“³³Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. ³⁴For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

– Genesis 44:33-34 (NKJV)

“Now therefore, (finally Judah propositions what he believes to be the ultimate goal of this carefully worded, truthful and humbly set forth argument or plea, his heart cry if you will : the very sacrifice of self) please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, (is it not remarkable to bear witness to the fact that what the enemy meant for evil has been so beautifully worked for Good by God that it has completed its work in Judah: for having once been seduced by the enemy via the worldly wisdom of envy and self-seeking to do his will [see also 2 Tim 2:23-26] and sell young Joseph as a slave, he is now proving himself to be A True Child of God led by Godly Wisdom in that he is willing to be sold as a slave himself on behalf of the “second Joseph”, Benjamin, laying down his life as a Christlike one for one he calls friend ☺) and let the lad go up with his brothers. (Here we can also make a clear distinction between the overt division that existed and was fostered by the brothers between them and Joseph, and the blessed unity existing this day between the brothers and the second Joseph, Benjamin.) For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, (a presupposition based on the understanding that Joseph can follow his reasoning here as one who is presumably kind, reasonable and capable of mercy – traits that Judah can detect in the ruler standing before him in these moments, whether consciously or not, for he himself has now become such a man) lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?” (If anyone were still to question whether or not Judah has learned from his mistakes, is remorseful, repentant and grieved by the sin of his youth, then most assuredly, this ought to confirm that truly, truly he is a changed man – for not only is this the second time that he displays a willingness to lay down his own life in the stead of Benjamin’s, but he also demonstrates that he is wholly unable to bear witnessing his father’s overwhelming sorrow a second time; proving that not only has he not hardened his heart upon bearing witness to such a display of grief the first time, but has been irreparably changed- and deeply and lastingly impacted by- , the effect of their sin on their father. It is also worth noting that Judah has come full circle from hating a younger brother beloved and favoured by his father, to laying down his life for one, truly, truly indicating that Greatest Love spoken of in John 15:13. Being the Godly man – inspired and led by much Godly Wisdom – that Joseph is, far would it be from him also in these moments to use the opportunity for vengeance – even if such a temptation yet persists – for the evidence, nay Blessed Fruit, of Judah’s being a wholly changed man, is now so beautifully, tangibly on display before him – so much so that it would cause any true Child of God’s heart to melt ☺.)

One final note I would also just like to make at this juncture of the tale – something that has recently been brought to my attention through my own wrestling with a similar theme, yet which I did not previously have the opportunity to include within the narrative itself – is the following: An additional and very significant motivation I believe for Joseph’s stepping outside of God’s will (bearing in mind that all actions ultimately are motivated either by fear or by Love) to set the plan in motion whereby he hoped to retain Benjamin unto himself, is the deep-seated childhood-trauma-induced fear of sending his beloved Benjamin with the brothers, not knowing if he can trust them not to do to him, Benjamin, what they have done to him, Joseph, bearing in mind the striking similarities between them. Let us then be encouraged, dear reader, to be exhorted in this still to Trust The Lord even in these places of our greatest pain, when confronted with that which has posed the greatest threat to ourselves, as well as with the lives of our greatest loves. Yes, even then. Even always ☺. It is also worth noting that the error our Joseph here initially dallied with is often upheld with great conviction and sincerely applauded and encouraged by many when an injured individual turned vigilante seeks vengeance apart from The Lord, even disguising it as justice, and then claiming that they seek only to keep their perceived enemy from doing to others what he / she had done to them.