I have not forgotten. I am still seeking wisdom from the story of Joseph (beginning in Genesis 37).
After Joseph's brothers go off to work feeding their father's flocks, their father (Jacob) sends Joseph to check up on them and report back to him. As previously noted: Joseph was great at being an inspector and "telling on them" to their father, Jacob. Joseph was ready & willing to go do so again. He had to do some searching, but with a little help he found them in Dothan. When Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they plotted to kill him.
V20 says, "....We shall see what becomes of his dreams!"
So their murderous ideas came from hearts of envy and revenge. Not necessarily against Joseph, specifically, but against the revelations he received from God through his dreams. I can't help but feel like a young Joseph, who had been blatantly favored by Jacob, might have had a bit of arrogance in the manner with which he delivered his dreams' content, but that is speculation because Scripture does not explicitly say so.
Thankfully one brother, Reuben, wanted to save Joseph's life. He talked his brothers out of killing him but tossing him into a pit instead. He had his own secret plan to later return and get him out. Could Reuben have been seeking to gain a little favor from Jacob? Maybe.
Joseph's brothers were sick of him and wanted to humiliate him. When he reached them, they stripped him of his special "coat of many colors," and threw him into a pit in the desert. Then they went to grab a bite to eat. I imagine the whole scene took Joseph by surprise. Surely the scene had begun in a similar manner many times before.
So they look up from their meal and see a group of Ishmaelites approaching. Another brother, Judah, realizes they can not only get rid of Joseph without having to kill him, but make a profit from it also. They sold Joseph as a slave to the Ishmaelites. Reuben seemed distraught when he returned to the pit to find Joseph missing, but it appears he went along with his brothers to kill a goat, dip Joseph's coat in it, and bring it back to Jacob, claiming they found it this way and knew nothing of Joseph's fate.
Jacob was inconsolable. How diabolically cruel of Joseph's brothers to give their father his special, bloody coat and let his imagination go wild. It seems their envy and thirst for revenge was not merely pointed at Joseph, but at Jacob also.
Meanwhile, the Midianites who bought Joseph took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard.
Just a few thoughts/questions I'm pondering from this portion of the story:
1) At this point in the story, no one within it is aware of how God's plan will unfold. I wonder what Joseph is thinking: Was he terrified? Confused? Prayerful? Hopeful when they pulled him out of the pit? Calm and full of faith? Is he feeling any regret for consistently sharing his dreams/the way he shared them? Is he wondering what his dreams meant and how they could possibly come to fruition now that he is Potiphar's slave in Egypt?
2) Did that 20 shekels of silver satisfy the brothers' revenge craving? Did it sustain the satisfaction when they saw Jacob's reaction to the perceived, brutal death of his beloved son? Did they feel any regret at all? Did Reuben know what actually happened to Joseph?
3) Life events, partial information, and misleading messages can cause our imagination to conjure up plenty of untruths. It is important to discover all the facts rather than make assumptions and jump to conclusions.
4) Even after we have all the facts, the enemy will pounce every chance he gets. He will capitalize on our vulnerabilities to try and convince us that his evil lies are true. What we believe to be true will shape our actions. (Just as Jacob believed Joseph had been ripped to shreds & refused to be consoled).
5) We are promised eternal life in Christ. How often do I allow my circumstances to drown out that perfect truth?
We know the end of Joseph's story and that God's perfect plan was at work throughout his life. Pondering these thoughts & truths until next time.
Hi! It was only this morning that I saw the beautiful comment you left at my last blog post. Thank you for taking time not only to read what I had written, but to also leave a response. I am so thankful when someone goes out of his (or her) way to engage with me. And, I jumped over to your blog, and discovered a kindred soul in you! I too have often wondered about Joseph and the events that led to his imprisonment of thirteen long years. Then just like that, a new chapter begins and he finds himself to be the next in command of such a mighty nation like Egypt. But yes, your questions are thought provoking. In our own life stories, there are so many unknowns in the equation. It is so easy to jump to conclusions, but indeed it is true... we only know, or see, so much. Like the tip of the iceberg. Then we make a conclusion based on that tiny tip known to us, when underneath it all is a wider kingdom purpose that God alone knows. Your post has made me look at this familiar story in an entirely different light. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWill be coming by again, one of these days!