What comes to mind when you hear the word conspiracy?
Some kind of evil scheme? born of treachery and hate? Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah exposes a very different kind of conspiracy, a conspiracy of love, masterminded by Joseph and carried out toward his brothers. What lessons did they learn?
Listen as David shares today's compelling message, the Silver Cup. Joseph's final test. I'm sure that uh None of us in this discussion that we're having right now would have come up with. The plot that we're about to discover in studying the life of Joseph. This is the most unexpected, unbelievable thing you could imagine happening in the story.
And I remember when I first read this the first time I was shocked, and I continue to be, how God used this particular moment in the life of Joseph and his brothers to bring about reconciliation. We'll get started with this in just a moment. We're going to deal with part one of the silver cup, Joseph's final test, in just a moment. Let me just keep telling you, if I can. About how important it is for you to get this calendar that we make available during the month of September.
This is a beautiful project, and I don't want you to miss out on it because it needs to be hanging up in your home someplace, in your study, in your kitchen, wherever you hang out, maybe in the place where you sit down and Think about the schedule and maybe where you have your devotions because there's a Bible reading schedule on this calendar. There's just all kinds of ways to use this calendar for a productive life. In fact, for the first time this year in the calendar, I've noticed we have a Thanksgiving planner. because the calendar begins in November. It's a fourteen month calendar.
It begins in November of twenty twenty five and goes all the way through the dates and months of twenty twenty six. The calendar is yours. For the asking, when you send a gift of any size to Turning Point during the final days of this month of September, I realize that you may not be able to send much, but send what you can. Every gift counts. Every person's involved, and everyone who gives a gift gets a calendar.
So be sure and ask for your copy when you send your gift today. Here is part one of the Silver Cup, Joseph's final test. As we return to the story of Joseph. One thought that keeps echoing in my mind is the care and the effort that God puts into preparing us for His plans. Time and again, the Bible highlights this process of preparation.
And perhaps more vividly than we perceive it today. This story is not just about waiting, it's about shaping and molding and testing us for the roles we're called to fulfill. God is into the preparation process. And the longer you're a Christian, the more you realize that. Think about Moses before leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
Moses spent 40 years in the desert of Midian as a shepherd. And you might think, well, what a time of waste that was for him, but it wasn't wasted time. He was learning how to be the shepherd of God's people, and God was teaching him wonderful lessons. Consider David. He was a great warrior.
But I love David. himself talking about the fact That before He took on the giant He took on some other wild animals and, in his own hands, defeated them. He was being prepared to be God's champion. And even Jesus, the Son of God, spent the first 30 years of his life in relative obscurity. He worked as a carpenter in Nazareth.
And the hands that would heal the sick. and raise the dead first learned the skill of shaping wood. Because even he went through a period of preparation. before launching his three-year ministry that changed the world forever.
So When we return to the story of Joseph, we see the same thing going on. God led Joseph through a series of trials. The pit in Dothan, slavery in Egypt. Unjust imprisonment. years of service in Potiphar's house and Pharaoh's court, And through all of this, Joseph must have wondered, what are you doing, God?
And he must have felt forgotten. But every pit, every false accusation, every year spent waiting was part of God's plan to mold him into the leader Egypt would need. The trials were not detours. They were stepping stones. And Joseph wasn't the only one God was preparing.
Joseph had some brothers that needed a little work. Can I get a witness? Last time we saw them, they were at a feast in Joseph's palace. unaware of who Joseph was. And Joseph was testing them, seeding them.
by their age around the table, a detail that That would have seemed uncanny to his brothers and must have stunned them. How could this man possibly know? Then Benjamin the youngest got five times the portion of food as everybody else. And nobody understood that. And Joseph was gauging their hearts had they moved past the jealousy that once tore their family apart.
As the meal ends and Jacob's sons head back to Canaan. a new plot unfolds. And Genesis 44, which is our text for today, sets the stage. With God's final lessons for them before Joseph reveals who he truly is. The chapter moves through three stages, and I'll give you a little bit of structure before we get started.
