Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna | Saturday, July 21, 2018 | Topic: Conscience 77
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: Every calculated step in the conspiracy to kill Joseph exonerated Reuben from being part of the plot. All the details of the plot were settled and concluded that Joseph deserved the death sentence. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son and leader of the team wasn’t deliberately informed of the plot. He was only privileged to have heard them discussing the plot. Reuben had a choice to have taken any of 3 decisions. Firstly, he could have actively supported the plot since Joseph’s death would mean that his position as the firstborn son remained unopposed. Secondly, he could have chosen to simply remain neutral, as if he wasn’t concerned with happenings around him or hadn’t heard of it at all. Thirdly, he could have chosen to stop the intended killing of Joseph since he was the only one with the authority and clout to save his brother.
A look at the first scenario where Reuben had everything to gain as the firstborn son with a natural right to a double portion of the inheritance according to Jewish customs, stood Reuben with nothing to gain since Joseph was his main competitor, the favourite son of Jacob, the firstborn son of Rachel. Reuben had all to gain in the inheritance of the father’s inheritance with Joseph’s demise. We’re all aware of the fierce rivalry and bitter quarrels that usually evolve among siblings, even coming from the same mother. Some relationships among siblings suffer irreparable damage as a result of disagreement on the sharing of inheritance. Deaths have occurred, and ugly altercations often ensued, leading to further dismemberment of the family tree.
Choosing to remain neutral, unconcerned, aloof, while secretly enjoying seeing Joseph suffer an excruciating death at the hands of the other brothers, was still a viable option that Reuben could have opted for. After all, he wouldn’t have to worry about the consequences of suffering the guilt of having participated in the ugly killing of his own brother. His conscience would have pacified him that he didn’t do it. We live in a world where the nations and people with the means, the power, the clout and the ability to stop the carnage going on in our world, have simply decided to mind their own business except and only when they have an economic interest. Our sense of humanity is now defined by what’s in it for us by way of economic and material gains.
Reuben chose the third option to stop the intended killing of Joseph. He brought his humanity, his clout and his authority to bear on the decision making process, at the terminal stage when the proposed killing was all but unanimously settled among the brothers. The very moment Reuben heard of it, he delivered Joseph out of their hands and said, “Let us not kill him.” This was a man with a conscience, who first took the physical action step in rescuing his brother and followed it up by convincing his brothers not to do the ugly thing. Reuben acted wisely when he craftily identified himself with his raging brothers, “Let us not kill him.” By identifying with them even in the ugliness of their error and anger, his brothers were won over to own the right decision proffered by Reuben.
Food for thought: The ugliness of our world today is the cumulative effect of wrong choices by people with the power to have altered the complexion of our world.
Declaration: And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, “Let us not kill him.” Genesis 37:21
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
