Read Gen. 37:12-36
Joseph’s brothers went to Shecem to feed their flocks. Israel asked Joseph to go see about them and the animals but when he got there, they had gone to Dothan. Before Joseph reached them they saw him coming and devised a plan to kill him. They called him “the dreamer” and were out to make sure his dreams did not come true. Rueben came to his rescue and suggested they not kill him but to put him in a pit to die so that his blood wouldn’t be on their hands. He planned to come back and set him free. So, that was the plan. When Joseph came they took him, stripped his colorful coat off him and threw him in a pit. Then they sat down to eat. As they were eating a group of Ishmeelites came into view. They decided to sell Joseph and at least make some money off him. Then they saw plan C: Midianite merchants. They lifted Joseph out and sold him for 20 pieces of silver and the Midianites took him to Egypt. It must have been Rueben’s watch with the sheep because he missed the whole thing and when he found out what they had done he was livid. He knew how it would upset his father. Now they had to devise a plan to tell their father. They killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s coat in it and sent it to their father asking him to identify it, if it was Joseph’s. He concluded that Joseph had been eaten by wild animals and was broken hearted.
Joseph’s brothers had started out in Shecem which means “diligent” and “rising early”. They ended up in Dotham which means “double sickness”. Their jealousy had taken them from diligent men to men that were sick in their minds. Sick enough to kill their own brother and break their father’s heart. That is what happens when we are jealous over one of our Christian brothers or sisters. It makes us sick… and it breaks our father’s heart. The good news is that he ended up in the house of an Egyptian officer named Potiphar.
Lord, help us to see the oneness of the body and how you have given us all different gift so that all may be blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment