Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna | Friday, July 13, 2018 | Topic: Conscience 70
Scripture: And when they saw Joseph afar off, even before he came near to them, they conspired against him to slay him. Genesis 37:18
Note: The evil plan to destroy Joseph began with a conspiracy among his brothers. The conspiracy was detailed and well planned such that they had even identified the ideal pit that should serve as his burial ground. The plan to kill Joseph was not going to be easy as they were aware that they would have a tough explanation trying to convince Jacob that Joseph’s death was purely accidental. Beneath the conspiracy was a strong hatred for Joseph underlined by envy and jealousy for the potential they saw in Joseph’s dreams. They understood Joseph’s dreams, even though the dreamer himself didn’t. His naivety was in full glow when he recklessly exposed himself to danger by sharing his dreams with them.
The general dislike among the brothers for Joseph was a unanimous one. However, the decision to cruelly terminate his life by killing him and throwing him into a pit like a dustbin, didn’t wash with the leader of the delegation. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son and leader of the gang, disagreed with the idea to kill him. He was the one with the ultimate responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone on the trip. He was the accountable person who would be held responsible for the safety of all. Reuben’s departure from the evil plan gives credence to the saying, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Reuben was not prepared to court the anger of his dad at what he saw to be an unfair act and an obvious loophole in the plot.
In the heat of what could turn up to be a life or death decision for the approaching Joseph, the mysterious and invisible hand of God was lifted up in favour of Joseph, to divide their front using what was supposed to be one of the co-conspirators as the unlikely deliverer. Reuben was carrying a heavy burden with a responsibility to save Joseph from the rest of his bloodhound brothers. He was released by God as a saviour to provide a timely intervention to protect Joseph, who was carrying in his bosom, a dream that God could not allow to fail.
The discourse that took place between Reuben and his brothers must have begun as a fierce encounter, to start with. Strong emotions were involved, with definite intentions to commit a very wicked act of extreme evil, by killing their own brother. What seemed like a private family battle between Reuben on one hand and the rest of his brothers on the other hand, with Joseph being the main reason for the contentious encounter, was in reality a real battle between God and the forces of darkness over the destiny of nations and mankind as a whole.
Food for thought: Joseph’s dreams were in real danger of being aborted during its infant stage just like how Herod tried to kill infant Jesus.
Declaration: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Matt 2:13
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
