So the brothers enjoyed their time in Egypt, well treated by Joseph. Then Joseph asked his manager to load them with full sacks, returned the money and …. also to “insert” a silver cup into Benjamin’s sack, before returning to Canaan.
On the way, he instructed his manager to chase and pretending to accuse them of stealing.
The brothers responded: “If that chalice is found on any of us, he’ll die; and the rest of us will be your master’s slaves”
The manager acted fair and responded that he would only take the one whose sack got the cup.
and…..*drum roll*……………………….
The cup was found inside Benjamin’s sack.
They ripped their clothes in despair, loaded up their donkeys, and went back to the city.
Judah offered for everyone to stay back as slaves – they would not leave Benjamin, he said: “God is behind this, exposing how bad we are. We stand guilty before you and ready to be your slaves—we’re all in this together, the rest of us as guilty as the one with the chalice.”
Judah described his love for Jacob : “If you now go and take this one and something bad happens to him, you’ll put my old gray, grieving head in the grave for sure.” – (note: so this also strengthens my guess, that in last chapter, when Jacob said, “if he’s gone than I am gone” – it’s more a frustration sigh, and that to him his life is finished if something happened to Benjamin. Judah knew, that Jacob would die of sorrow, if Benjamin did not come back.)
And here is Judah, one of the brothers, who were discriminated by his father, who planned to kill Joseph, and sold Joseph as slave, one whose moral life is questionable with the complicated twist with Tamar, he said:
“So let me stay here as your slave, not this boy. Let the boy go back with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? Oh, don’t make me go back and watch my father die in grief!”
The chapter ends here. Joseph was full with emotions upon hearing this.
Sometimes, love needs that moment. It takes a peculiar kairos to reveal it. It takes God’s miracle to bloom it that appears in an ordinary and natural way.
May God’s love strengthen our love.
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