Genesis Chapter 44 - Follow the Leader

Have you ever played "follow the leader"? If you have, then you know sometimes the leader did something you really did not want to do, or went a direction you did not really want to follow. In this chapter we observe a leader that had done things we would never think of doing, and took some paths we just would not have chosen. Let’s turn our focus from Joseph and give closer attention to his brother Judah, the natural born leader amongst Jacob’s sons.

We first find Judah taking leadership out in the field with all of his brothers, trying to decide what to do with "the dreamer". It was at Judah’s suggestion that they sold their youngest brother to a band of traveling salesmen headed toward Egypt. Would you sell your own flesh and blood into slavery? No, at this stage Judah’s leadership leaves much to be desired.

In Chapter 38 we studied the character of Judah in depth as we watched the story unfold about his compromising relationship with Tamar. When we contrasted his character with that of his brother Joseph, we found Judah to be immoral and lacking in the discernment and integrity that Joseph displayed. Judah gave in to his temptation for a "quick fix" with a "prostitute" (a disguised Tamar), but Joseph fled from the temptation of Potiphar’s wife. Would you make Judah your role model here? No, I don’t think so. But there did seem to be a turning point in Judah’s life at this intersection. When faced with his guilt, he admitted it. All of a sudden Judah is starting to stand a little taller. He’s beginning to display characteristics that we can admire. For this, he starts to gain our respect. We have political leaders and church leaders today that could learn something from Judah.

We move into Chapter 43 of Genesis and we find Judah taking leadership in speaking to his father Jacob, trying to persuade him of the necessity of taking Benjamin back to Egypt with them in order to get more food. He even counted the cost and was willing to risk his own life for the sake of all the rest of his family. He would do whatever it took to keep them from starving to death. And it appeared, in this current chapter, that Judah would indeed have to give his life on behalf of his brother Benjamin.

Joseph had played a trick on the brothers once again, and had again placed their silver back in their sacks. He also had his silver cup placed in Benjamin’s sack. This was a test Joseph had devised to see if his brothers truly had a change of heart from when they had sold him into slavery. When the silver cup was found, Benjamin was to become Joseph’s slave while the rest of the brothers were to be sent back home. Judah knew this would be the death of his father, and he took full responsibility for Benjamin’s life. He was ready to make a personal sacrifice of his own life in order that Benjamin could go free. The same brother who was the leader in selling Joseph into slavery, now offered himself as a slave in the place of his youngest brother. Would you follow this kind of leader, someone who was willing to risk his very own life for you?

One of Judah’s descendants has done that very thing for each of us. One day Jesus Christ stepped forward and said to the Ruler of the universe, "Father, let me pay the price for their guilt. Let me give my life as a payment of their ransom. Let me be crucified so that they may be freed from their sins, their guilt, their bonds that hold them so tightly." Jesus willingly paid the ultimate price by being stretched out and nailed to some rugged pieces of wood in the form of a cross. The price of leadership. Would you pay it? The good news is, we do not have to. Christ paid the price once for all.

"There is a Savior, what joys express,
His eyes are mercy, His Word is rest.
For each tomorrow, for yesterday,
There is a Savior who lights our way."
(Copyright 1986 New Wings Music/Greg Nelson Music)