Human beings are a terrible lot. Joseph’s brothers were the chosen ones of God. They represented the covenant between God and Abraham, Isaac and now Israel (Formerly Jacob). These people were supposed to be the best and godliest. Sadly, they did not see it that way.
So as Joseph was clearly dad’s favorite, the rest of the brothers wanted to be done with him. Rueben did not want to tick the other brothers off, but he did not want to be responsible for Joseph’s death, either. So, He talked the brothers into putting him into a cistern. His hope was to later remove Joseph and take the boy back to dad. Sadly, when Rueben was not looking, the brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites.
It must have grieved Rueben to know that he had again failed His father. He had no intentions in seeing Joseph killed, but he was not going to tick the brothers off either. It was the beginning of Joseph’s mission, but no one had any idea that God was going to use some dramatically difficult things to save the nation of Israel. Further, Joseph had no idea that he was going to go through some ridiculously unfair trials and temptations to reach God’s plan to save his family.
We can never predict God’s methods or plans. Some of the most amazing things have come from very difficult trials and circumstances. While we are in the middle of the difficult times, we must cling to the truth that God knows what is going on in our lives and has a plan to use them to do great things through us. We have only to trust God and continue to pray and seek His face. The Lord will then lead us through His plan, and use us to do great things.
We simply must remember that God never promised an easy life, simply and abundant one.
God Bless You
So, Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
28 So when the Midianite merchants came by his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels[b] of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
Walking With God 