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1 Meanwhile Jacob had settled down where his father had lived, the land of Canaan. Joseph and His Brothers 2 This is the story of Jacob. The story continues with Joseph, seventeen years old at the time, helping out his brothers in herding the flocks. These were his half brothers actually, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. And Joseph brought his father bad reports on them. 3 Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat. 4 When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him - they wouldn't even speak to him. 12 His brothers had gone off to Shechem where they were pasturing their father's flocks. 13 Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers are with flocks in Shechem. Come, I want to send you to them." Joseph said, "I'm ready." 14 He said, "Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing and bring me back a report." He sent him off from the valley of Hebron to Shechem. 15 A man met him as he was wandering through the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" 16 "I'm trying to find my brothers. Do you have any idea where they are grazing their flocks?" 17 The man said, "They've left here, but I overheard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph took off, tracked his brothers down, and found them in Dothan. 18 They spotted him off in the distance. By the time he got to them they had cooked up a plot to kill him. 19 The brothers were saying, "Here comes that dreamer. 20 Let's kill him and throw him into one of these old cisterns; we can say that a vicious animal ate him up. We'll see what his dreams amount to." 21 Reuben heard the brothers talking and intervened to save him, "We're not going to kill him. 22 No murder. Go ahead and throw him in this cistern out here in the wild, but don't hurt him." Reuben planned to go back later and get him out and take him back to his father. 23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they ripped off the fancy coat he was wearing, 24 grabbed him, and threw him into a cistern. The cistern was dry; there wasn't any water in it. 25 Then they sat down to eat their supper. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way from Gilead, their camels loaded with spices, ointments, and perfumes to sell in Egypt. 26 Judah said, "Brothers, what are we going to get out of killing our brother and concealing the evidence? 27 Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let's not kill him - he is, after all, our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. 28 By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt. (Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 The Message Bible)
A blessed and wonderful Wednesday be yours today. I pray the love of the Lord help you shine with those who are still in darkness. May the truth found in today's passage build you up with strength and peace. Remember to pray for those who have asked prayers from us; pray for one another; and pray for the world and its needs.
Let me repeat again, the Bible is an honest book. It does not try to hide or mislead. The people with wrinkles and the people with pimples are not hidden behind screens or have special effects people to make them look younger and more beautiful. And if their actions are childish, well, there they are in living color as shown in perfect high definition. And today's main character is just one of those. He's the second-youngest son of a major player, who had two wives, in keeping with the standards of the time, and in all honesty, he loved one wife more than the other. And the main character just happens to be the son of the favored wife, born when the dad was an old man. And the old man had trouble hiding his favoritism, going so far as to give him a coat of many colors while the older brothers looked on. Some of you/us, may have younger brothers that may coincidentally resemble some living younger brothers, but the portrayal of such was purely unintentional. As we read about Joseph, we do find, he was a whiny brat, as some have called him. I will let you form your own opinion about how you view Joseph. One thing the Bible says is true, verse 4; "When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him - they wouldn't even speak to him." And this set in motion a terrible plot on the part of the brothers towards little Joe. They also had heard the dreams Joe had had concerning his future role among and with them. The dreams did not set well with the bigs.
Dad sends Joe to check on the bigs and they were ready to do something about Joe. Here's honesty again, when we read the bigs were ready to kill Joseph. They were even willing to say that a vicious animal ate him. The biggest/oldest of the brothers decides he will not allow Joseph to be killed and tells them so. Rueben prefers to throw Joe into a well. As Joseph got closer the brothers grab him and tear off the colorful coat and throw him into a cistern. Thankfully, the well was dry and left him there until a caravan of Ishmaelites came and the brothers sell their little brother to them. They buy him for twenty pieces of silver who took the boy into Egypt as a slave.
Let me reiterate that there are, nor have never been, a perfect family. There haven't been any perfect people, save for Jesus, but if imperfect people make up a family, the family will be imperfect. Some even have imperfect families of their own (No, I'm not asking a show of hands). The discussion is about was Joseph truly a whiny brat or was he truly a man of God? At this point, the answer might be that he was whiny and annoying; but the best part was yet to come. And the same may be true in your family sitiuations; your perceptions about others may not yet be on a spiritual level; can we see others with the eyes of Jesus and the mind of Christ? That may reveal to us a world that human minds cannot truly comprehend, so our prayer should be to ask for patience and peace.
PRAYER: Loving God, bless this dear reader and their family; may we seek to better understand all members of our families. Grant us the eyes of Jesus and the mind of Christ; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Seek the best in others while showing the best in you!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
