So We Can Survive

So We Can Survive

Genesis 43:8 – “Send the young man with me,” Judah told his father Israel, “And we’ll get up and go so we can survive and not die – and that includes all of us, you and our families. 9 – I’ll even offer myself to guarantee that I’ll be responsible for him. If I don’t bring him back and present him to you, I’ll personally bear the consequences forever.

It sure seemed like the walls were closing in on this unfortunate family. Joseph was presumed dead (but was really the one testing them). Simeon was under arrest. They’ve been asked to bring back their youngest brother Benjamin in order to free Simeon. Their money was returned. They’ve run out of food again.

They concluded that there was no other choice than to follow the instructions laid out for them in order for all of them and their families to survive. Judah then spoke up offering himself as the guarantee to bear the responsibility for Benjamin and bring him back.

What a change in Judah! He came up with the idea to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites and so they sold him for 20 pieces of silver. Now Judah was going to offer his life as guarantee for Benjamin.

God is desperate for our survival and has offered His only Son, Jesus as payment for our sins. He died so we can survive.

Judah was willing to make this arrangement for the sake of his family’s survival.

Jesus was willing to make this arrangement in order to save the world.

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life – John 3:16

Sometimes we’ll be placed in situations in which we see no way out except to trust that God will lead us through the darkness where we can’t see what lies ahead.

Jacob was unwilling to let go of Benjamin – but he did, trusting God with outcome: “…and may God Almighty cause the man to show compassion toward you. May he send all of you back, including your other brother and Benjamin. Now as for me, If I lose m children, I lose them.” – Genesis 43:14

Jacob had no idea that the outcome of his prayer was even better than he had imagined. He had no idea that the outcome was already determined because the man who held Simeon in captive was none other than Joseph himself!

Let us trust God that He has already made plans for our survival – “just as he chose us in the Messiah before the creation of the universe to be holy and blameless in his presence. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself through Jesus the Messiah, according to the pleasure of his will,…” – Ephesians 1:4,5