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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)
It's Wednesday, and no better day in which to hear about the drama in someone else's family, right? Welcome, Friend, May all that is shared here today bring blessings into your life. This story is not about anyone walking on water, or flying; quite the opposite, it's about tattle-tales and spoiled younger siblings, they come in two varieties, boys and girls!
Nobody likes a tattle-tale, which reveals a little about us, doesn't it? We like to get away with things, or so we hope, and someone telling on us robs of that chance! And I'm talking past tense, like when we were younger and not so innocent as we are today... Is there someone blushing? Remember or try to remember the rich history of this family. The father is Israel (For 50 points who can tell me his name before it was changed?), and we know of his love life even with two wives, and how the unfavored wife blessed him with plenty of sons and daughters, and how his favorite wife finally blessed him with two, the first of those being Joseph, and at an old age. And on this son, Dad could not shower enough love and affection. And Joseph didn't help matters any by being one who reported back to father the things that were happening among his brothers that should not have been happening! And after Jo-jo tells on his brothers, Dad rewards him with a fancy coat (See above picture of Broadway's interpretation of the coat). This version said it was "an elaborately embroidered coat," and we get the idea; the son was special and so he gets a special coat. And the older brothers are taking notes on all these things and keeping records, and their blood pressure steadily rises. Soon, all the older brothers come to hate Jo-jo.
One day the older boys took the flocks to pasture, and as happened before, Dad sends Jo-jo to see how they are, and to bring back a report. (He has proven himself at being quite good at that, right?). And it takes the boy a while to find them. He's far away enough to give his brothers time to plan something, and it is nothing good. Someone suggests killing him. Already, we see that perhaps those bad reports shared with Father were justified, these guys seem to have a tendency to hate, and perhaps even act on that hate. The plan they hatch is to kill him and throw his body into a cistern, and then tell the old man that a vicious wild animal ate him. And they laugh about the dreams Jo-jo had had, where he was lord over them, which, surprise, surprise, added to their hatred of the boy. Killing him would end his dreams. Thank God, the oldest brother, Rueben intervenes and says, "We're not going to kill him. No murder. Go ahead and throw him in this cistern out here in the wild, but don't hurt him." Reuben's secret plan was to come back later for the boy and return him to their father. Joseph arrives and is greeted by their savage attack. They ripped off his fancy coat, and threw him in the cistern. Thankfully, the cistern was dry and so the boy didn't drown in it. And they, then sat and ate their supper. I can't help but comment on how cold blooded they are; they assaulted their younger brother, destroyed his nice coat, and then threw him in this dry well, and then ate the supper that perhaps Joseph brought from home. Oh, and it gets better!
While they were enjoying the cold fried chicken and potato salad from home, a caravan of Ishmaelite traders come by, and one of the brothers says, "Let's sell our brother, instead of killing him and trying to conceal his death?" The brothers agreed, and for twenty pieces of silver, Joseph is now a slave bound for Eygpt. And the brothers return home with a lie and with money to show for it.
If Paul Harvey were telling this story, he would pause long enough to say, "and now the rest of the story;" but Paul (Kids ask Mom and Dad or Grandma or Grandpa who Paul Harvey was!) is long gone, but we know the story ends really well because God was in the story; not in the evil in the hearts of these brothers, but working a redemption to that evil that would prove to be one of the biggest blessings they could have ever hoped for. And it goes in line with us and how we sometimes do/say/think something and we feel horrible about it (especially if we're caught!) and wonder how we would ever get out of such a situation, and somehow we do. Our prayer should be to live a life that blesses and gives life to others, and if ever we find ourselves as the one being thrown into a well, God will bless us. God have mercy on us if we ever find within ourselves the anger and desire to throw someone into a well! Life is too short to spend time in misery and remorse planning revenge or hateful acts on others. The time we find ourselves living calls for more people of peace, patience, and compassion; lifting up others out of symbolic wells and back into places of respect and acceptance.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive us those times we have tried to get away with something we know we should not have done, and worse, when we were angry at those who told on us; we know better and should live better. Thank You for Your mercy and understanding, and especially for second chances. You know our needs and we pray that You be glorified in them; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Forgive the tattle-tale in your life today! And don't throw anyone into a well today, or any day!
Receive my blessings of joy and peace!
Pastor Eradio Valverde
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