Author: Beth Duncan

Genesis 44:15 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?”

I am still struggling with whether this is a test set by Joseph that God uses or a test set by God, who instructs Joseph. It feels incredibly pointed, but Joseph gets the information he is after: His brothers have changed.

Genesis 44:16 “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.”

Twenty years ago, they sold him into slavery. Now, they have pledged to all be slaves, not just Benjamin, in whose bag the cup was found. These “middle-aged men…of relative privilege” (from commentary) put their fate in with the favored younger brother without a second thought.

Genesis 44:17 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.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for this reminder that people can change. I can sometimes be quick to judge and slow to let go of a grudge. Forgive me. Help me to see others as You see them. Help me to give others (and myself) grace upon grace as we strive to become more like You. Amen.

Genesis 44:18 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.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 44:11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 

Instead of talking about the scripture today, I want to talk about the commentary I read each day along with the scripture. I’ll be honest. Sometimes I read scripture and have no clue what is going on. Sometimes I don’t understand why something is being emphasized. Reading commentary often helps me make sense of things.

Genesis 44:12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 

But you might remember that I said I intentionally read commentary that I don’t always agree with and sometimes vehemently disagree with. That’s to, hopefully, keep myself from the echo chamber effect of solidifying my beliefs because there is nothing to challenge them. I am also learning, really slowly, to sit with questions I don’t have answers to. That’s still really difficult for me.

Genesis 44:13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the process of reading, studying, and trying to understand Your word. Thank You that some days You reveal truths, some days You help me see prejudices, some days You leave me with questions so that I will continue to read, study, and seek You. Help me, every day, to draw closer to You and shine Your light. Amen.

Genesis 44:14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 44:6-7 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 

One of the things that I tell my students often is that we don’t know what we don’t know. That mantra comes to mind as I read today’s scripture. The brothers don’t know that the Egyptian they have been dealing with is the brother they sold into slavery. They don’t know that he is testing them to be sure they have changed.

Genesis 44:8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 

When we act on what we think we know, not realizing what we don’t know, we leave ourselves open to folly, to mistakes. We act as though we have all the answers when what we have, typically, is partial information. What can we learn? What can we share? How can we grow?

Genesis 44:9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”

Precious Savior, It’s easy to think that we have all the answers, that we know all we need to know to proceed confidently, but rarely is that the case. Help us to get better at communication, to approach situations from a standpoint of growth and learning instead of certainty. Help us to shine Your light and point others to You, Lord. Amen.

Genesis 44:10 “ 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.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 44:1 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. 

Again, on its surface, this feels like just one more test by Joseph. However, at this point, I kind of see where he is coming from. Benjamin is the youngest, the favorite, the other child of his own mother. Joseph wants to be sure, one final test, that the brothers have changed their hearts.

Genesis 44:2 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.

But how do we know that this is from God and not from Joseph. Commentary seems to imply that we just know, that Joseph has changed and now he is doing God’s will, not his own, so that’s how we know it’s from God. I can sort of see it. Sort of. It still feels like there is a lot of Joseph’s will in this situation.

Genesis 44:3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 

Precious Savior, As You can see, I’m bad at reading people, reading situations. As I can see, I clearly should not be casting judgment on others because I am bad at it. Help me to do what You have for me to do and not to do things that aren’t mine to do–like judging others in any way…their actions, their motives, their words. I am not qualified. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 44:4-5 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? Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 43:31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.”

Commentary talks about this dinner, this seating arrangement, this favoritism of the youngest as a test crafted by Joseph to be sure his brothers’ hearts are truly changed. I still struggle with seeing it as some kind of payback on Joseph’s part. 

Genesis 43:32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 

I suspect my skepticism says more about me as a person than I would like. Trust is incredibly difficult for me. And once my trust is broken, it is extremely hard for me to feel that I can trust that person again. I feel like, perhaps, God is calling me on this issue yet again, reminding me to hand it over to Him.