The first three verses record the plot. And then verses 4 through 15. Record the pursuit, and then verses 16 through 34, record the plea. Obviously, you can't teach 34 verses in depth, so this is a story, and you'll have to follow along as I unfold what happened. in this event.
First of all, the plot. While the brothers slept after an evening of feasting, Joseph and his trusted steward were not sleeping, they were devising a plan. and in the silence of the night they set a trap that would test the brothers' hearts. We read about it in the first three verses of chapter 44. Joseph 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, and as soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. Earlier in his life, Joseph's brothers had conspired against him out of jealousy and hate. selling him into slavery, and intending to erase him from their memory. But now, many years later, the tables have turned. Joseph is no longer the helpless younger brother.
and he holds a powerful position in Egypt and instead of retaliating, he devises a plan that is rooted in love. Joseph's plot had two key purposes to deal with his brothers. first to deal with their guilt and then to deal with their grudge. First of all, dealing with their guilt. Joseph is testing the guilt of his brothers.
Instead of taking their money, He has it stashed back into their bags to see what they'll do with it. Remember, these men sold their own brother for 20 shekels of silver. And finding the money in their sacks brings back the memory of their blood money. Joseph wanted to see what impact their guilt will have on their decisions. And then he not only deals with their guilt, he deals with their grudge.
Joseph was not just confronting his brother's guilt. He was addressing their long held grudge. To test them he placed his personal cup into Benjamin's sack. This was no ordinary act. but a carefully orchestrated test.
The intrigue is Unbelievable. Joseph needed to see if Benjamin would face the same treatment he had faced years before. Would his brothers turn against Benjamin when he was caught? Would they throw him into a pit, in other words? That was the question Joseph wanted an answer to.
Their sacks full of money and food, the brothers set off toward home with Simeon and Benjamin. but their journey was about to take an unexpected turn. The plot. is followed by the pursuit. Genesis 44.
Four and five says, when they had gone out of the city, and we're not yet far off. Joseph said to his steward, Dead up. Follow the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you repaid evil for good? Is not this the one from which my Lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.
And before we go any further, let me tell you about the silver cup of divination. because it doesn't seem like it belongs in this Bible story. Christians don't do divination. But Egyptian culture, this was like what we would call a bowl. And they would pour oil and water together in this bowl and sprinkle flour over it.
and then they would watch the patterns that formed and they supposedly would interpret those patterns based on past experiences and they were sure they could foresee the future in those patterns and they would tell the future. This practice was their way of peering into the future and communicating with the spiritual world.
Someone has said it was the ancient Egyptian Ouija board.
Now, I'm certain Joseph wasn't into all of this. He didn't practice that. But as Egypt's prime minister, he would have an item in his possession because he was part of the administration. And remember, Joseph is playing a role in this story. He's trying to convince these boys.
Not only of his anonymity, he doesn't want them to know who he is. And playing this role has to pretend the practices of the divination with the cup. Old Testament scholar Kenneth Matthews explains it this way. That Joseph is said to use the cup of divination is unexpected since this practice is outlawed in Israel.
However, there is no instance of this practice in the Joseph narrative. This absence, coupled with the fact that Joseph's wisdom is attributed to God, strongly suggests that he did not participate in this forbidden art. Instead, it appears that the mention of divination is merely a clever element of his scheme. to test his brothers. and to not reveal his identity.
When the steward caught up with the brothers, He conveyed Joseph's accusation. The brothers were confident that they were innocent. They boldly declared that if any of them had stolen the silver cup, that man should die. And the rest would become slaves forever. to Pharaoh.
That's how cocky they were. The steward, however, promises that only the guilty one would be punished and the others could go free.
So one by one, The brothers begin to open their sacks. An old commentator, Marcus Dodds, describes this scene like this. He said, they begin to feel relief. as one brother after another steps forward with the boldness of innocence. And as sack after sack is opened and flung aside, And they already eye the steward with a glance of triumph when at the very last sack is emptied, and as all breathlessly stand around, the sharp rattle of metal strikes on their ear.
