Feb 6

When the silver cup is found in Benjamin’s bag, the situation that arises immediately reminds the reader of the beginning of the story of Joseph. Once again, Joseph’s brothers are presented with a moral dilemma. Joseph planted the cup in Benjamin’s bag because he wanted to give them the opportunity to redeem themselves and earn his forgiveness by doing the right thing this time around. Instead of once again abandoning their younger, favored brother, the brothers state that “Here we are, then, slaves of my lord, the rest of us as much as he in whose possession the goblet was found.” Even though Joseph demands only Benjamin since he was found in possession of the goblet, the other brothers refuse to forfeit him. This is in stark contrast with their abandonment of Joseph at the beginning of the story, thus showing their moral development. Joseph did not actually intend to hold Benjamin captive and further break the heart of his father, rather, he planted the cup to give his brothers an opportunity to right their previous wrong and redeem themselves. Anderson draws many interesting parallels between Joseph and Jesus Christ when he refers to him as the beloved son. This term does not simply refer to Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph over his other sons. Anderson points out that Joseph is “a man sold by his own who redeemed his own from death.” In planting the silver cup in his brother’s bag, Joseph, like Jesus, offers redemption from death. Joseph not only saves the physical lives of his brothers by providing them with food during the famine, even after what they did to him, but also saves them by enabling them to repent their previous decision and prove their worthiness of forgiveness, both in the eyes of Joseph and God.