GENESIS 37
25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. – Genesis 37:25-36
GENESIS 37 JOSEPH’S PLIGHT
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After being thrown into a pit to be killed by his own brothers
Judah decided to earn money by selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites
Joseph was taken to Egypt and reported as dead to their father
Jacob tore his garments and mourned for his beloved son for many days.
We get a glimpse of the evil that resulted in the jealousy that the brothers had against the favorite son of Jacob. Although Reuben had his own plan to rescue Joseph, that failed because of Judah’s spontaneous decision to sell him and earn from doing so. He made it look like they were cleaning their hands from the blood if they killed Joseph but it still showed their evil hearts that were guiltless as they got rid of Joseph’s presence in their lives. The pain of the special treatment to Joseph was harder for all of them to bear as Jacob continued to give him more favor and not treat them all equally.
REFLECTION
- How did God use evil and turned it for good in this predicament of Joseph?
