Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna | Wednesday, July 18, 2018 | Topic: Conscience 74
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: Joseph had Reuben to thank, for delivering him from death. Reuben’s mum, Leah, had suffered so much discrimination and loveless treatment from Jacob that it’s virtually impossible to separate the effect of Leah’s lingering pain of abandonment from that of her children. Ill treatment of mothers by fathers have lasting and damaging effects on innocent children. What they saw their dad say to their mum and how he treated her, will always be etched on the mind of the children, rather unfortunately, not for the right reasons. Some children have been known to visit their bottled up, uncontrolled anger as a result of poor, past treatments by erring dads on their fathers in a very violent manner.
Whatever happened to Reuben’s mum in the past seemed to have been kept in the past, where it belonged, by Reuben. His calm demeanour and decisive action when it came to his notice that a dastardly plot was in the offing and it was about to be unleashed upon Joseph, was what saved the lad from sure death. Reuben demonstrated visible leadership, by walking the talk to have Joseph spared. His intervention would certainly have made him quite unpopular with the rest of the siblings, as emotions were very high. They had been baiting Joseph impatiently for his arrival to put the finishing touches to their plans.
True to their suspicion that led to having Reuben excluded from the initial crucial talks on the conspiracy, Reuben proved adamant to their plot, as he threw a spanner into their wheel. Reuben’s emotional stability and demeanour, coupled with his firm decision to have Joseph put into the pit, succeeded in bringing cool heads to the table to discuss the implications and consequences of killing their own brother. Strong and level-headed leadership by Reuben prevailed over emotional hotheads at a critical point in Joseph’s life.
Joseph was stripped of his coat of many colours. He was definitely sad about it, as the coat provided him with covering over his nakedness, as well warmth and psychological importance of the love and affection attached to the coat. Yet, considering the gravity of what was at stake; his life, vis-a-vis the coat of many colours, the weight of Reuben’s intervention in delivering Joseph from the machinations of mob action, made his coat of many colours pale into insignificance at that material moment. Joseph still had his life and once there’s life, there’s hope for recovery.
Food for thought: The finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary brought hope to lost humanity for reconciliation with God.
Declaration: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself not imputing their trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2Cor 5:19
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
