That Of Which We Are Capable
Pixabay Sometimes it only takes the right people or circumstances to reveal the evil that lies deep within. Genesis 37 tells us that story. Did Israel (a.k.a. Jacob) know how much his older sons hated their younger brother, Joseph? Had the older boys walked around camp with smiles pasted on their faces but harbouring a deep-seated resentment in their hearts? Joseph was not only preferred by their father, but had shared some pretentious ambitions with them—he would rule over them. Did Israel choose not to believe that his boys were capable of doing harm to the one he openly favoured? In any case, Israel sent Joseph out alone to find his older brothers. It became the right time and the right place to act upon their anger, jealousy and hatred. When Joseph arrived at Dothan to find his brothers, the Scriptures say: “ …they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him ” (37:16). Reuben convinced them to simply throw Joseph into a nearby cistern. His plan...