Take Me Instead (Genesis 44)

Joseph has set his brothers up to take a fall. Is this his way of getting back at them? Is he trying to find a clever way for his brother, Benjamin, to stay with him in Egypt? Or, is it a test to see if they’ve changed? Whatever Joseph’s motivations, his brothers surprise him—especially Judah. So many years ago, he sold off his brother for his own benefit. Here, he’s willing to sell himself into slavery in order to purchase his brother’s freedom. In this, we see not only a remarkable transformation in Judah but a picture of the gospel, where Jesus the truly innocent One offers Himself in the place of His guilty brothers (and sisters).