The Silver Cup

On the way back to their father from Egypt. Joseph's brothers were stopped and accused of stealing a course they claim to be innocent.

If you can prove this charge against us that whoever took your silver cup, let him be executed and if it is true we all will be your slaves then proved to be a rash decision on their part, because they weren't as innocent as they clean welcome to the center. The addition of Renewing Your Mind. I'm doing well.

Every week we returned to Dr. Darcy's groceries on the life of Joseph and today the brothers web of deceit only entangles them further your sourcing. We continue now with our study of the life and times of the patriarch Joseph today we begin our story at chapter 44 of the book of Genesis, where we see the plot thickening that after Joseph had treated his brothers to a sumptuous feast. Now he makes provisions for their departure from the palace and he continues this work of subterfuge designed to lead them to full repentance.

Chapter 44 begins with this narrative and he commanded the steward of his house saying fill the men's socks with food as much as they can carry and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack also put my cup, the silver cup in the mouth of the sac of the youngest and his grain money. This is the second time the Joseph has resorted to a kind of devious trick to ensnare his brothers. The first time they had returned their money that they had given and purchased for the original grain that they bought and we know the consequences of that move and now he does it again only this time he adds a little twist that wasn't present initially. Not only does he return their money each man's money to his sack, but he instructs his steward to put his own personal silver cup in the bag of the youngest, which would be in the bag of Benjamin not remember all of the consternation that assaulted Jacob in the decision to even send Benjamin on this journey and now Joseph is setting up the brothers for the worst of all possible circumstances, that is getting Benjamin into trouble. So we read in chapter 44 this account, so he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken as soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away. They and their donkeys when they had gone out of the city and were not yet far off.

Joseph said to his steward you not follow the men and when you overtake them. Say to them, why have you repaid evil for good.

Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and with which he indeed practices divination you have done evil.

In so doing, and so he overtook them and spoke to them the same words and they said to him, why does my Lord say these words. Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. What we brought back to you from the land of Canaan, the money, which we found in the mouth of our socks. How then can we still silver and gold, from your Lord's house with whomever of your servants and is filed let him die, and we will also be my Lord/so, as Joseph had directed the steward the stored pursued the brothers stopped them on their journey and said why have you stolen anything from Pharaoh's house from the hand of Joseph who is benefited you not listen to their protests.

The first thing they do is remind the steward that they had not done it the first time and they had just returned that money. Why on earth would they be inclined to steal anything from Joseph and notice what they said far be it from us.

It is common on that for a second is a very difficult thing for any human being to be falsely accused of something I remember when I was in 1/10 grade biology class in high school and I was seated behind the fellow who was the valedictorian of the class and I was not exactly the world's greatest genius in biology and I was taking an exam one day and fidgeting in my seat and the professor glared at me and said to me, scroll, keep your eyes on your own paper and I was mortified. He said that in front of the whole class and I was indignant that he would accuse me of cheating on this test by looking on the fellows paper in front of me and in my protests against it. I was saying to the teacher how could you accuse me of doing this when I didn't do it not have you ever been falsely accused of something.

Of course I wanted to say just like Joseph's brothers.

Far be it from me for doing this.

However, I also had another class with this fellow that was very bright in another subject that I was having great difficulty with and I can remember going to him during study hall periods and asking him if I could copy his homework and he let me copy his homework and I copied his homework and I cheated and so I was not caught in doing that, but what I was falsely accused for doing something that I actually had been doing elsewhere. I still was beside myself in indignation. That's the heart of darkness. That's the heart of the sinner. These guys have done things in their lifetime for worse then stealing the cop from Joseph. They had stolen his whole life and yet they have the audacity to say the from us to do such a thing. It they didn't do it, but the doing of the deed was really not all that far apart from them. They were more than capable of that kind of treachery and then from this denial. And with this protestation against the charge. They make a singularly rash vow. They said how can we still silver or gold, from your Lord's house with whomever of your servants. It is found let him die. And we also will be my Lord's slaves. If you can prove this charge against us.

