Facing the truth about ourselves, continued

Did you read those two chapters? 44 and 45? Let's go!
The banquet is over.
It's time for the brothers to go back to Canaan. (You know, they still don't know it's Joseph.)
Before they leave, Joseph tells his steward to hide a silver cup in Benjamin's bag. They're not gone very long before the steward catches up with them and accuses them of stealing the fancy goblet.
All sorts of denials ensue, with the promise that if any of them are found to have the cup, that brother will die.
Well, the steward checks all their bags and finds it right where he hid it -- in Benjamin's bag.
Now, understand this -- it is not Joseph's intention to have his brother killed. He wants to find out if they will abandon Benjamin, the same way they callously abandoned him. Had they changed?

Imagine how terrified the brothers were..... what a happy banquet, and what an awesome party! What was going to happen when they got back to Joseph's house? Would they all be thrown in jail? Or be killed?
My grandma used to say, "Truth will out." And we see that here..... it comes from the mouth of Judah. He is speaking for all of the brothers and he admits their guilt:

  “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt." (Genesis 44:16a)

This is what Joseph has been waiting for -- not just confession of guilt, but also an acknowledgement of almighty God. Secret sins have a way of festering on the inside of us. Not to be gross here, but there are bacteria that grow easily without any oxygen - anaerobic, they're called. They grow and multiply in dark and hidden spaces. That's the way that sin does. Without the oxygen of confession, sin grows and makes us sick. At some point, we have to "come clean" if we want to get better..... if we want to be free. These brothers have been sin-sick and guilty for a long time; they've been in bondage and fear of being discovered for many years.

We'll see now that even though it's Judah that makes quite a speech, all of the brothers have repented. Judah pleads that they have Joseph's approval to take Benjamin back home to Canaan. Back home to the old man who eagerly awaits his sons' return. And at the end of the speech, Judah offers himself as a replacement for Benjamin.

 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers." Genesis 44:33)

Now we see loyalty. Twenty years ago, the brothers would have abandoned Benjamin and waltzed home to Canaan, leaving the youngest as a slave in Egypt. All is changed by confession and repentance. They won't leave Benjamin; they won't abandon him. They're a true family now. Why? Grace has worked in their hearts, and they are about to be set free!
Joseph doesn't need to hear any more. The time has come that he had hoped for -- reconciliation. He could now reveal his true identity.

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. (Genesis 45:1-3)

(The Amplified Bible translates that "dismayed at his presence.")
Dismayed?
How about shocked?
Other translations use "stunned" and "terrified."
Let's stop and think.....what would it take to convince us that someone we thought was dead, was actually alive?
The last time they saw him was more than twenty years ago when they sold him to the caravan. Now he's not just alive and well, he's the prime minister of Egypt!

What could the brothers say?