Within this chapter, we finally see the fruition of Joseph’s vision of all 11 brothers bowing before him.
Gen. 44:14 “And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.”
God had used these events and the wisdom of Joseph to accomplish 2 purposes:
1. To bring about repentance among Joseph’s brothers.
V16 “And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants”
2. To create a sacrificial kinship between Judah and His brother, Benjamin.
V30-34 “Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad (Benjamin) be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.”
LESSON - This special relationship between Judah and Benjamin created through the events in this chapter would become particularly important in the light of prophecy. They would eventually join to become the nation of Judah (the southern nation of Israel). Through this nation would come the Lord Jesus who like Judah, would become surety for His brethren, but also the entire world! Heb. 7:22 “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.” One day like the brothers of Joseph, all of creation will bow before the Lord Jesus to proclaim that He is Lord! Phil. 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Just like Joseph’s brothers, we will all one day bow before Him, willingly or unwillingly! If you wait till then, it will be too late!
~Mike