Then whoever talk your silver cup, let him be executed and if it is true we all will be your slaves is a pretty foolish commitment to make at that point, particularly since the cop at that very moment was hidden securely in the bag of Benjamin. Let's look at what happens. So the steward said now also let it be according to your words, notice of the store doesn't come up with an alternative plan of punishment, he said all right if those are the terms you want. Those are the terms you will get let it be according to your works a little digression.

I had a student once in college who was extremely gifted student. He went on to medical school became a physician and then went on and did graduate work at Harvard in an analysis of the structure of the brain and to this day.

He works in that last threshold that last frontier of scientific inquiry, namely the functioning of the human brain, and I had a conversation with him a few years ago where he was extolling me with news soon of the research that he was involved in and he was like a child in wonder and awe at what he was learning about how the human brain works and functions, and he said do you realize RC that every single experience you ever had is recorded in your brain every sensation, every image every word that you hear every word that you spoke is recorded there. Now we can only recall an infinitesimal fraction of what really is contained in the memory bank of the brain. According to this researcher and this man is a Christian and he said you know I'm fascinated that in the Scriptures when the discussion concerns the last judgment that the description that is given of guilty people who were assembled in the divine tribunal and brought before God for their final judgment that the image that is used to describe the response of those who are hearing the verdict of God is always one of silence there are any protests nobody standing before God, and saying, far be it from me to have done this or that.

We are told by Jesus, that every idle word will be brought into the judgment, such as the idle words but how much more serious words that we speak will be placed before the scrutiny of all mighty God and the Scripture says that when God renders his verdict against us every mouse will be stopped will be stopped because of the one hand, will be futile to argue with God and we know that his judgment will be flowing from his own omniscience from his perfect knowledge of everything that we've ever done or thought or said will is this scientist was talking about this he said you know how I envision the last judgment. My stenosis sort of like in terms of the sci-fi film.

He said I see God taking the brain out of the skull of human day putting on a table. This is somewhat macabre basically puts it on the table and plugs it in and he gets a deep feedback response like a computer where the brain then reveals the complete record of everything that a person has done or said because it's all in their and he said that's the image that he conceives of at the last judgment and so that God will say your own words, will condemn you. Now, obviously Joseph is not about to send his steward out to do a lobotomy on the brothers and to remove their brains and put them on the table and execute them accordingly.

But the steward does say let it be according to your own words. It gives us pause about some of the things we have a tendency to say he, with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.

So I said okay I'm even going to not take you as far as your own words you said you'd all be slaves if I could find that cup and that I can execute the person in whose bag I found the cup but here's what we'll do.

I'll let everybody else be blameless, but whoever has that cup will become my slave, then each man speedily let down his sex.

They couldn't wait to open their sacks. They were so sure that the opening of the sac would vindicate them.

Now that's a little bit strange is given that they had already been surprised. Once in the past when they open their sacks and found their grain money and contained within it. You would think that by now these fellows would have some idea that there's some chicanery going on and that they would be terrified to open their sacks. Maybe that is why they open them speedily that the suspense was killing them. But in any case were told that they let down the sac to the ground and opened the sacks so the steward searched and he began with the oldest and left off with the youngest and the cup was found in Benjamin's sac.

Then they tore their clothes and each man loaded his donkey and return to the city again. What we find in these narratives in the Old Testament is a kind of terse economy of speech were highly dramatic moments are passed over all so briefly. This one sentence it said they tore their clothes they took their livestock and donkeys and they started back to the city, trying to imagine the pathos of the moment when after they went through each sac and each sac did not contain the silver cup of Joseph there beginning to feel more and more relieved more and more comfortable, more and more convinced that the charges against them were false.

They get down to the very last sac, and of all places, they open the sac of Benjamin and there is the silver cup of Joseph on the Bible says they tore their clocks. That was an indication of a peroxisome of grief and terror and mourning that came upon them now their crack not Benjamin and they tear their clothes and immediately all of them direct their steps back toward the palace so Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house and he was still there and they fell before him on the ground. This is beginning to be a habit.

