• Download Video
• Download Audio
• Print
• Email
• Save As PDF

Text: Genesis 44: 18-23

MEDITATION

Genesis 44:18-23

18 Then Judah came near to him 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.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’
20 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.’
21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

MEANINGFUL APPLICATION TO LIFE

1. Judah

a. Reuben was the firstborn.

b. But it was Judah who spoke on behalf of the brothers.

2. The speech of Judah to the governor of Egypt

a. Judah’s speech would begin here and would take up the rest of the chapter.

b. It would be too long to read at one go.

c. This was a plea. It may be divided into three parts.

d. Judah was pleading as earnestly as he could.

e. He must be sincere, humble and earnest and hope that this plea would be enough to cause the governor to understand everything clearly.

f. He knew the power of the governor. His word was like that of Pharaoh!

3. The Plea of Judah (Part 1)

a. Judah recalled their first trip to Egypt.

b. He remembered the questions that they were asked.

c. He answered as honestly as he could.

d. The command of the governor was obeyed. He had insisted that if they were to come back to Egypt again, they must bring their youngest brother with them.

e. They had returned to Egypt with their youngest brother, Benjamin.

经文：创世记 44：18-23

沉思

《创世记 44：18-23》
18 犹大挨近他，说：“我主啊，求你容仆人说一句话给我主听，不要向仆人发烈怒，因为你如同法老一样。
19 我主曾问仆人们说：‘你们有父亲有兄弟没有？’
20 我们对我主说：‘我们有父亲，已经年老，还有他老年所生的一个小孩子。他哥哥死了，他母亲只撇下他一人，他父亲疼爱他。’
21 你对仆人说：‘把他带到我这里来，叫我亲眼看看他。’
22 我们对我主说：‘童子不能离开他父亲，若是离开，他父亲必死。’

23 你对仆人说：‘你们的小兄弟若不与你们一同下来，你们就不得再见我的面。’

在生活里有意义地应用

1. 犹大

a. 鲁本是长子

b. 但代表兄弟们发言的却是犹大

2. 犹大向那埃及宰相的致辞

a. 犹大的致辞从这里开始，并占据这段经文的其余部分

b. 致辞太长，不宜一次过阅读

c. 这是一个恳求，可分成三个部分

d. 犹大尽心恳切地求情

e. 他必须真诚、谦卑与恳切，希望这申诉能使宰相清楚地了解事实的细节

f. 犹大了解宰相的权利，因为宰相所说的话就如同法老的话

3. 犹大的请求（第一部分）

a. 犹大回想起他们第一次下埃及

b. 他记得那次受审时所发问的问题

c. 他尽所能如实回答

d. 他们服从了宰相的命令。若再次回到埃及，宰相已坚持要他们把小兄弟带到他那里去

e. 他们已带了小兄弟，便雅悯回到埃及