Taking the Lead

The last week or so we've been looking at the life of Joseph and seeing the transformation that God is doing in his life. Despite the suffering of being sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned and forgotten, God used Joseph to be a blessing to an entire nation. However, we are again reminded that this narrative is not a story about Joseph but about what God is doing in Israel's redemptive history. In fact, Joseph is not the only one who has gone through a transformation since the start of his story. Today's focus will be on a different brother. Judah.

Read Genesis 44

Judah will ultimately be the chosen line, not Joseph. From Judah's family comes a line of kings and eventually the Messiah. Big shoes to fill. And from the start, Judah is clearly not the man Joseph has become. In Genesis 37, Judah is the one who puts for the plan to sell Joseph in the first place. Genesis 38, Judah's actions are a direct contrast to Joseph resisting the temptation of Potiphar's wife. But somewhere along the way, that changes. Judah begins to take the responsibility that comes with being the leader of the brothers, and the tribe from which many kings would eventually come. We see him make the claim to it in Genesis 43 when he tells Jacob he will take personal responsibility for Benjamin's safety promising his own life. This is in sharp contrast to Reuben's response in Genesis 42 where he promises the lives of his own sons in exchange for Benjamin's. Judah takes ownership and responsibility. Reuben does not. That's why Judah is the spokesman for the brothers, not Reuben, despite Reuben's status as the first born.

Its here in Genesis 44 that we finally see Judah's new status as the leader in action. When faced with the accusation against Benjamin, Judah puts his own life on the line. He goes out of his way to protect not only Benjamin but his father. Genesis 44:33, "Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers." Though he's done nothing wrong, he offers himself as a sacrifice in order to protect Benjamin and Jacob.

This morning, consider how God might be calling you to be transformed in your attitude. Are you taking responsibility for your actions? Are you being living sacrificially and protecting those who can't protect themselves? Its not until Judah figures this out that he begins to shape up into the leader of the tribe of Kings he's supposed to be. What might God be calling you to do that will require you to be transformed just like Judah?