Reuben did not have the courage to rebuke his brothers for their evil ways. He would rather do what he knew to be wrong than “make bad friends.” How often we find young people like this, and it is so sad, for to be a friend of the world is to be the enemy of God. When Reuben came to the pit, he found that Joseph was gone, and he rent his clothes with grief. Instead of confessing his sin as he should have done, he joined with his brothers to make a plan whereby they could hide their wicked act. They did not realize that “he that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)). Although they hid their sin from their poor old father, for the time being at least, they did not, and could not, hide it from God.
The Folly of Deceit and Disobedience
Their plan seemed to work out well enough, and they were able to deceive their father, but God has said, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)). And though they kept their secret for a long time, God brought it out eventually. How foolish to try to hide anything from God! And yet how many dear young people right now are trying to deceive their parents and other Christians. You may laugh, and try to “pass it off” as they say, but perhaps as you read these lines, your conscience is troubling you and making you miserable. Remember what the Lord said to Saul of Tarsus, who was fighting against the accusings of his conscience: “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” And it is hard! How often it is just pride that keeps us from an open confession, and we remain miserable for months and even years just like Joseph’s brothers.
Then there is another lesson for us in this sad event. Many, many years before this took place, Jacob had deceived his own father, and here his sons did the very same thing to him. How keenly he felt it as he wept and mourned, refusing to be comforted. If you, dear young reader, are deceiving your parents, have it out with the Lord and with them right now, or you, too, will reap it, if the Lord leaves us here. Oh, the folly of trying to go on in disobedience to God and His Word! The law of the Medes and Persians might alter, but God’s Word never will. He has said, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:77Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)).
Every Knee Shall Bow
We spoke earlier of how Joseph’s coat of many colors spoke of the many glories of Christ, and here they took and dipped it in the blood of a kid of the goats. This reminds us of how the Jews put the Lord Jesus to death and trampled all His glory in the dust. How little Joseph’s brothers realized that they were going to have to bow before him as he had dreamed, and that Joseph was going to have a glorious place in spite of all their wicked schemes. So God has decreed that every knee shall bow to His Son (Philippians 2:1010That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:10)). If you bow now, dear reader, you will be saved, but if you refuse, you will bow at the great white throne judgment and be lost forever.
While Joseph was the rejected one, Judah fell into sin and shame, and so today the Jews, having rejected Christ, have a still darker history. The Jews, like Judah, not willing to own their own guilt, would try to place the blame on others. How wonderful in view of all this to see the grace of God, for the scarlet thread on the hand of Zara reminds us of redemption — the only foundation of blessing for either Jew or Gentile.
Further Meditation
1. What happened when Reuben went back to the pit where he and his brothers left Joseph?
2. Jacob had deceived his father and had not yet reached full repentance. But the Lord had faithfully worked in his life. How many times had Jacob been deceived by others? How does he react differently on this occasion compared to earlier ones?
3. If you are pondering the issues of discipline in Jacob’s life, or in your own, you might find help reading Discipline: Jacob by W. Kelly. You can find it at bibletruthlibrary.org by doing a Library Search for 65686.