We saw previously in chapter 37 that Joseph’s brothers harbored a deep hatred for him. At this point in the chapter, they are grazing their father Jacob’s flock far from home.
Jacob sent Joseph to check on them. Upon seeing him, their hatred intensified, and they plotted to kill him.
They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them they conspired to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer.
Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams” (Genesis 37:18-20).
Not all the brothers were comfortable with murder. Reuben wanted to rescue his brother, and this is the way he reasoned with the other brothers who wanted to take his life.
“Let us not take his life.” Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father (Genesis 37:21-22).
Reuben drew from a principle derived from the first murder when Cain killed Abel.
God said to Cain, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10).
This “cry” signifies that God hears and acknowledges the injustice of taking innocent life. It implies a moral order in the universe, and God will not ignore such acts.
Following Reuben’s suggestion, the brothers threw Joseph into a cistern. A cistern is a narrow-necked, wide-based hole dug into the ground, primarily for water storage. Escape would be nearly impossible, leaving someone trapped to face death by thirst or starvation, unless rescued.
The brothers’ capacity to eat after conspiring to murder Joseph and abandoning him in a cistern speaks volumes about their heartlessness. Then, while they were eating, they saw a caravan and, rather than carry out their murderous plan, decided to sell him as a slave.
Judah is the one who encourages the brothers to sell Joseph into slavery, rather than kill him.
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 and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed (Genesis 37:26-27).
Rudy Ross, on our YouTube channel, suggests that we observe Judah’s behavior as the story progresses through Genesis. This will reveal the significant changes in his character over time.
We know Jacob was deceitful. Now, his sons deceive him as well. They presented Joseph’s blood-soaked robe, letting Jacob assume the worst without explicitly telling him what happened.
They had the ornamented robe taken to their father, and they said, “This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”
Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days (Genesis 37:32-34).
Hatred’s Power Overcome
At the height of World War II, a group of praying men and women believed love was the only antidote to hatred. Witnessing the daily devastation of war, they dedicated themselves to prayer, seeking God’s love to prevail.
During one intense night of prayer, they powerfully sensed God’s love radiating from them to the war zone. That night marked a pivotal shift in the war, turning the tide from German advantage to Allied favor.
The story of Joseph’s brothers reveals the extent to which hatred can corrupt and control an individual. This story is played out on a daily basis throughout the world.
The story of Joseph and his brothers can motivate us to dedicate ourselves to loving God and our fellow humans, and to earnestly pray that this divine command permeates the world. We can make this our daily purpose.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 