An Atheistic Bible Study Of Genesis Chapter Forty Four

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Just as it seems as if Joseph is finally about to forgive all his brothers for selling him into Egyptian slavery, he springs a rather spiteful revenge trap on them instead. The brothers, still not yet aware that their Egyptian benefactor is Joseph in disguise, are preparing to go home to Canaan. Their visit to Egypt has gone well. Their younger brother Simeon has been released from captivity, Joseph has laid on a great feat for the family and he has gven them acks of grain to take home to tide them through the famine affecting the whole World except for Egypt. Joseph arranges with one of his chief lave-servants to plant plates of silver in the bags of grain taken by the brothers, so the servant can catch up with the brothers on their route home, search through their bags, and then accuse them of theft. The servant does just that, and the brothers quite understandably protest that they are innocent. They remind the servant that they even returned silver they thought Joseph had accidentally paked in their bags on their first visit. The search is conducted anyway. The supposedly stolen silver is found in the bags carried by Benjamin. The brothers are therefore arrested and taken back to Egypt. They tear their own clothes in their distress. The brothers swear their innocence before God and pray to God for justice to prevail. Joseph asks them about their father, who is obviously his father too, Jacob (now called Israel). The brothers point out that Jacob will die of a broken heart if Benjamin in particular does not return home as he feared something terrible would happen to Benjamin, who is now the very brother caught carrying the stolen silver. The brothers tell Joseph and his slaves all the events already related in Chapter forty-three. The brothers are still pleading for their freedom when the chapter ends. Only Judah of all the eleven brothers makes a passionate plea for Benjamin’s safety and innocence. He has of course promised Israel that he will defend Benjamin on the journey to Egypt and now he is seen doing just that. Joseph is being incredibly callous here, and God is totally absent even when the brothers pray to him for help. Arthur Chappell