And the gleam of silver dazzles their eyes. As the cup rolls out, of Benjamin Sack. into the sunshine. The brothers are completely unaware of what had been planted in their sacks. They were what you might call Cocky innocent.
Have you ever been around anybody like that? They're so sure of their innocence that they'll play along, certain they've got nothing on them that can get them in trouble, and that's exactly how these brothers were. standing there eyeing the steward, dead sure he was wrong, but in an instant that cocky innocence turned to absolute terror. as Joseph's cup rolled out of Benjamin's sack. Benjamin, the beloved son of their father Jacob.
Genesis 44, 12 through 13 records it this way. The steward 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.
Now that's shorthand for we're terrified. It was an expression of overwhelming anxiety and fear. It is interesting to note that when Joseph was lost. Only Jacob and Reuben tore their clothing.
Now all the brothers are mourning the loss of their youngest brother, and everyone tears their clothes.
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? In other words, Don't you know that I am the second most powerful man in Egypt.
And that I have the power that Egyptians have to know the future. Don't you think I could figure out what was going on? And he wants to know: will they stand with Benjamin or will they abandon him like they had abandoned Joseph years before? When Joseph had served Benjamin extra portions earlier, the brothers might have hidden their true feelings, but now there's no hiding. They could easily let Benjamin go if they didn't care about him, as Joseph Stewart had said: whoever has the cup becomes my slave.
Maybe the brothers will just walk away from Benjamin. protect their own safety and go back home. away from Egypt. But notice the change that's taken place. As soon as the cup was found, They all accompanied Benjamin back to Egypt.
for his trial. They're now back in the house where they had just enjoyed a sweet banquet with their unknown brother Joseph. still playing his part to the hilt. What deed is this that you have done, he said. Don't you know that such a one as I can certainly divine, can certainly know what's going on?
And when Joseph says divine, he's using a term for uncovering the secrets of a man's heart. He's saying, Don't you realize someone in my position can see right through you? You can't hide anything from me. I know everything that's going on. Do you know how he knew it?
'Cause he planned it all himself. And then we move from the plot and the pursuit. to this special section of the story called The Plea. Verse 16 introduces us to an important moment in the story of Jacob's family. and it reveals a significant shift in leadership.
In the beginning of the story, the oldest son, Reuben, has been in charge, but he's proven to be very unworthy of that assignment. His own father referred to him as unstable as water. And he's now being kind of put to the side and Judah. Second oldest. has taken leadership.
He's elevated to the forefront, and we now see Judah speaking on behalf of his entire family. As Judas steps before Joseph, we witness the first evidence of a public confession. In verse 16, Judas says, 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. And this is what Joseph has been waiting for. This is what he's been Plotting for and striving for.
Now we must carefully consider the nature of this confession. There are two possible interpretations. If Judah is confessing That Benjamin has stolen the cup. It would mean he truly believes Benjamin is guilty, and he knows better than that. What is he confessing?
Most biblical scholars believe that. The impact of what they had done to Joseph, their brother, has finally hit them through this experience, and he is confessing a sin that was committed some twenty years ago, the betrayal of selling Joseph into slavery. Judah has come to recognize the recent distressing events as God's judgment. for their past transgression. And he says, God has found us out.
We are guilty.
Well, they may be innocent of Theft. they are guilty of a far greater offence, the betrayal of their own brother. And that is what is happening in this moment. When Judah said, God has found out the guilt of your servants. He wasn't just talking about the stolen cup.
Which only Benjamin could have been accused of taking. Instead, he was acknowledging their early sin of stealing Joseph. Judas sensed a kind of cosmic justice at play, realizing that their hidden wrongdoing had come back to confront them.
However, he understood that this wasn't just random fate. It was the judgment of a personal God. Judah understood. He said, God has found us out.
