Genesis 44. Joseph has the steward of his house purposefully put his silver cup in Benjamin's sack as the brothers are headed back to Canaan with food. Joseph also tells the steward to fill their sacks with as much food as they can carry and to put each man's own money back in his sack.
Then when the men are out of the city, but not too far off, he tells the steward to follow them and ask them why they have stolen his silver cup. The brothers tell the steward there is no way they would have treated the governor this way. They tell him they will become Joseph's slaves if the cup is found in one of their sacks and that if it is in one of their sacks, that person should be put to death. This is how certain they were of their innocence.
The cup is then found in Benjamin's sack and they all tear their clothes and return to Joseph. Judah begs Joseph to let him become his slave and not to harm or keep Benjamin because that will surely make his father die.
Verse 30-31, "Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life, it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave."
This is such an interesting story! Some say Joseph is still playing the deceiver, much like his father Jacob deceived his father Isaac and brother Esau. I am wondering if his intent wasn't to deceive and be unkind, but I wonder if God put this idea in Joseph's heart to show his brothers the consequences of their sin.
Being a teacher now, sometimes I find I have to be creative to get students to see their behavior in a different light. I wonder if that is why Joseph treated his brothers this way. It is always necessary to still show grace. But, it is good for people to see how what they do affects others.
