Christian Devotional – December 5, 2018

Self-sacrifice. Jacob’s sons didn’t have much experience with this, but now one of them steps up. The situation in Jacob’s household has becone desperate again and they need more food, but they know they can’t go get more grain unless they bring Benjamin. So instead of Reuben, Judah speaks up this time. Read Genesis 43:1-10.

Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.
Genesis 43:8‭-‬9 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.43.8-9.NASB

Yesterday we saw Reuben offer his 2 sons. Today we see Judah offer himself. That offer convinced Jacob that Judah would value the life of Benjamin as much as he values his own life.

This is quite a turnaround for Judah, for if you remember in Genesis 37, Judah is the one who came up with the idea to sell Joseph. Judah is the primary one responsible for Joseph being where he is and now, Judah is the one willing to sacrifice himself for the safety of Benjamin. Judah’s life change moment is recorded in Genesis 38. Basically, he came face to face with the fact that God is the one who gives life and takes it away. Judah realized he is responsible for doing what is right, the results are entirely God’s responsibility.

Are we willing to sacrifice ourselves for what we know is right and leave the results up to God? We can’t control all the results, we can only control our responses to the situations God allows us to go through. How will we respond?