Meanwhile, Joseph Who's at the other end of this? pretends not to understand Judah. and insists that only Benjamin was guilty. And rather than sentencing the guilty one to death, he declares that Benjamin would stay as a slave in Egypt. while the rest could go home in peace.
And what follows is a remarkable kind of plea or prayer. From Judah. An intercession. a crying out to Joseph. on behalf of his brother.
In verse 18, On Genesis 44, we witness a display of reverence in Judah's intercession. Watch these principles. of Judah's prayer and notice how they fit into The way we pray. Here's what happened. First of all, he reverences Joseph.
Then Judah came near to Joseph 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. Judah standing before the second most powerful man in Egypt. shows great honor and reverence and a sense of awe for Joseph. He's about ready to ask Joseph for the most important thing he's ever requested of anyone.
But he shows reverence. for Joseph. I think this is a great lesson for all of us when it comes to prayer. Regardless of contemporary trends, God is worthy of our utmost honor. He's worthy of our praise and our reverence.
and we should approach him. with a sense of His majesty.
Something within me cringes When I hear fellow Christians address God with excessive familiarity, as if trying to bring God down to their level. Phrases like the man upstairs. or the big guy in the sky. Or other frivolous statements that are sometimes used by people who are trying to show that they are. Cool.
God doesn't want Uh To bring him down to where we are, he wants to lift us up to where he is. And the scripture tells us that in this way it says, we're to lift up holy hands to God when we pray. And God tells us we're to be holy as He is holy. God wants us to be like him. He's not interested in being like us.
And Judah understood that when he addressed the most powerful man in Egypt. He addressed him with reverence and awe and honor. giving us an example to follow when we pray. I don't mean you have to get all formal. And use what some people refer to as Christianese, which is the language only Christians know and most people don't want to know.
But it means We shouldn't lose the dignity of our faith. Can I get a witness? God is worthy. of honor and majesty. Speak to him.
as you would. if he were to appear before you in person. I don't think you'd say, well, hello, man from upstairs. How are you? You wouldn't do that.
you would be overwhelmed with his presence and his majesty. And so we should be. Then Judah reviewed Joseph's proposal. In Judah's intercession, we see not only reverence for Joseph's position, But a detailed review of Joseph's proposals. Listen to this from Genesis 44.
He said, My lord asked his servant, 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. And 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.
So it was that we went up to your servant, my father, that we told him the words of my Lord. What is Judah doing here. As he speaks to Joseph. He's telling Joseph Before I ask you for what I want, I want you to know. We've done what you've asked us to do already.
We've been obedient. We have been sensitive to it. You've told us to do even something that was hard, like bringing Benjamin back, realizing we were jeopardizing our father's health by bringing him back. But you told us to do it, and we did it. Just part of the story, part of the intrigue.
Unfortunately, we have to take a break over the weekend before we can finish up. The 42nd chapter of Genesis. But we'll be back on Monday, and I hope you'll be with us as we bring to conclusions some of these. inflection points in the story of Joseph that You wonder how this is going to turn out, and we're going to find out as we study this together. in the next few days.
Don't forget to get your copy of the calendar following in his footsteps, which is the 2026 calendar from Turning Point, a project that we do every year during the month of September to make it available to you for November, December, and the rest of the new year. gives us this time to get it to you and you make sure you have it in time. You can begin using it. And this year, for the first time that I can remember, there's a whole page on planning for Thanksgiving. which is an incredible thing.
So be sure and ask for your copy. when you send your gift today. And we thank you so much. We'll see you next time right here. on this good station.
Today's message originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. Turnpoint is also on radio and TV this weekend. To learn where to find it, visit our website, davidjeremiah.org slash radio. That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993.
Ask for your copy of our new 14-month calendar following in his footsteps and deepen your faith daily in 2026. It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard, New International and New King James Versions, available in your choice of durable and attractive cover options. If you're being encouraged by this ministry, let us know at Turning Point PO Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. This is David Michael Jeremiah.
Join us Monday as we continue the series, God Meant for Good: The Story of Joseph on Turning Point.
