Bibledoorajar Looks at Crises

      The crisis in Joseph's life has been escalating and true to the statement above the first steps of a journey can be seen. I do not believe that Joseph and his father could not see the beginning signs of crisis. The brother's statements and behavior toward Joseph belied warnings and risk. But just as clearly the love of Israel and Joseph for the brothers wandering in the fields outweighed the warnings. The risk assessment was that the brothers and their families were worth the rescue even though there were obvious dangers in the field. The future country of Israel was to be built upon their shoulders therefore they must be safe at all costs. What if Israel had not loved his misbehaving sons enough to want their best? What if Joseph had said "You have to be kidding" to his aging father? But they did not. Head on, they faced the crisis alone. The risks would be worth it. Joseph's journey began.

     In Matthew 20, we read of a mother who wanted her two sons to have places of eminence with Jesus. Jesus responded by saying she had misread the warnings signs. She saw no need for risk assessment of the nature of His true path. If she had, she would have known her sons were not up for the task. So, just as Joseph took on the field alone, Jesus went to the Garden. There He assessed the risk to His manhood. There He made His plea. There the Father said the brothers were worth it and Jesus' journey to the cross began. Where are you on your journey? Have you begun?
     

Bibledoorajar on Concocted stories

 

     Joseph's father was waiting for a report as to the welfare of his other sons who had roamed far away from home. He had sent the family dreamer, his favorite,  to check on them and Joseph had been willing to pursue and find them out in the field. But their response on seeing him was to hurl insults and to make plans for his demise. It was Judah who suggested they take him out of the pit and sell him. And so, Joseph came up from the pit whole, his body in one piece. The plan to kill him was forestalled, but they did take his coat and cover it with blood to be able to present a concocted story to their father.

   

"... the Pharisees  held a council against Him as to how they might destroy Him" (Matthew 12:14).
 And so it was, that Judas knew that the brethren of Jesus planned to kill Him, so he took the thirty pieces of silver and sold Jesus into their hands. Indeed, they concocted a story worthy of death and His bloody body was soon displayed for all to see. However, when they buried Him, He arose, His body complete in one piece. All the concocted stories of the brethren were shattered.
    Today, you can find brethren out in the field (world) who still hurl insults and who still concoct all types of means to rid themselves of Jesus. The story of Joseph: myth. The story of Jesus: myth. Then there are those in the field who tell the old, old stories with true conviction and belief. Whose report do you believe?

Bibledoorajar Observes Joseph's Overturning

Can you just not hear the raised voices and angry words of the sons of Jacob as they "discussed" what to do with The Dreamer? As the situation escalated, it became apparent to the eldest that the majority opinion was that Joseph should be killed. As the brothers' moved in that direction, Reuben asked that he not be killed, but rather, thrown into a pit. The brothers capitulated and in Joseph went to a pit. Reuben reasoned that later he would be able to come back and could take Joseph personally to his father. Maybe he intended to sneak away from the callous brothers who removed themselves from Joseph in order to eat. But something else was afoot. Being on a trade route meant opportunities to sell folks into slavery and by the time Reuben got back to the pit, Joseph was not there. The brothers had sold him to Midianite merchants who were well known to Abraham maybe even kin. Joseph would land in a very different place from where he spent his youth with his loving father.

 God is not mentioned during many of the events in the Bible including this one, but one must remember that His involvement is certainly present and the selling of Joseph into slavery was allowed to move forward. Later we will see how important this was and how Joseph saved the the world from famine. Jesus, too, faced an angry mob who wanted to kill Him. Peter thought he could do something about it and drew his sword. His actions were stymied and the mob took Jesus away to face a rule so very different from what He learned at the hand of His loving Father.

    "The kingdom of Heaven will be taken by force"
                                                           Matthew 11:11

"So amid the conflict whether great or small
Do not be discouraged God is over all.
Count you many blessing, angels will attend
Care and comfort give you to your journey's end."
          Johnson Oatman Jr.

Bibledoorajar: Plots and Perjury; Suffering Before Glory

"....to rid him of his hated nephew. Once embarked upon the ocean of crime, one must sail on through all the rocks and quicksands; a straight course is impossible. Already in his fertile brain and treacherous heart a scheme of cruel and underhand vengeance is being planned; his only doubt is whether this generous, and seemingly noble-minded, youth will consent to be his instrument in carrying it out. So much more tractable is Laertes now than when, but a little while since, he rudely burst in upon the royal presence at the head of a riotous mob, that he consents to be ruled by the King so long as he does not "overrule" him "to a peace." The scheme, which in so short a time has grown "ripe" in the "device" of Claudius, answers every end required — it is sure, it is safe, involving no danger or blame to those who execute it: But even his mother shall uncharge the practise And call it accident."  On the plot of Claudius to have Laertes kill Hamlet in A Study of Hamlet by Frank A. Marshall)"

Joseph has been more than willing to roam over sixty miles from home looking for his brothers. This reflects his obedient characteristic to please his father. One does not know how much insight Joseph had into his brothers' hatred of him. It was obviously not completely understood by Jacob or he would have probably not risked the life of Joseph. But there along the trade routes to Egypt the plot is hatched to throw Joseph in a pit and let him die. The brothers will perjure themselves with their father and say that they brother was attacked by an animal. In order to ensure that they would continue on with their father "to a peace" (have a peaceful existence) as Laertes wanted in Hamlet, they would call their actions an accident when they reported the brother's fate to Jacob. When Jacob got the news he placed himself in sackcloth and ashes to mourn the loss of his son in a contrite and humble manner. Before God all the evil propensities of Jacob's life and this world were confessed that may have led to the loss of his son. 
I remember talking to a father once. He was so upset over his daughter's involvement with a man of questionable integrity that he tore his shirt and mourned openly at his inability to save her from what he saw as a terrible fate. Such grief laced with inability to counter evil is very deep within the soul.
This is certainly a part of the agony God's Son felt in the garden as he was called to deal with such evil. Those spoken words of "if it be Thy will, let this cup pass from me" portrayed how great the evil propensities of the brothers of Jesus were. We must ever praise the Father for so great a gift given to a world "so loved".
   "Years I spent in vanity and pride, caring not my Lord was crucified"
                                                    William Newell, 1895