QT 12/3/2025 Gen 37:23–36, The start of a very long pity party

Genesis 37:23–36 (ESV) —

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

 

NOTE:  There is some irony as the brothers sit to eat, while Joseph is in the cistern presumably to die of hunger, and yet Joseph would someday feed the entire group. Once again, not all the brothers are present at the same time (I believe some were watching the flock, at all times). Judah is present as the trade caravan passes by and convinces the other brothers who were there as well to sell the boy rather than have blood on their hands. Some commentators suggest that Judah was only interested in the profit to gain from Joseph's life. And that, this is the reason for Joseph returning the gold in their baskets later in the story, to test them. I could be wrong but I disagree. I don't believe Judah or Reuben were interested in the boy's death, and both looked for ways to keep him from death. Judah's plan protected himself from his brother's reprisal, whereas Reuben risked the anger of the other brothers if he was to rescue the boy and return him. Reuben's plan may have been an attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of his father, after Reuben's own earlier sin.

 

Jacob's response to Joseph's death is a 22-year pity party. The passage says he mourned for many days, but many of his responses during the coming famine suggest that he still was not over the loss, even after 22 years.

 

It is good to mourn. It is very good to feel pain. It is good to shed tears. I believe, it is okay even to be angry at God (for a time). But ultimately, we cannot live in an eternal pity party. There comes a time, when you (I) must rise from the ashes and start living again. Yes, there will be reminders. Christmas seems like one of those times where a previous pain, maybe even one that came during the holidays, attacks once again. It's okay to feel hurt. But I say again, at some point we must return to the land of living. We must be back in the "giving" and not living in the "getting" of pity.

 

PONDER:

1. What pain have I not let go?
2. Am I living or only grieving? When will I be ready to move ahead in life?

 

PRAYER: Father, I have been there. I know that pain. It hurt. I was mad. But thankfully, at some point, I began to live again, instead of waiting for another shoe to fall in my apparently miserable life. Thanks for lifting me out of despair and giving me hope, and life once again.