Genesis 43:33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. 

Precious Savior, You know trust is hard for me. Forgive me that I take it to the levels that I do. Show me how to trust You and trust others and not leave myself open to being gutted by betrayal and cruelty. I know I still have work to do. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 43:34 When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

Have a blessed day. 

Genesis 43:27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?”

I want to say today’s scripture is part of the restoration process, part of getting to know his brothers again, but the issue with that theory is that Joseph still has not revealed himself. His brothers still don’t know who he is.

Genesis 43:28 They replied, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.

So what can God be teaching us here? I still think the ultimate lesson is restoration of relationships. It’s been many decades since the brothers’ betrayal. No one (at least in this day and age) would fault Joseph for holding on to his anger. But he can see the brothers have changed, and he chooses reconciliation.

Genesis 43:29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for showing me that sometimes reconciliation is possible. I can’t throw out a blanket statement. It may not be possible for all people and all situations. However, we see that the brothers’ hearts have changed. We see that Joseph’s heart has changed. Thank You for the hope in this narrative. Amen.

Genesis 43:30 Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 43:23 “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

You’ll notice that I have pulled the last verse from yesterday into today’s reflection. That is because it is still resonating with me. Not only the steward’s words–“It’s alright. Don’t be afraid.”–but also the fact that he’s a steward–not the lowest of positions but certainly not the highest–and yet, God used words spoken by a steward to calm my anxious heart.

Genesis 43:24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. 

I have had it in my mind for a long time that God uses big people–people of position and authority, people of rank and note, Biblical stalwarts. What I am learning as an adult reading and studying the Bible is that God uses people. Period. Messy, broken, imperfect. It’s one of the reasons I share these devos each day. God can use me to encourage others. He can use you, too.

Genesis 43:25 They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.

Precious Savior, If your measurement for using people in Your kingdom work is perfection, none of us stand a chance. Thankfully, that’s not who You are. I am so far from perfect, Lord, but if You can use me to uplift and encourage others, if You can use me to point others to You or help calm their anxious hearts, please do. I am Yours–imperfectly, brokenly, completely. I love You. Amen.

Genesis 43:26 When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 43:19-20 So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food.

Scroll all the way down to verse 23 for a moment. The brothers explain to the steward the entire situation with the food and the silver and the steward’s reply is: “It’s alright. Don’t be afraid.”

Genesis 43:21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us.

I worry about so much in this life—Did I do the right thing? Have I done enough? Am I being true to who God created me to be? Are my kids ok? Is my husband? Did I leave the stove on? Just reading the stewards words calms me.

Genesis 43:22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”

Precious Savior, You know that the low level hum of anxiety is something I have dealt with my entire life. Thank You for the reminder that I need to hand those worries to You so I can focus on the work You have for me. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 43:23 “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

Have a blessed day. 

Genesis 43:15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 

We are more than the sum of our transgressions. We are more than our mistakes and missteps, more than the worst things we’ve ever thought or said or did. When God looks at us, He sees His deeply loved children. When we look at ourselves, we see all the bad, the wrong, the less than.

Genesis 43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.”

God made us to be in community, and I think one of the reasons He did that is because He knows that we can’t clearly see ourselves. Oh, most of us are great at building others up, but we tear ourselves down, thinking we are the only ones who can see ourselves clearly. God gives us community so that there are others in our lives who can hold up His mirror of truth, especially when we can’t see His truth about ourselves. We are deeply, fiercely loved by our Creator. Always.

Genesis 43:17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. 

Precious Savior, Just like Joseph’s brothers, we all struggle with the mistakes and missteps of our lives. We focus on what we did wrong or could have done better. We forget that we are deeply, fiercely, compassionately loved by You. Thank You for the community You call us to. When we lose sight of who You say we are, help us to listen to our village, to hear Your loving truth. We aren’t perfect, but You don’t need perfection. You need willing, loving hearts that seek You always. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 43:18 Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.”

Have a blessed day.