Sacrificial Substitute
33 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”
Genesis 49:33-34
It was hard to cut an appropriately sized but also helpful passage from Genesis today. Let me give you a bit of backstory.
There has been a famine. Jacob/Israel’s family is in need of food. They hear there is food in Egypt (they don’t know that this is because Joseph has acted on Pharaoh's God-given dreams). So they arrive in Egypt and are met by an adult Joseph who deliberately conceals his true identity.
And Joseph plays a funny little game with them. Joseph devises a plan to test his brothers' character and gauge their remorse for their past actions. He accuses them of being spies and demands that they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, to prove their honesty.
The brothers are distressed and fearful, as they are reminded of their past mistreatment of Joseph and the promise they made to their father, Jacob, to protect Benjamin.
Joseph detains Simeon as a hostage and sends the other brothers back to Canaan with grain but secretly places their payment in their sacks.
Upon returning home and discovering the money in their sacks, the brothers are alarmed and recount the events to Jacob. Jacob is reluctant to send Benjamin to Egypt but eventually agrees when they run out of food.
The brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin, and Joseph hosts them for a meal. He also has his steward place his own silver cup in Benjamin's sack.
As the brothers depart, Joseph's steward accuses them of theft, and they are brought back to Joseph's presence. He declares that the one in whose sack the cup is found will become his slave.
The cup is discovered in Benjamin's sack, causing great distress among the brothers. Judah pleads with Joseph, offering himself as a slave in Benjamin's place to spare their father's grief.
And that’s the bit I want to highlight to you today. It is Judah whose conduct moves Joseph to reveal Himself. Judah from whom Jacob prophecies the Messiah will come. Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. And I think it’s all because of this. Judah’s pledge to offer Himself in place of His brother.
It’s sacrificial love. And it’s this sacrificial love that points forward to Jesus who will offer Himself in place of sinful humanity.
For Today:
Pray:
Praise the Father that He loves all His children. Give thanks for Jesus who loved us sacrificially. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others sacrificially love the people around you.
Genesis 49:33-34
It was hard to cut an appropriately sized but also helpful passage from Genesis today. Let me give you a bit of backstory.
There has been a famine. Jacob/Israel’s family is in need of food. They hear there is food in Egypt (they don’t know that this is because Joseph has acted on Pharaoh's God-given dreams). So they arrive in Egypt and are met by an adult Joseph who deliberately conceals his true identity.
And Joseph plays a funny little game with them. Joseph devises a plan to test his brothers' character and gauge their remorse for their past actions. He accuses them of being spies and demands that they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, to prove their honesty.
The brothers are distressed and fearful, as they are reminded of their past mistreatment of Joseph and the promise they made to their father, Jacob, to protect Benjamin.
Joseph detains Simeon as a hostage and sends the other brothers back to Canaan with grain but secretly places their payment in their sacks.
Upon returning home and discovering the money in their sacks, the brothers are alarmed and recount the events to Jacob. Jacob is reluctant to send Benjamin to Egypt but eventually agrees when they run out of food.
The brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin, and Joseph hosts them for a meal. He also has his steward place his own silver cup in Benjamin's sack.
As the brothers depart, Joseph's steward accuses them of theft, and they are brought back to Joseph's presence. He declares that the one in whose sack the cup is found will become his slave.
The cup is discovered in Benjamin's sack, causing great distress among the brothers. Judah pleads with Joseph, offering himself as a slave in Benjamin's place to spare their father's grief.
And that’s the bit I want to highlight to you today. It is Judah whose conduct moves Joseph to reveal Himself. Judah from whom Jacob prophecies the Messiah will come. Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. And I think it’s all because of this. Judah’s pledge to offer Himself in place of His brother.
It’s sacrificial love. And it’s this sacrificial love that points forward to Jesus who will offer Himself in place of sinful humanity.
For Today:
- Do you see how Judah points to Jesus?
- Do you see Jesus’ sacrificial love for you?
- How could you love sacrificially today?
Pray:
Praise the Father that He loves all His children. Give thanks for Jesus who loved us sacrificially. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others sacrificially love the people around you.
Posted in Genesis
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