“Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.”
Genesis 37:25 NLT
Don’t let the fact be lost on you that having just thrown their little brother into a dry cistern, leaving him for dead, Joseph’s brothers are about to sit down to eat!
Imagine this: Joseph is surely crying out for help, imploring that they change their minds. He is hungry. He is exhausted. He is thirsty. He is horrified. Yet, they’ve worked up an appetite!
When our own hurt, agenda, desires, etc., are louder than the voice of justice, we no longer feel compelled to respond to cries of distress. Cries for mercy become background “noise,” barely interrupting the loud demands of our wicked agenda. So what if we have inflicted hurt? Even more reason to ignore and deny what is really happening. Move along, nothing to see here.
For some people, anything—including anyone—standing between them and what they want, is objectified, and seen only as an obstacle to their desires. So naturally, there is no consideration for the other person or group. After all, objects require no consideration.
Oh how important it is that we treat one another as one of God’s beloved and as our dear sister(s) or brother(s) in Christ.
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”
1 John 4:7, 11-12, 20-21 NLT
As we discussed on Day 18, if we are dealing with our sisters and brothers out of our envy, our jealousy, our greed, our ambitions, our hurt, etc., we will necessarily become abusive and commit injustices.
“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.“
James 4:1-2a NLT
Additionally, it is easy to become abusive or insensitive in our dealings with others when we allow the pressures of life to cause us to be completely self-centered, totally self-absorbed.
We must beware lest imprisoned in our own echo chambers, we become oblivious to how our actions are causing harm; or how our inactions may deny relief to suffering souls.
Joseph’s brothers have allowed their own bitterness to make them calloused to Joseph’s suffering. Now they are about to do something they think will tie the bow on their heartless scheme.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 20, 2024
- 2 min read
“So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.”
Genesis 37:23-24 NLT
Many years ago there were some people who were treating me badly. I had no idea why they seemed to take pleasure in the abusive behavior they dealt out to me. I couldn’t think of anything I had specifically done. It just seemed that they found who I am to be distasteful to them.
In a time of prayer I asked the Lord what I thought was a rhetorical question: “Why are they doing this to me?” To my surprise, the Lord quickly and clearly answered with this: “Some people try to fill the hole in their soul with the misery of others.”
Wow! What a revelation! I then thought back over all the years, all the bullies I have ever known who seemed to take pleasure in calling me names, wanting to hurt my feelings, who would even track me down to verbally assault me. Now it all made sense.
You see, miserable people try to make others miserable. Whoever said that “misery loves company,” was right. And, the top example of this being so, is Satan.
“Hell has a voracious appetite, and lust just never quits.”
Proverbs 27:20 MSG
Of course, it doesn’t make the miserable feel better to victimize others. As we have noted before, it would be like trying to get rid of a hole in your backyard by digging it out; it only gets bigger. Even still, they try to muffle their misery with others’ sadness and distress, others’ misery.
Joseph’s brothers hated him for what he represented to them: He was the favored son; he was the one who never got in trouble. Somehow or another, to get rid of him, would be to “set things right” in their lives; it would “even the score.”
In today’s portion of Joseph’s story, we see him catching up with his brothers. He comes upon them, probably very tired from the journey of trying to find them. He was possibly even relieved to see them. But he is about to fall into their terrible plan.
It’s notable that the first thing the brothers did was to remove that beautiful coat, that symbol of the father’s favor, having now become the symbol of their misery. They throw him into a dry cistern, leaving him for dead.
Oh what inhumanity can be manifested when empty souls, now filled with evil intent, set their minds to “set things right.” Beloved, it ought not be so.
“You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]?”
1 Corinthians 3:3 AMP
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 19, 2024
- 4 min read
“But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.”
Genesis 37:21-22 NLT
My maternal grandmother had a “famous”saying: “Do more and say less.” Now, I understand what her meaning was: Do what you’re going to do without drawing a lot of attention to yourself, without letting folks know what you’re up to.
Now, that may be strategic in some situations. The now proverbial phrase, “Loose lips sink ships,” became ubiquitous on posters during World War II. In other words, in battle, don’t give away your strategy to the enemy.
In terms of a biblical application of “do more and say less,” Jesus said that it is advisable to “do more and say less” in terms of the doing of good deeds like charitable giving.
““Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-4 NLT
Indeed, Jesus went further to include “do more and say less,” in terms of the things performed in devotion to the Lord like praying and fasting.
““When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:5-6, 16-18 NLT
However, Jesus, in no uncertain terms, made clear that those who do not speak up about their relationship with Him, will not be able to count on Him speaking up for them before the Father.
““Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 10:32-33 NLT
I understand the power of intimidation. How else could you have a so-called silent majority ending up being dominated by a loud, rowdy, Godless, minority?
I get it. Some remain silent in the face of evil out of fear. Still others may remain silent in the name of “peace.” But fail to speak up long enough, and eventually you will look around and not recognize your country, your society, even your own family. Remember, while you are busy being “silent,” those who are part of the world system, are very busy being loud and active!
In terms of “saying less” in the face of injustice, the Lord counts those who don’t speak up, along with those who commit the injustices.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”
Proverbs 31:8-9 NLT
““If you are called to testify about something you have seen or that you know about, it is sinful to refuse to testify, and you will be punished for your sin.”
Leviticus 5:1 NLT
Consider what Mordecai told Queen Esther concerning Haman’s plot to kill all the Jews:
“Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?””
Esther 4:13-14 NLT
Looking at our portion of Joseph’s story today, I really don’t understand why Reuben—being the oldest and knowing the power that position carried in those days—would not have just clearly said, “This thing is wrong and we’re not going to do it!”
Perhaps Reuben actually feared the rest of the brothers. Perhaps he thought that saving Joseph this way would keep the peace. But no matter why Reuben did what he did, I can’t help but wonder: How will this plan turn out for him?
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!