Jacob is Deceived by His Sons

12/26/2007 8:13 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  Jacob is deceived by his sons.

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Genesis 37:29-36

            Message of the verses:  “ 29  Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

30  He returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?"

31 ¶  So they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood;

32  and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, "We found this; please examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not."

33  Then he examined it and said, "It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!"

34  So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.

35  Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, "Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son." So his father wept for him.

36  Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.”

            Whenever Rueben returned to the pit from whatever he had been doing he must have thought that his brothers had killed Joseph, and so he tore his clothing, as sign of someone in mourning. This action must have shown his brothers that he was on Joseph’s side and would have rescued him.

            Now because Joseph was now gone the brothers had to find a way to deceive their father so they killed a goat and dipped the coat into the blood so that their father would believe that Joseph was killed by a wild beast.  Earlier in Jacob’s life he too had killed a goat to deceive his father, and now the same thing is being done to him.  The sins of his sons are indeed mounting up, but God in His providence is using even these sinful acts to work things out for the good of this family, who would soon become a nation.  

            It is entirely possible that Joseph’s brothers did not even return to their father at this time, but sent a servant to give this news to Jacob.

            Jacob would not be comforted by any of his family but would continue to morn for Joseph for many years to come.

            Joseph was sold to Potiphar, who may have been the chief of Pharaohs’ body guards, and was probably the chief executioner. 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This story of Joseph is a fulfillment of Romans 8:28.  God took all of the sin and sinfulness of this family and worked it out for good, and I believe he can do the same thing with all of the problems we as a family face today and have been facing for some time now. 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I believe that God has a plan for my family throughout all of the difficulties we face, and will work it out four our good and for His glory.