“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.”
~ Genesis 44:33
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever done something to another kid that you really wish now that you had not done? What would you do if you were given a second chance to make something right after you did something that you wished later that you had not done? Have you ever blamed another kid for something that you did? Have you ever tricked or teased another kid in a way that would make him or her look like he or she was not as smart or as cool as you? Judah was given a second chance to make something right. Judah had five bros and six half-bros. Judah’s dad’s name was Jacob and his ma’s name was Leah. Leah was not Jacob’s only wife; Jacob was also married to Leah’s little sis. Leah’s little sis’ name was Rachel. Because Leah was older than Rachel, Laban – Leah’s dad, made Jacob marry Leah before he would let Jacob marry Rachel even though Jacob only loved Rachel. Leah and Rachel each had their own maidservant who went wherever Leah and Rachel went. Jacob lived almost 3000 years ago. Guys, gals and kids lived quite differently 3000 years ago than what they do today. Jacob lived in a land area which is known today as Israel. Besides have six boys, Jacob and Leah had a gal. Jacob and Rachel had two boys. Jacob was also the dad of four other boys. Two of these boys were born to him and Leah’s maidservant – whose name was Zilpah. Two other boys were born to him and Rachel’s maidservant – whose name was Bilhah. Judah had three older bros. Their names were Reuben, Simeon and Levi. Judah had a half-bro – who was Rachel’s kid, whose names was Joseph. Joseph was his dad’s favorite kid. Joseph’s half-bros really did not like Joseph at all. Joseph did communicate some things to his half-bros that . . . such as explaining to his half-bros the meaning of a couple of dreams that he had had that had his half-bros bowing down to him. Joseph ended up getting his half-brothers so mad at him that they . . .
Do you know what the boys who were born to Leah, Zilpah and Bilhah did to Joseph – after Joseph had really gotten under their skin? Most of Joseph’s half-bros wanted to kill him. Reuben did not want to kill Joseph. Reuben told his bros and half-bros to put Joseph in a cistern and . . . Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later from the cistern. Reuben for some reason took off for a time to someplace else leaving his other bros and half-bros at the cistern. While Reuben was gone, a Midianite camel caravan that was on its way to Egypt just happened to pass by near the cistern where Joseph had been lowered into by his half-bros and where most of Joseph’s half-bros were still hanging out. Judah got an idea when he saw the Midianite camel caravan passing near them. Judah suggested that he and his bros and half-bros sell Joseph to the Midianite guys who were passing by them on their camels – which is what they did. If you had a lot of half-bros, how would you feel towards your half-bros if one day your half-bros decided that they would get rid of you by either killing you or by selling you to some strangers who would then in turn sell you to be a slave?
It is now over twenty years later. A severe famine is happening everywhere. A famine is when it gets so dry that guys are unable to raise crops for the grain that they and their animals need to have to survive. A famine is when God does not allow rain to fall. Joseph by this time had made a name for himself in Egypt. Joseph’s dad by this time had long accepted that Joseph was dead – having been convinced by most of his other sons that a wild animal had killed Joseph. The moment had come in God’s perfect plan that He has designed before He created planet Earth for every single guy, gal and kids who has lived, is living and will live on planet Earth for Joseph’s bro, half-bros, dad and the rest of his family to be reunited with Joseph. Joseph’s dad and his extended family were living in Israel. Israel was weeks away by walking from where Joseph was living in Egypt. When Joseph’s dad heard about grain having been stockpiled in Egypt . . . Joseph’s half-bros did not recognize Joseph when they met him. Joseph told his half-bros to take Benjamin – their little half-bro kid who was Joseph’s one real bro, back with them to Egypt if they needed to return for more grain. When Joseph’s half-bros returned to Egypt for more grain, they took Benjamin with them. Joseph played what seems to your grandpaa a mean trick on his half-bros by . . . Genesis 44 recounts what Joseph did. When a silver cup that Joseph had was allegedly found missing. Joseph had told his steward to put the cup in Benjamin’s bag. After his half-bros had begun their return trek to Israel with bags of grain, Joseph had his half-bros return to Egypt. Before Joseph had all the bags searched, Joseph told his half-bros that he would make the guy his slave whose bag had his silver cup in it. When Joseph’s silver cup was found in Benjamin’s bag, how do you think that Joseph’s half-bros felt? Joseph’s half-bros did not want to go back to Israel. Joseph’s half-bros did not want to tell their dad that their little half-bro was now the slave of an Egyptian leader. Judah took this moment to redeem himself by telling Joseph in verse 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.” Judah was willing to stay in Egypt as Joseph’s slave instead of leaving Benjamin there. Jacob had made Benjamin his favorite kid after he was told that animals had killed Joseph. Jacob by now was an old guy. Judah knew that if Benjamin did not return with his half-bros to Israel, that losing another son might very well kill his dad. Your grandpaa hopes that you will always be ready to always do what is the right thing to do in spite of what another kid has said or done to you that really makes you want to . . .
Genesis 44 (341)