At 17 years old Joseph was already living a
stressful life. His father loved him, his mother was deceased and his 10 older
brothers hated him more and more every day. And hey, that was before God got
involved. God sent Joseph 2 dreams about his future... wonderful right? Well,
those revelations REALLY got Joseph into some hot water initially.
So, in his own home, Joseph was known as a cocky
dreamer? Sounds like an unpleasant start for a young man in a very rough family
(remember Simeon and Levi and what they did to Shechem’s city?). To say the least, he had a long row to hoe!
Now, one day his dad sent him out to check on his
brothers and their work. Unbeknownst to him, his 10 brothers' hatred for him
had reached a boiling point and so while he was approaching their camp, they
conspired to kill him. Had it not been for Reuben and God, Joseph would have
died in his teens. God had other plans.
Joseph's coat made it home to his father, Israel, while
Joseph himself made his way (involuntarily) into Egypt with a caravan of his
Ishmaelite cousins. Now, while Reuben
was clearly not a part of the deal that cost Joseph his spot in the family,
Reuben did join in when it came time to cover the crime.
I can't help pointing out that God's mercy was
present right in the middle of Joseph's pain (Genesis 50:20). God blessed
Joseph with dreams of his future prosperity, God spared Joseph's life when his
brothers had it in for him, and God placed him in a prominent household in
Egypt so that He could begin preparing him for the grandiose career which was
yet to come for him.
God makes no mistakes. Even when we don't
understand, when we don't see His plan, when we can't trace His hand... we can
trust His heart - Babbie Mason.
My friend, God is good, all of the time! Even if
you and I were to find ourselves hated by our own family, exiled from our own
country and enslaved by Godless heathen... God would still be good. When Joseph's biography is completely told there
will be no question that the early hardships were worth bearing in order for
him to arrive at his ultimate destination as savior and ruler of the known
world.
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