejected the offer and said, no, just the one who took the cup will be his slave the rest can go free.  Joseph in disguise knew what this would do to his father.  So he was giving the boys a way out.  The test was in the final stages.  Had they reformed our was this just Judah?

 

  18 Then Judah went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’  21 “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’ 23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.  25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’  27 “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.’

 

Lesson Four:  Judah then continues to speak on behalf of the family.  He knows that this Nobleman is the Prime Minister is equal to the king.  He is asking for mercy, grace and a hearing.  Before you past judgment hear our side of the story.  He relates several facts here.  You asked about our family and we told you about dad, youngest brother and one who Is dead.  Remember they thought after 20 years Joseph was dead.  Did you know the average life span in slavery in the ancient world was 5-8 years.  In prison at the most five.  Slaves lives in appalling conditions, often work to death and could be sold or killed at the masters whims.  So they assumed Joseph was dead.

     You told us to bring him down to you and told us we would not see your face again unless we did.  This was also a condition of Simeon’s release.  Then he told this Nobleman the consequences of his command.  Their father was in agony, because he had already lost one son to being torn to pieces.  Now this fills in the story and tells Joseph the story they told their dad about his death.   Then he tells the Prime Minister that this will be a thing that could kill their father if Benjamin does not come back. Family was just as important in Egypt as it was in Canaan.   I don’t know if Judah was playing on the sympathy of the Nobleman but as far as Judah was concerned there were the fact of the case.  The test was entering its final stage.  This also a good way to defuse conflict.  Judah was practicing good conflict resolution besides saving their lives.  Here are six things you need to do to resolve conflict. 

 

Talk with the other person. ...

Focus on behavior and events, not on personalities. ...

Listen carefully. ...

Identify points of agreement and disagreement. ...

Prioritize the areas of conflict. ...

Develop a plan to work on each conflict.

 

30 “So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life, 31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’  33 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 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.”

 

Lesson Five:  Judah continues with now with the results of what will happen to their father.  This father is closely bound up in the boy.  He is saying that Benjamin is this man’s life.  He cannot live without him.  So if they do not come back his father’s reason for living is gone.  I have heard how in many cases spouses die not long after the death of their spouse.  That is what happened to Debbie Reynolds when Carrie Fisher died.  He was saying for this dad it is a life or death situation.  His sorrow will be too much.

     Then Judah reveals why he is talking.  He has guaranteed the safety of the boy to his father and he cannot go back without him.  Judah just offered his life for the boys.  A noble act indeed.  He was now the kinsmen redeemer.  Judah was becoming like Christ.  Jesus took our place.  Judah was willing to become a slave.  He was a prince but now he was willing to become a slave.  Judah was offering his life for Benjamin.  He was talking Benjamin’s place.   He was a willing offering.  Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethesame.  This was an O.T. type of Christ moment.  This is why Judah became the Princely tribe.  This is the reason why David and eventually Christ came because of this moment.  He did not want to see his father suffer anymore.    This is the moment that Judah rose to the first born.  He was willing to do something none of the boys were willing to do at first.  You can see Judah’s compassion, grace, love and nobility coming out.  This is redemption in full view.  I love this moment.  As we close I want to focus on what Jesus did.  He allowed his body to be broken, his blood to be shed.  He died, was buried and rose again.  Carman’s this blood’s for you.