Joseph Sold

Question of the day: What is something you highly value?

Today we are continuing in Genesis chapter 37. Starting with verse twelve.  

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

I would like us to stop for a moment and talk about Joseph.

He willingly leaves home and goes on this journey for his father.  He travels 50 miles to Shechem and his brothers aren't there.  He then finds out he has another 15 to go.  

He is traveling 75 miles to get to his brothers.  He has no idea of what is about to greet him.  

Have you ever worked hard, put forth great effort to be attached instead of greeted the way you had expected? 

Maybe it was working hard at work and not getting the promotion, but instead even let go?

Maybe it was just planning a special evening for your spouse, but instead a fight breaks out.  Have you ever experienced something like that?

What about in your relationship with God?  Have you ever done what you were asked, did your best to follow him, and then were "thrown in a pit." 

Let's continue reading......

18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Now before we completely villainize the brothers I would like for us to stop and think about what was behind their actions? 

What led up to this behavior?

Was it the coat?

Was it the dreams?

I think we need to go back even farther than that.

Where did this all start? 

These men were once boys who grew up in an environment where they were ranked by how much their father loved or didn't love them.  They were "less than" because of who their mother was.  Their need to be loved....a good valid need, right?

This wasn't about a coat, it was what the coat represented, what the coat screamed! It wasn't even about the dreams! 

Am I making excuses for their behavior?

Why does this matter?

How many times do we take our needs, even good needs and when they are not met as we think they should be we then start acting out in ungodly way?

Recently I had a conversation with someone who wasn't being treated well at work.  This individual had reason to be upset, had reason to throw individuals in a pit.  (This is not someone from my work place....)  Just because we think we are justified, is it the right thing to do? 

You might say, well... the problem was with their father, not Joseph, so it wasn't justified.  

How many times do we take things out on people when it isn't really about them?

Let's continue reading....

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[c] 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.

Once again Jacobs children, are clearly shown their place.  Their comfort, NOT enough....  Can you imagine?

Are there any parallels here with the story of Jesus? 

Is that important?

What stands out to you about this part of the story?

What about Joseph?

What must this time have been like for him?

In this story we know the big picture, but Joseph does not, how many times do we find ourselves headed down a path that we didn't want to go, without a choice in the matter. 

The question of the day was about things that we value.  Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt being sold.  A price being put on his head.  He went from being the most valued to the SOLD for a price.  Devalued! He was now no longer honored, but a slave.  He went from coddled to abused.  Can you imagine how he must have felt on that journey to Egypt? 

 We know that in spite of being sold into slavery that this is far from the end for Joseph, but he didn't know that at the time.  

If you find yourself sold into slavery there is hope!

If you find yourself in a place that feels like the end of the story, it doesn't stop here!  God has already written a beautiful ending.  It is an ending where all is restored and all is made right! It is an end that is truly no end at all!  More of a "happily ever after..."   

In this story there are lots of justified needs...

Jacob.  He favored Joseph, but really all he ever wanted was to take Rachel as his wife, but he was tricked into having kids from other women.  Is it so awful that he loved the ones connected to the woman he had chosen as his wife?   My point is that the desire to have one wife, and a happy family with just her is not a bad desire, correct.  Then the brothers... they desired to be loved by their father, to find favor in his eyes.  Anything wrong with that?  Joseph, desired to be with his family, and must have been hurt and lonely.  Is there anything wrong with that desire?

Justified needs don't give us permission to act out!

The issue here is how and what was done as a result of those needs.  

Jacob didn't love those he should have, the brothers sold their brother, lied to their father and then Joseph...

We will get into what Joseph did next week, but you know the story.

I want to challenge us to look at what our desires and wants are.  What our hurts are and how we are dealing with both.  

Are we remaining honorable? Are we looking to Christ and letting him fill our holes, repair our hearts, or are we finding other means and ways?

At camp meeting I  had the opportunity to pray with people, lots of people. and there is a common theme.  People are broken, and when we are broken we often seek to fill our brokenness in ways that creates more brokenness. 

We are all broken in someway.  Are we going to take our brokenness to Christ and let him heal and restore us or are we going to do ridiculous things that end up causing more harm to ourselves and others. 

Will you this morning choose Jesus and His way to mend your brokenness and to heal?  Or will you choose your way?

KNOW LOVE.

LIVE LOVE.

SHARE LOVE.