GENESIS: People are Moved by What We Say and How We Behave; "Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he made himself known to his brothers."

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks 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 sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. (Genesis 44:1-2)

Previously we studied how Israel sent his ten oldest sons to Egypt to buy grain because of the sever famine that was in the land. When Joseph recognized who they were, he sent them back home with grain, but kept Simeon as a slave until they returned with Benjamin, their youngest brother, to "prove" that they were not spies. (Genesis 42) Israel would not let them take Benjamin because he feared something would happen to him, and then he would lose both his sons from the wife he loved, Rachel. However, after running out of grain, Judah finally convinced him to let them take Benjamin with them and he promised he would bring him back. (Genesis 43)

When they returned and Joseph realized that they did bring Benjamin back with them, he had his servants prepare of feast for them at his house and he joined them for a meal.  And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him. (Genesis 43:33-34)

Now, they were preparing to leave, but Joseph does not want his whole brother to leave, so he has his servants plant silver cup in Benjamin's sack. 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, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this [silver cup] the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’” (Genesis 44:3-5)

So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these 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. Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal 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.” (Genesis 44:6-9)

And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city. (Genesis 44:10-13) 

The first time we read in scripture of someone tearing their clothes is when Job got the news that all his possessions and children were destroyed. (Job 1:20) Then when Job's friends came to comfort him, when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. (Job 2:12) The next time we see someone do this is Reuben, when he returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. (Genesis 37:29) Now, all the brothers tore their clothes, as a sign of mourning, because they said that whomever was found having the cup, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?” Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.” But he said, “Far be it from 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.” (Genesis 44:14-17)

Judah had convinced their father to let them take Benjamin with them. Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. (Genesis 43:8-9) How would he return to his father without him?

Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’ (Genesis 44:19-23)

“So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’ (Genesis 44:24-29)

“Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ Now 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. For 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 44:30-34)

The best way to plead a case is by telling "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"! They did not know who Joseph really was.  They thought he was an Egyptian. They were very careful to represent themselves, their father, and their God the right way; having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. (I Peter 2:12) 

Their honorable conduct before Joseph, even when being falsely accused, caused Joseph to not be able to hide the truth from them any longer. Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. (Genesis 45:1-2)