Verse of the day: Genesis
37:19-20 Then they said
to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us
now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has
devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
We
have previously noted Joseph’s youthful pride; but here, we see his brothers’
pride, and how it led them to plot Joseph’s murder. Pride and jealousy will
lead to the destruction of unity in any relationship. It is sad to see broken
relationships in a family due to someone’s inability to rejoice with those who
prosper, and within God’s family it is a shame when we cannot rejoice for one
another when we see God doing good things in their life. Joseph’s brothers
already hated him because he was the favorite son of their father Israel. To
add to this hatred, the fact that Joseph recounted his dream to them of someday
ruling over them did not help his situation any. We can learn much about how
destructive it can be for us to envy someone else’s God chosen success.
Although Joseph seemed to express God’s plan for his life with a bit of
youthful arrogance, the response from his brothers was not appropriate for the
circumstances. Their ultimate goal was to never be in a position where they
would bow down to their younger brother. However, when God has a plan for
someone’s life, there is nothing that we can do to stop Him. Our attempts to
cause someone to stumble, or someone else’s attempts to thwarts God’s plan for
us, will simply fall flat in the long run. Sadly, when we allow this amongst
God’s people it brings shame to God’s church. James 3:14-16 tells us, “But if you have bitter envy
and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This
wisdom does not descend from above, but is
earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” It is sad to say
that I have seen local churches split because of believers who got upset because
someone else was chosen to lead a Bible study, or chosen to be a deacon, or hold
some position of leadership, over them. So often we stand together when the
attack on God’s church comes from the outside, but we are blind to the division
coming from within when we are filled with pride and jealousy over what God
does in someone else’s life. This sort of thing should not be so in God’s house
where there should be unity. In Joseph’s situation, there was one brother who
tried to do the right thing; however, his motivation for doing it may have been
selfish in nature. Reuben, who convinced his brother not to kill Joseph, had
selfish intentions of his own in his attempt to rescue his brother. Ironically,
being the oldest, he had the most to be jealous about, as culturally speaking
he was entitled to a double portion of an inheritance from his father Israel.
The only problem was the he had defiled his father’s bed by lying with one of
Israel’s concubines Bilhah (Genesis 35:22). This was now his opportunity to
possibly redeem himself and be the hero in his father’s eyes. Nonetheless, his
plan fell apart when Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Midianite merchantmen.
Reuben’s plan turned to panic when he realized that not only would he not be
able to gain his father’s favor, but as the oldest son was responsible to make
sure Joseph returned home safely. The bottom line is that when we plan and
scheme for our own selfish gain, God can pull the rug out from under our feet,
as He is well acquainted with what is in the heart of man (Psalm 44:21). As born
again believers, we must learn to be content with whatever plans God has for
our lives, and rejoice with those whom God chooses to prosper. We must also
seek to do good, not for the purpose of selfishly gaining something in return,
but simply because it is right to do, and it is what we are called to do by
faith, in Christ, trusting God for the outcome.
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