Genesis 44:1-8 "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. 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. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: 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?"
Joseph’s brothers had just finished dining with Joseph, although they still did not know who he was. They had bowed before him and eaten from his table, but they still did not know who he was. The brothers, including Benjamin, had drunk and made merry with him, but they still did not know who he really was. Certainly, they went on their way with light hearts, and all must have seemed well. But they still did not know who Joseph really was.
Joseph commanded the overseer of his house to fill up every man’s sack with as much as they could carry. He also told them to secretly return their money to them as he had on their first journey. He had his own silver cup put in Benjamin’s sack along with his money. Joseph was setting a snare that his brothers would not be able to escape from.
As light began to fill the day, the brothers were sent on their way. They had not much more than left the city when Joseph told his steward to chase them down. The steward was to inquire of them why they had done evil when only good had been done to them. They immediately protested their innocence and claimed that Joseph had nothing in his house that they needed.
I see so much of our journey in coming to understand who Jesus really is in this part of the story of Joseph and his brothers. We received so much bounty from the Lord’s table before we ever understood that He alone is the Captain of our salvation. He gently ensnared us in His loving grace even as we thought we would just go on our way as before. He taught us that no one is innocent, but that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Therefore, all the glory belongs to Him!