"Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame." – Genesis 44:10

Today's Scripture Reading (October 25, 2024): Genesis 44

For the last couple of days, I have been thinking about my past as a master criminal. Okay, a master criminal is more than a bit of an overstatement, but the times that I have fallen on the wrong side of the law. For me, those are always traffic violations. But from my many traffic crimes, I have noticed something. For example, a few years ago, I was out driving my Mustang, which has a manual transmission. So, as I was driving down a side street in my neighborhood, I guess I coasted through a stop sign. A police officer was parked in a nearby Elementary School parking lot, and he saw my non-stop, so he pulled me over. The officer's first question was an important one. Did you know that you didn't stop at the stop sign? I replied no, I thought I had stopped. He informed me that I was in error and returned to his car to process my license, registration, and insurance. When he returned, he asked me a second question: Did you have a reason for not stopping at the stop sign? The question was vital because it constituted a guilty plea. I am not sure what reason I might have had that would have been acceptable to the officer, but again, if I came up with an excuse for not stopping, I must know that I didn't stop. So, once again, I responded that I had been unaware that I hadn't stopped.

Then, the officer made a great statement. I had a good driving record, so maybe that should count for something, and he let me off with a warning. In the same way, if you get caught speeding, the officer usually asks this first question, "Do you know how fast you are going?" Whatever your reply, if it is above the speed limit, it is an admission of guilt. Often, the officer will use whatever speed you admit to as your speed, even if you were actually traveling faster because you have already pleaded guilty to that crime, even if the speed you give them is less than the speed at which they caught you driving.

Similarly, Joseph's brothers set the penalty for the crime of which they are being accused. If one of them has stolen the cup, let that person be killed, and the rest of them become slaves. Joseph says that he will take their suggestion. But then he adjusts the penalty in a downward direction. Joseph knows that Benjamin has the cup because Joseph had it put in his sack. But he doesn't want to execute his brother. Instead, he adjusts the suggested penalty in a downward direction. The one who stole the cup would become his slave, not executed. And the rest of the brothers would be allowed to go free and not become enslaved. The brothers can't complain about the sentence because it is less than they had suggested.

Now, the brothers' bags would be searched to find out who (spoiler alert: it would be Benjamin) deserved the punishment.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Genesis 45