Scripture Daily

Context No. 2566 of 4322 · Genesis

Context · Reflection

Genesis 44:1-6: in context

1He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’” 6He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

Joseph, still unknown to his brothers, sets one last test. He has his steward fill their sacks with grain, return their silver, and secretly hide his own silver cup in Benjamin's sack. Then, once they have left, he sends the steward after them to accuse them of stealing it. The trap is set, not out of malice, but to see what his brothers will do when the youngest is suddenly in danger.

The whole scheme is a test of the heart. Years ago these men sold Joseph and let a brother vanish; now Joseph engineers a situation where they could abandon Benjamin to save themselves, exactly as they once abandoned him. He needs to know whether they have changed before he reveals himself and reconciles. It is a picture worth pondering. Love sometimes tests before it fully opens itself, needing to know that repentance is real and not just words. And God, too, sometimes allows a test, not to entrap us, but to reveal to us what is actually in our hearts.

What has a test revealed about my heart, and am I willing to let God prove whether my repentance is real before he entrusts me with more?

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