- araratchurch
- Jun 27, 2024
- 3 min read
“Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.”
Genesis 37:36 NLT
In 1962, Skeeter Davis recorded the song, “The End of the World.” Here are some of the lyrics:
“Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars glow above?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
It ended when I lost your love
I wake-up in the morning, and I wonder
Why everything's the same as it was
I can't understand, no, I can't understand
How life goes on the way it does….”
The sentiment expressed in the song is that of a person who has lost a great love. Now he can’t understand how the whole world isn’t grieved with him. How can the world be carrying on as usual?
Now, we all know that lost-love songs are very dramatic, probably overly dramatic. But I think many of us can identify with the feeling being expressed.
Indeed, I have had things going on in my life: loss, grief, suffering, etc., and turning on the TV, seeing game shows with people laughing and having a great time, it somehow felt surreal. Although I knew it was irrational, it felt “wrong” that they weren’t sharing my crisis. It’s not that I wanted them to be suffering. It’s just, how could they not know? Now, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m genuinely happy for you; but if you ever experience it, you’ll understand.
You see, as we have noted before, suffering is very personal. We may be sorry that someone is suffering; but we are not nearly as sorry as is the sufferer.
Think about it: Tragedies, including great injustices all over the world, are now quickly accessible for all the world to see. But also think about how quickly interest in those tragedies fades.
Great hurricanes, devastating fires, famine, murders, pestilence, whatever the tragedy, will grab the headlines for about 15 minutes. Then it’s on to something else, something new. Sometimes it’s even difficult to get an update on how things are turning out.
We are examining justice and injustice. Within that context, we know that the reality is that the world does go on, even though there is much suffering resulting from injustices, even as I am writing this, even as you are reading this.
The first word in our opening scripture greatly impacted me today. That word, “meanwhile,” just says it all: No matter how good life may be for some, there is always a “meanwhile” of much suffering, hurt, abuse, injustice, etc., going on somewhere.
At times, we may be the one suffering. Other times, we may be on the “oblivious” side, as things are going pretty well for us. The truth is, if we mourned whenever someone, somewhere, was mourning, our lives would be dominated by sorrow, hurt, etc.; it would be a miserable existence.
However, when we are blessed to be on the “things are pretty good” side of the “meanwhile” equation, we must not forget about those who are suffering great injustices:
“Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.”
Hebrews 13:3 NLT
Our personal pain can be like an echo chamber in which we feel very alone in our suffering. It can seem as though no one really knows, or if they do know, they certainly don’t care.
It’s hard to imagine what Joseph was feeling as he was sold by his own brothers, then sold again to Potiphar (a leader in Egypt), treated as a non-person, treated as a commodity.
Joseph can only hope that he will find justice in Potiphar’s house….
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 26, 2024
- 3 min read
“Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.”
Genesis 37:33-35 NLT
Suffering is ubiquitous in our sin-sick world. Basically, everywhere you look, everywhere you go, suffering and grief can be found. Sometimes that suffering is our own familiar foe and grief our constant companion.
It seems that the sadness and suffering are magnified when resulting from someone else’s selfish or careless action or inaction, completely preventable if not for someone’s disregard.
As my sons were growing up, when there was some sort of calamity going on, I would ask them, “Are you solution or problem?” I also helped them to understand that whether they were actively responsible for the bad situation (problem), the least they could do is to not contribute to the bad situation. And preferably, they could contribute to making the bad situation better (solution).
Friend, when considering injustice and the resultant suffering, we must ask ourselves that same question.
Of course, it’s easy to see how the murderer, the thief, the slave trader, etc., are contributing to the problem of injustice and heaping fuel on the fire of human suffering. However, it’s also easy to be blind to our own contribution to the injustices that bring suffering and grief to so many.
In today’s portion of Joseph’s story we see that his brothers, having dispatched him and “covered” their crime, have now sucked Jacob into their web of deceit. Seeing the bloody garment, Jacob assumes the worst: Joseph has been killed! His grief is beyond consolation.
It’s hard to imagine that Jacob’s own sons watched him day after day, year after year, suffering in sorrow, without coming clean about what they had done. But you see, covering their own backsides, was much more important than an old man’s grief.
Yes, there is much suffering and misery in this world. As children of God, our responsibility is to make sure that we aren’t contributing to the suffering and grief by our action or inaction. Additionally—as much as is in our control—we must work to ameliorate the suffering and grief of others.
Sadly, suffering, misery, and grief—the result of injustice or otherwise—will be with us until Jesus comes to rule and reign. You see, only He can set everything right.
I’ll leave you with this:
“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.””
Revelation 21:3-5 NLT
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 25, 2024
- 3 min read
“Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?””
Genesis 37:31-32 NLT
I cannot say this to you enough: Abusive people objectify their victims. How else would it be possible that otherwise “decent” people support the industry of pornography, the abortion industry, prostitution, and so on?
The fact is, people insulate themselves against condemnation of what they are doing by reframing what they are doing. And, objectification is one of the means by which injustice is reframed.
Some people allow their desires to produce tunnel vision wherein their desire is seen as inescapable. And, when a person sees their desire as inescapable, as something they must have or do, they pursue what they want (or want to do) without regard to collateral damage.
As well, people may insulate themselves against condemnation with another type of reframing, wherein there is some “legitimate” justification for what they are doing.
Consider people who engage in looting and stealing. Some will condone their looting and stealing by seeing the victim as something/someone “deserving” of the loss. Some may see such acts as retribution for past evils of some corporation, some particular group of people, etc.
In today’s portion of Joseph’s story we see that his brothers, having dispensed with him, now turn their energy into coming up with a false narrative to cover for their awful deed.
Look at how Joseph’s brothers referenced him to their father: “Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?” Wait a minute! Is not HIS son, THEIR brother! Apparently, not anymore. They’ve carried this terrible deed out; and Joseph is considered dead to them. They intend not to think another thought about him.
Another aspect of the situation we must examine today is the fact that this act of deception directly follows Reuben coming and finding Joseph gone. This killing of the animal, and putting the blood on Joseph’s coat, is now the way of answering Reuben’s question as to what he was going to do.
Let’s reflect back on the story with which we began our examination of justice/injustice, that of David and Bathsheba.
On Day 7 and Day 8 we also talked about a web of deceit and cover-ups often being worse than the crime. Remember, David’s sin led to a deception that eventually required murder!
In David’s case, he became caught in his own web of deceit covering his own sin. In Reuben’s case, he got caught up in the web of deception covering what his brothers had done, all because he didn’t speak out against what they were doing.
As another glaring moral here: We must never forget the importance of quickly confessing our sins to the Lord, and repenting, rather than making things worse with deception and denial.
“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”
Psalms 32:1-5 NLT
Now Joseph is a slave, and Reuben, having failed to speak out against his brothers’ plan, has been sucked into a terrible web of deceit. Meanwhile, an old man is about to get some horrific news….
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!