Genesis Part 068

In Genesis 44:2, Joseph tells one of his servants, 

“put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.’ So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.” 

What is so special about this silver cup? Jamieson-Fausset-Brown states “It was a large goblet, as the original denotes, highly valued by its owner, on account of its costly material or its elegant finish and which had probably graced his table at the sumptuous entertainment of the previous day.” Joseph tells his servant to ask the brothers if they stole his cup, and uses the phrase “which he indeed practices divination?” (verse 5). 

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown says, “Divination by cups, to ascertain the course of futurity, was one of the prevalent superstitions of ancient Egypt, as it is of Eastern countries still. It is not likely that Joseph, a pious believer in the true God, would have addicted himself to this superstitious practice. But he might have availed himself of that popular notion to carry out the successful execution of his stratagem for the last decisive trial of his brethren.” In other words, Joseph may have allowed them to think he practiced divination with this cup to instill more fear in them, as it would look to them like they would be charged with the theft of something of great importance in Egypt. 

We certainly know that this is not a practice that God accepts. The Hebrew word used here that is translated “practices divination” is the same word used in both: 

• Leviticus 19:26, “You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying.” 
• Deuteronomy 18:10, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer...” 

We can also notice that Joseph did not order his steward to tell a direct lie—rather, he simply told him to ask a question. The real answer would have been no. But the brothers did not know this. 

In their response to the accusation, the brothers say in verse 9, 

“With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” 

This verse is a good reminder to us that we must be careful with rash statements. Sometimes strange things happen, and we don't want to put ourselves in a position that is not necessary. 

We can pause here to imagine the emotional swings contained in these verses. The excitement the brothers must have felt as they initially left Egypt with altogether and excited to return to their father. Then to be overtaken by force and scared. And the relief each man must have had as their sack was opened, searched and found innocent. The excitement and relief must have built up until the last son, Benjamin, opened his sack. 

Verse 13 is the third time in the Bible that we find the practice of tearing one’s clothes as a sign of extreme grief. The first example was when Reuben returned and found the pit that had once contained Joseph empty (Genesis 37:29), the second was when Jacob believed that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal (Genesis 37:34) and now we see this demonstration of deep emotion expressed here as well. 

Every culture has customs that outwardly show our internal grief. In our modern culture in the United States, we often wear black to a funeral, and widows often wear a black veil over their faces. In these ancient cultures, the tearing of one’s clothes often marked expressions of extreme grief, shock, or shame. 

In Joel 2:13, we see the connection made between tearing one’s clothes to what God truly desires, the heart to be torn, not simply the clothes: 

“So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.” 

In Acts 14:14, this practice is still a custom as demonstrated by Paul and Barnabas. 

After the brothers are brought to Joseph, Judah tells him in verse 16 that there is nothing more they can say; they are guilty of having the cup, and Judah claims that it is a punishment from God on them for their sin. He tells Joseph that they are all his slaves (not just Benjamin). 

In verses 18 through 34, Judah lays out the whole story to Joseph (including the promise to return Benjamin safely to their father), and at last Judah offers himself as a slave in place of Benjamin. Judah has grown and matured into a spokesman and a sacrificial servant. 

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships, and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.