Not only did they bow down before him once but this is at least the third time that the prophecy of the dream that Joseph had as a boy is fulfilled when they fall down before him on the ground and Joseph said to them what deed is this you have done. Did you not know that such a manner so I can certainly practice divination know what's he saying here. Not that he's engaged in magic, but what he saying to them, don't you know that a man as I am in my position that I have insight that I have knowledge that is transcendent that you think that you could fool me by secret eating away my prized cop and try to make off with us to think I wouldn't realize that Wyatt was the very cup I used in the exercise of my divine gifts and Judah said what shall we say to my Lord, what shall we speak or how shall we clear ourselves. What else do you say when you don't know what else to say but to say what can I say how many times have we fallen back on that particular expression when were guilty were caught red-handed in their's was run out of excuses. We've run out of opportunities to cover up our crime.

You just say what can I say, what shall we speak or how shall we clear ourselves then they come there. Judah comes to this conclusion.

God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Here we are, my Lord slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found. Now don't you wonder what Judah has in mind when he says this is Judah now persuaded that Benjamin indeed stole the cup and he is taking part by filial relationship in his brother's guilt and asking Joseph to spread the blame around not just Benjamin but to all of them were something deeper going on here. I suspect that what Judah is recognizing here finally is the hand of God in all of this and he's realizing that even though he wasn't guilty of this particular crime that this has befallen them because God was aware of the profound guilt that they had been carrying around all these years.

So he said here we are, my Lord slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found, but he said, far be it for me that I should do so.

The man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father, the game continues.

Joseph is saying I don't want you to be my slaves you're innocent. I'm not going to punish the innocent with the guilty. I'm only going to exact punishment on the guilty one on Benjamin.

He states he shall be my slave. You fellows go on back to your father to understand that Judah and the brothers would've preferred the state and he tipped the taste of Joseph. Then going back to Jacob without Benjamin and that's the worst thing they can conceive of the falling them.

And Joseph is making them feel the weight of their dilemma with the full measure of intensity of what follows heightens and increases the drama since our time is up today like this old Western cereals were going to have to wait until the next session to see what transpired. Joseph story, Absalom reminds us of those old Western cereals, intrigue and deception have brought the brothers to the end of the rope, but forgiveness and redemption are just around the corner.

Thanks for joining us as we continue the life of Joseph your on Renewing Your Mind. While this is a dramatic story. It is not fictional.

These events happened and are chronicled for us in the final chapters of Genesis, we learn about God's faithfulness and his sovereign control over every event in life. It is an encouraging series and would like to send you all 20 parts we bundled it with several other teaching series, including the parables of Jesus telling Scripture. Ecclesiastes, Galatians, and knowing Christ.

There are eight series and the set that we call the RC scroll teaching collection and you can request it with your gift of Eddie about when you call us at 800-435-4343 were when you go online to Renewing Your Mind.org sometimes when we study the Bible that we can come across passages that are more difficult to understand that if you ever wish that someone could explain those passages in a way that that doesn't require a degree. What is our goal with ask ligand near team members are waiting to answer your biblical and theological questions in real time rapture teaching a Sunday school class were small group and that you're stuck on a particular verse.

Just go to ask.linear.Ward Monday through Saturday and you'll have an answer in minutes and I think you'll enjoy the interaction with my colleagues on this team. Let's listen to a final thought from RC before you go today these men we have heard of today and have been watching over the past several messages. The brothers of Joseph are men whose whole lives have been lived under the cloak of intrigue and of deceit and of covering up a gross and heinous crime against their father against their brother and against God. And yet when they are accused of far less a crime they exclaim in protest far be it from us that we look at that from the distance of thousands of years and our righteous indignation against them burns for their hypocrisy, forgetting that what they aren't doing is what we tell we do when the policeman pulls you over on the highway and says you were going 5 miles an hour, 10 miles an hour over the speed limit and you protest your innocence.

Would you do with the policeman said, well, maybe this time you were innocent, but how many times have you exceeded histories on and gotten away with it.

Are you going to say to the policeman farmer yet from the way we think we like to think that sin is far from us when it is near at hand. It's close to our bosom. It flows from our hearts.

All the half-truths and deceptions will be revealed next week as we continue Dr. RC school series on the life of Joseph. I hope you'll join us here on Renewing Your Mind