BRAGADAYJAH 145

Judah’s Plea for Benjamin’s Return To His Father.. This young Egyptian Ruler must have appeared to the Hebrew brothers most puzzling and capricious. He displayed to them glimpses of kindness, even gentleness one moment, and would then turn on them fiercely the next. He made them very nervous and they truly feared for their lives, and especially for that of young Benjamin. The Ruler had heard their protestations of innocence; in their heart they new they were innocent at least of stealing or dealing treacherously with the Ruler; yet there he was threatening to take Benjamin and hold him for ransom. First it was Simeon, now it is going to be Benjamin, what was he up to and what would he do next? At that stage, Judah decided to throw caution to the wind, and speak up, so not knowing how it would all end, he launched forth on a plea to save his young brother and spear his father, the heartache the loss of his son Benjamin would cause. So Judah spoke up and said how difficult it was to convince their father in the first place to let his young son out of his sight. Their father bemoaned the fact that he had ten son, one of whom had disappeared presumed dead by being torn by wild beasts. His eldest son was being held in Egypt, and he did not know whether he was dead or alive. His beloved wife Rachael had two sons and he had already lost one; now he was being asked to risk the life of the other. It was only to rescue Simon’s and all their lives from the ravages of the famine, that he was persuaded to allow his son to be taken away. “Should we now go back and tell him that we had to leave Benjamin behind in Egypt, it would surely break his heart and send him to his grave. We just cannot return home without our father’s last son. It would surely kill him as certainly as I stand here before you.” “Therefore,” said Judah, “may it please my lord, hold me instead. I would be your servant for life. Do with me whatever it pleases you to do with me; but I beseech you my lord, let the lad return with the rest of my brethren to his father. More