Heated Plans

Heated Plans

Genesis 37: ¹⁸ Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. ¹⁹ Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! ²⁰ Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”

 

²¹ But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” ²² And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

 

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Enraged at hearing about Joseph’s dreams, the sons of Israel left Shechem and went to Dothan. There, they could see Joseph approaching without him seeing them. The heat of their conversation led to them wanting to kill Joseph. They developed a plan to kill him and were willing to execute the plan. But Reuben suggested another way.

 

My Observations:

• Joseph’s brothers were so angry, that they thought out how to harm him and began executing the plan by going to Dothan.
• Joseph’s brothers waited for him, possibly knowing Israel would send him out to spy on them.
• Joseph’s brothers were so jealous that they would do and say anything to get rid of him.

 

Talking to one another made things worse. Complaint after complaint about them more and more angry until it reached the point where they were willing to commit murder. GOD spared us the details of who the main conspirators were.

 

Fortunately for Joseph, Reuben stepped in with another plan. He probably knew he could not calm his brothers down, so he gave them an alternative. Dothan was the wilderness and no one would find Joseph if he was thrown in a pit. Reuben would then circle back around ahd get Joseph out of the pit and bring him back to Israel.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the plans of the sons of Israel?
• Have you ever been so angry that you planned out harm to someone, even if only using harmful words?
• Can you think of an alternative to rage by putting your mind on good, pure, and lovely things the LORD has done for you?