Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna | Thursday, July 26, 2018 | Topic: Conscience 81
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 visible absence of Reuben created a leadership vacuum that was cashed in by the strongly opinionated folks among the brothers to serve their parochial and selfish agenda. Judah, being the 4th son according to seniority, was nowhere near in contention to succeed Reuben based on the inheritance custom. Yet, Judah’s obvious choleric inclinations were forcefully brought into fore during the period of vacuum in leadership. Judah’s ability to think off the cuff proved too convincing for the rest of the brothers who saw strong justification in the profitability of his merchandising idea in place of spilling blood.
By every definition of the reality of Joseph’s temporary imprisonment in the pit, he continued to be a prisoner in the care of Reuben. The other brothers were not privy to Reuben’s intention to finally set Joseph free. Reuben’s leadership and authority were unquestionable. He had been diligent in the way he discharged his responsibility as leader in his initial intervention leading to Joseph’s deliverance from death. Reuben’s leadership style however, only proved to be effective during his physical presence.
In his absence, Reuben woefully failed to set up the right structures, systems and policies to ensure continuity of leadership and sustainability of the good initiatives that he had begun. The result of this obvious negligence and demonstrated gross dereliction of duty, created a power vacuum and an avenue for corruption. The right structures, systems and policies would have made Reuben’s blood baiting brothers look like saints. Their murderous intents would have remained nibbed in the bud, and no one would have had the faintest idea that they ever intended making some gains off the sale of their brother.
Reuben’s failure was the monumental loss of his prized asset, Joseph. His brothers conspired to sell him. It was a judgment call that was considered merciful and gracious, compared to killing him. Joseph’s brothers virtually stole him in the absence of Reuben. It was a blatant violation of Reuben’s authority, even though they could only do that at his blind spot. Joseph’s selling was ultra vires, but that’s how corruption takes place. Joseph was a stolen commodity that was quickly and cheaply put up for sale. Corruption has no conscience. Man may have cause to worry about corruption with regards to state assets, as the negative net effect of corruption impacts on the life of the whole populace. Yet there’s a worse type of corruption which affects man’s relationship with God. It alienates man eternally from God’s presence.
Food for thought: Without repentance through the sacrificial death of Christ, corruption of our spirit man alienates us eternally from God.
Declaration: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever. 1Pet 1:23
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
