Genesis 43:5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
Judah seems to be the one brother with a bit of conscience. All those years ago, it was Judah who proposed selling Joseph into slavery instead of killing him. Of course, he could have been motivated by greed and money instead of goodwill, but his motives are between him and God.
Genesis 43:6 Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?”
Now, when faced with the entire family starving or possibly destroying his father by taking away Benjamin, the youngest and his father’s favorite, Judah steps up in an ever bigger way, offering himself as surety for Benjamin’s life so that they can go get more food and hopefully recover Simeon in the process.
Genesis 43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”
Precious Savior, Forgive me when I play God, when I insert myself into a situation, when I judge motives and intentions, when I pass judgement on others instead of loving them as You love. Help me to be more like You daily. Amen.
Genesis 43:8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die.
Have a blessed day.