The Surety of Judah

"And he [Joseph] commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest and his corn money…..and when they were gone out of the city and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the man; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?" (Genesis 44:1-4)

"And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless….and he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground." (Genesis 44:6-14)

"Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? Lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father." (Genesis 44:30-34)

Yet again we find another shadow picture of Christ in the Old Testament scriptures. One of the names of Jesus in the Bible is "Lion of Judah." And here we see Judah, son of Jacob, exhibiting on behalf of his own father, a proto-type behavior of Jesus in relation to His own Father.

Judah cannot bear to see the grief that will fall upon his father Jacob if Benjamin does not return to him. Thus, Judah pledged himself to be a "surety" (guarantee) in the place of Benjamin.

Earlier, we saw that Reuben had volunteered to exchange his own two sons for Benjamin if Benjamin did not return with them. But Jacob would not receive that offering and refused to let Benjamin go.

The second offering was made by Judah and that offering was of himself…his own life….in exchange for the safety of Benjamin. And Jacob relented and allowed Benjamin to go.

So Jesus became surety for each of us, His Father's children. And the grief of our Father in heaven would be no less than Jacob's for those who did not return to Him….in fact, His grief would be greater for His love is greater still.

We were all lost to the Father. Sin took us away from Him; from His holy presence. And the wages of sin are death; not just a physical death, but an everlasting one:

"For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:41-44)

Except that Jesus, the lion of Judah, who loved the Father and pleased the Father in all that He did, willingly laid down His own life in exchange for ours. He became surety for us. His offering, of Himself, was acceptable to the Father…and it is by His offering that we are saved, delivered from the certainty of hell, and restored to the Father in life everlasting.

"But now the righteousness of God has been revealed….namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). And it is meant for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives…He Himself is righteous and He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has true faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26 Amplified Version)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but would have life everlasting." (John 3:16)

I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for the surety that He became for ME!