Reflections on Joseph and His Brothers
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites…” Genesis 37:26,26 ESV
Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself….For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.” Genesis 44:18,32,33 ESV
As I read through the chapters about Joseph and his brothers, I began to notice the sibling dynamics that are revealed over the years.
Reuben the oldest had forfeited his birthright as the oldest when he slept with one of his father’s concubines. But when the brothers conspired against Joseph, Reuben was trying to dissuade them from killing him and planned to rescue him from the pit and return Joseph to his father and to win back some favor. That plan never materialized.
When they first went to Egypt and were accused by Joseph of being spies and spent a few days in prison, Ruben got in his “I told you so” moment, “Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” (Genesis 42:22 ESV)
When the brothers returned from their first trip to Egypt without Simeon, Reuben pledge to his father the same kind of care that he wanted to demonstrate for Joseph many years before. “Then Reuben said to his father, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” (Genesis 42:37 ESV)
It is interesting that Joseph selected Simeon to stay in prison in Egypt while his brothers returned to Jacob. It was Judah that suggested that they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. Perhaps it was Simeon who suggested that his brothers kill Joseph. We can only speculate.
What is interesting is that all these years later we see Judah, who suggested Joseph to be sold into slavery, offering to Joseph to become his slave. Perhaps this was a key for Joseph to see that his brothers in their guilt had suffered through the years and had a been impacted by their actions so many years ago.
We see clearly in the “big picture” that God was with Joseph and he knew that the Lord was placing him in this position to bring salvation to his family. We see that Joseph remembers the dreams of his youth as his brothers came and bowed before him. But he did not “rub it in.” Several times we read that, “he test his brothers.”
Joseph as able to see the events as being orchestrated by God; his brothers though carried the guilty of their actions and were constantly “looking over their shoulders” waiting for the judgment they felt they deserved to come on their heads.
We can be thankful that in the cross, Christ removed our guilt and our shame for any past deeds. I am thankful for the declaration of scripture, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12 NIV) “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12 NIV)
Prayer for today…. Lord, thank You for the many lessons and observations we can take from the lessons of those in the Bible. We so often see ourselves in them. Thank You for Your forgiveness and removing of guilt and shame. We don’t need to fear the future when we trust in Your salvation.