© Duplication and distribution of these readings is encouraged.

Internet: http://NonConformist.MyChurch.com

Genesis 37b: 

Reading #142  Joseph’s fate

We pick up the tale as Joseph approaches his brothers.

***************(Begin Quote)

Genesis 37:

17 And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. 18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near to them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, “Behold, this dreamer comes. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast has devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” 

21 And Reuben [the eldest] heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands [with another idea]; and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him”; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 24 and they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 

***************(End Quote)

His brothers saw him approaching; but no thought of the long journey he had made to meet them, of his weariness and hunger, of his claims upon their hospitality and brotherly love, softened the bitterness of their hatred. The sight of the coat, the token of their father's love, filled them with frenzy. "Behold, this dreamer comes," they cried in mockery.

Envy and revenge, long secretly cherished, now controlled them and they became agents of Satan.

They would have carried out their purpose but for Reuben. Under the influence of the Spirit of love he shrank from taking part in the murder of his brother, and proposed that Joseph be cast alive into a pit, and left there to perish; secretly intending, however, to rescue him and return him to his father. Having persuaded all to consent to this plan, Reuben left his brothers for a while, fearing that he might fail to control his feelings, and that his real intentions would be discovered. 

Joseph came on, unsuspicious of danger, and glad that the object of his long search was accomplished; but instead of the expected greeting, he was terrified by the angry and revengeful glances which he met. He was seized and his coat stripped from him. Taunts and threats revealed a deadly purpose. His entreaties were unheeded. He was wholly in the power of those maddened men. Roughly dragging him to a deep pit, they thrust him in, and having made sure that there was no possibility of his escape, they left him there to perish from hunger, while they sat down to eat supper.

***************(Begin Quote)

Genesis 37:

25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said to his brethren, “What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brethren were content.

28 Then there passed by Midianite merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

***************(End Quote)

The Ishmeelites (descendants of Ishmael) were partly Egyptian through Hagar, and were great travellers, so they had established a trade route from Mesopotamia to Egypt.  They are also called Midianites because their tribe was based in that area of the desert. 

Under the urging of the Spirit Judah now proposed to sell their brother to these heathen traders instead of leaving him to die. While he would be effectually put out of their way, they would remain clear of his blood; "for," he urged, "he is our brother and our flesh."  All agreed to this proposition, and Joseph was quickly drawn out of the pit. 

To this level and no further could the Son of God lead them.

As he saw the merchants the dreadful truth flashed upon Joseph. To become a slave was a fate more to be feared than death. In an agony of terror he appealed to one and another of his brothers, but in vain. Some were moved with pity, but fear of the others’ derision kept them silent; all felt that they had now gone too far to retreat. If Joseph were spared, he would doubtless report them to the father, who would not overlook their cruelty toward his favourite son. Steeling their hearts against his entreaties, they delivered him into the hands of the heathen traders. The caravan moved on, and was soon lost to view.

***************(Begin Quote)

Genesis 37:

29 And Reuben returned to the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brethren, and said, “The child is not; and I, whither shall I go [What can I do?]?” 

31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 32 and they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, “This have we found: know now whether it be your son's coat or no.” 33 And he knew it, and said, “It is my son's coat; an evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.” 

34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, “For I will go down into the grave to my son mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

***************(End Quote)

Upon learning the fate of Joseph, and that it would now be impossible to recover him, Reuben was persuaded to unite with the rest in the attempt to conceal their guilt. Having killed a kid, they dipped Joseph's coat in its blood, and took it to their father, telling him that they had found it in the fields, and that they feared it was their brother's. "Know now," they said, "whether it be your son's coat or no."  Like their spiritual father, they were “liars and murderers” and needed saving from that condition. John 8:44. 

They had looked forward to this scene with dread, but they were not prepared for the heart-rending anguish, the utter abandonment of grief, which they were compelled to witness. "It is my son's coat," said Jacob; "an evil beast has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." Vainly his sons and daughters attempted to comfort him. He "rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days."  Time seemed to bring no easing of his grief. "I will go down into the grave to my son mourning," was his despairing cry.

The young men (they were all in their twenties), terrified at what they had done, yet dreading their father's reproaches, still hid in their own hearts the knowledge of their guilt, which even to themselves seemed very great.  It was through this emotion that Jesus worked to bring them to repentance.

***************(Begin Quote)

Genesis 37:

36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard. 

***************(End Quote)

That’s where we can leave him now, safe in the arms of his Saviour, even if he did not know it, while He worked on the rest of his family!

Till next week,

Bye,

RonP

On to next reading                                  Back to previous reading