BENJAMIN’S SACK
Genesis 44:1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. 7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen. 10 And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. 11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. 12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
As has been stated in previous articles Benjamin was given two names at his birth. He was named “Benoni,” and then “Benjamin.” Genesis 35:18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. In this he clearly pictures the Lord Jesus Christ. For both are “men of sorrows,” (Benoni), and “sons at the father’s right hand” (Benjamin).
Also we find that to Joseph, the ruler on the throne, he is called both, “my son,” and “brother.” Genesis 43:29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And the Lord Jesus Christ holds both relationships to God, the Father. Proverbs 8:30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Matthew 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
For it is clearly set forth that a father’s life can be bound up in the life of a son! Genesis 44:30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life; And our Lord said that to have seen him was to have seen the Father! John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Therefore as it is with the Lord Jesus, none could see Joseph’s face without Benjamin. Genesis 44:23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. 26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.
Even so none can have access to God except by the Lord Jesus! Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
And the other brothers could not know the true identity of the one on the throne until they were tested concerning the reality of their relationship to Benjamin. For both Joseph and Benjamin were sons of Jacob by Rachel, whom he loved more than all others. So that which they had previously done to Joseph might possibly be done to Benjamin. Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Those loved by God will always be hated by the world and wind up on a cross! John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
And this testing was done in two different manners. First there was the test concerning whether there be any envy of Benjamin. For it was their envy which brought on the hatred and the attempted murder of Joseph. Therefore Joseph lavished on Benjamin in their presence, five times as much as he gave to them. Genesis 43:34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him. 45:22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. However we read of no expressed envy against him.
The second testing was concerning their loyalty to Benjamin in his sentence of death! For their sacks would only contain corn and the return of their money. But Benjamin’s sack contained both these, and the silver cup! And with it, the sentence of death! For it is stated in verse nine of our context that in whomsoever’s sack the silver cup be found, “let him die!” John 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
And it is one thing to declare loyalty to Benjamin and vow to be a surety, (a pledge to his safety), in the family encampment in Canaan. Genesis 43:8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: But it is a far different matter to do so in the presence of an Egyptian ruler who holds your life in his hand, and had always spoken roughly to them! Genesis 44:18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. 32 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. 33 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. 34 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.
Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Luke 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
And we must not just identify with our Heavenly Benjamin concerning the corn in our sacks. For Christ is our Bread of life! John 6:48. And we must come to grips with the concept of our corn money being returned into our sacks. For salvation is not to be paid for by religious works! Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Free and sovereign grace is hardly to be considered in our religious day due to the Whore’s exacting upon us the rule of guilt to keep us working for her benefit!
But there is one more item in Benjamin’s sack to be dealt with. It is a silver cup. Silver was the price of redemption. It was required for the payment of both Joseph and the Lord Jesus. But the silver cup belongs exclusively to the Sovereign. No mere mortal can furnish the price of redemption! Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Only the man of sorrows (Benoni) can provide the pure, godly travail of soul that brings satisfaction to the Holy God! Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. That word, “satisfaction” is the greatest word in the Bible! For until the holiness of God is satisfied, no atonement is accomplished, and therefore cannot be exacted. And none other than our Lord Jesus, the Christ, is God enough to accomplish this, as also being man enough to die!
Listen to him speak concerning this cup. John 18:11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
None but the god-man could have survived such horrible anguish in the endurance of separation from God, removing from him all mercy, as he became sin for us who knew no sin! 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
“Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No there’s a cross for everyone;
And there’s a cross for me.”
And so we read of the cup being passed on to the disciples. – Not to accomplish redemption! For “Jesus paid it ALL!” But to effect the redeemed soul for farther sanctification. Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
2 Corinthians 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
2 Timothy 2:11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Good works must be had in sanctification once redemption is applied by the Holy Spirit. Therefore we read that it is “not OF works!” But is most assuredly is “UNTO good works,” which are foreordained by the Sovereign Lord! Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
And one of the final things we notice in this Genesis forty four, “silver cup” chapter is what we do not read! We read in verses four, fifteen and seventeen that “Joseph said.”
And we read in verses six and ten what the steward said. In verses seven and twenty six is what “they said.”
And we read in verses sixteen, eighteen and thirty two that which “Judah said.” And there is quite a number of quotes of what their father Jacob said. See verses twenty five, and twenty seven through twenty nine.
But no matter how hard we look, or how carefully we read, there is not a single word of that which Benjamin said! He was brought before the sovereign of the land with a death sentence on him, but he has not a word of defense! A perfect picture of the Lamb of God! Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Matthew 27:14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Isaiah 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Pastor Gene Breed
September 16, 2016
