Hey Neighbor!
-For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me (Job 3:24)
Jacobâs 10 sons had just human trafficked their little brother, Joseph into a life of slavery!!
How could they possibly go home to their father, Jacob without returning with his beloved son, Joseph??
Well once again, Jacobâs wicked sons conspired together, and concocted their âcover-up.â
They decided to send forth Josephâs tattered coat, dipped in the blood of a âkidâ or baby goat, to their father – asking Jacob to confirm whether or not the coat was that of Josephâs.
Now- Of course these boys knew this coat- they knew it so well, that they could have identified it while wearing a blind fold!!
You see, they had gone back home, deceptively pretending that they had not even set eyes on Joseph- at all!!
And as they were approaching home, it just so happened that they had found what âmay or may notâ be Josephâs colorful coat along the roadside.
They callously left it up to Jacob to make the tragic assumptions, after having confirmed the remains of his sonâs coat.
Yes!! Jacob filled with dread and fear, after seeing the blood soaked coat, did assume and confirm the worst.
As a parent myself, I believe this was confirmation of Jacobâs worst fear- that he would have to bury one of his children!! Sadly, there were no bodily remains to bury, only the torn and tattered coat.
Jacob perceived that his son Joseph had been violently slain and torn to pieces by some ferocious animal, and now Jacobâs heart was torn to pieces as well.
-And all his sons and daughters attempted to console him, but he refused to be comforted and said, I will go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) to my son mourning. And his father wept for him. (Genesis 37:35)
Scripture says that Jacob refused to be comforted by his sons and his daughters. I would imagine that he accepted no comfort from amongst his wives either.
As Jacob began to mourn the loss of his young son, he fell into a prolonged state of depression and despair. He would not wash his face, nor would he anoint his head with oil.
How could Jacobâs sons bear to see their father this way
DAYâ AFTERâDAY!!
How could they continue on with this charade and live out this lie for 15 years, never bowing down to confess how cruel they were to Joseph, nor admitting to their father the truth about Josephâs potential whereabouts.
Even Shechem, who was not a âsonâ of The Promise had repented from his cruel treatment of Dinah and confessed his sin to his own father Hamor and also to Jacob- begging for grace and favor!
But not Jacobâs wicked sons!!
They had bequeathed no mercy to Shechem, Joseph, nor to their father in his time of mourning.
They had made a pact amongst themselves to take their truth to the grave. Their never ending âcover upâ was liken to a window of hope, violently shut before Jacobâs eyes.
If only they had repented and revealed the truth that Joseph was still alive, then Jacob could have held on to a scrap of hope that one day his longing eyes would once again see his sonâs beautiful face.
But No!!
Jacobsâs sons were contented to leave their father heartsick and broken hearted.
But Our God is a mender of broken hearts and a Revealer of Truth!!
He binds up our wounds and cures our pains and sorrows!! (Psalm 147:3)
You see, God had a balm of mercy for Old Jacob, and he lathered him down with the Truth, even in the midst of a famine!!
Yes! There was a lack of food in Jacobâs tent, due to a great famine, but the lack of love in this tent was far greater!!
But God loved Jacob and cause the truth to revealed – by means of this same famine- that Joseph had been spared by Godâs grace, in order that he might spare others, during the Famine.
Although Josephâs wicked brothers had spoken cruelly to him, threw him into the pit, and had sold him into slavery, God in His Love and Abundant Mercies had caused all these things to work together for Josephâs good!!
God had rescued Joseph, sending him ahead of the famine and setting him upon a throne to dispense food to the hungry during a world wide famine.
Only Godâs Truth could remove and destroy the heavy yoke of the Lies that the boys had placed on their fatherâs neck!!
God was Jacobâs only viable source of Comfort!!
God had wiped the tears from Jacobâs eyes and had awakened him from his extended state of despair!!
Yes!! Joseph was now âLord of the Landâ in Egypt- living in the Palace- and when hungry men had traveled to Egypt, in search of food, they were required to bow their knee before Joseph, The son of Jacob!!
Amongst the many hungry men who had traveled to Egypt- hungry and desperate for sustenance- were Josephâs 10 humbled, knee-bowed brothers, as well.
âThe Dreamerâsâ dream had come to pass and had been confirmed before their eyes!!
God had given Joseph a dream of foresight into the future, and unlike his brotherâs, God had also given Joseph a Loving and Forgiving Heart.
Jacob forgave his brothers trespass, as they kneeled before him, saying:
- Fear not; for am I in the place of God? [Vengeance is His, not mine.] As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this day (Genesis 50:19)
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Thanks For Stopping By!!
Until Next Time, RememberâŚ
God Loves đYou and So Do I!!
-Tam
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