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"Moreover He called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread. He sent a man before them - Joseph - who was sold as a slave." Psalm 105:16-17

Text: Genesis 37:1-36

A COMPANY OF ISHMAELITE MERCHANTS

How did the brothers feel after roughing up Joseph and throwing him into a pit? The brothers had become calloused. They could actually settle down to have a meal after hurting their brother!

“And they sat down to eat a meal.
Then they lifted up their eyes and looked,
and there was a company of Ishmaelites,
coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices,
balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt.”
GENESIS 37:25

Ishmael and Isaac were half-brothers. Despite their differences when they were younger, they got together when their father Abraham died. Together, they buried him at Beer Lahai Roi (Cf. Genesis 25:7-11). In just three generations, the Ishmaelites and the sons of Jacob were so far apart, they did not recognise their common roots!

THE SUGGESTION TO SELL JOSEPH

Judah came up with a “brilliant” idea. Why think of merely killing Joseph. Why not make some money out of their pathetic dreamer of a brother?

“So Judah said to his brothers,
‘What profit is there if we kill our brother
and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him
to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him,
for he is our brother and our flesh.’
And his brothers listened.” GENESIS 37:26-27

There was still talk about killing Joseph! Some must have argued that they couldn’t allow Joseph to live and make another bad report against them to their father Jacob! They would be in serious trouble then! What if Jacob expelled them from the clan? Being the head of the clan, he had immense authority over all of them!

Judah must have felt like Reuben. With great difficulty, Reuben managed to restrain his brothers from killing Joseph. That satisfied some, though not all. Judah argued that Joseph was still their “brother” and thus they should not kill their own flesh and blood! Anyway, what was the point of killing Joseph and then plot to conceal his death?

If they could just sell Jacob, surely that would produce the desired result – to do away with their brother! If they were to heed Judah’s word of advice, there would be some extra money in their pockets at the end of the day!

Judah must have reasoned that this act was the lesser of two evils. The still-angry brothers should be satisfied. They would no more hear the irritating voice of Joseph sharing his dreams of grandeur! There would also be some extra cash in their hands! Surely Joseph couldn’t survive the harsh life of a slave! Joseph was to be sold!