By Olubunmi Adebayo
*As a continuation of the topic above, we can easily establish the following dimensions of foolishness from the actions of the 10 senior brothers of Joseph who sold their junior brother into slavery on the account of their envy and hatred for him.*
*1) FOOLISH ARROGANCE :*
*The brothers of Joseph demonstrated inept and foolish arrogance by thinking they could stop the plan of God.*
*They said :*
*…”and we shall see what will become of his dreams”. Gen. 37:20.*
*They thought that If we kill the dreamer, they would have succeeded in killing the dream. They forgot the Word of God Which says :*
*Isa 55:[8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.*
*[9]For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.*
*The truth is you cannot kill a dream given by God. You can kill the dreamer, but God can raise another dreamer. You can throw Joseph into a pit, but you cannot throw his purpose into a pit.*
*Ps. 105:17-19 – “He sent a man before them, even Joseph… Until the time that his word came: the Word of the LORD tried him”.*
*The mistake they made was that they thought they were frustrating God, but they were actually fulfilling the plan of God – Prov. 19:21 “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand”.*
*Let it be said that you cannot abort a God-dream with envy. The pit only became the pathway to the palace for Joseph.*
*2) FOOLISH SELF-PUNISHMENT. The brothers of Joseph embarked upon carrying years of guilt and torment on themselves.*
*The foolishness of the envy of the brothers of Joseph brought untold conscience regret to them.*
*After selling Joseph, they dipped his coat in blood and lied to their father, Jacob, who ended up mourning for several years – “I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning”.(Gen.37.31-33).*
*For 22 solid years, they carried guilt. They heard their father’s mourning every day – needless and baseless mourning, yet the 10 brothers couldn’t do anything about it.*
*Infact when famine came and they went to Egypt, their conscience spoke – “And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us”-(Gen.42:21)*
*Reuben later said: …”and, behold, also his blood is required”-(Gen.42:22).*
*The truth is envy punishes you more than it punishes the envied. Joseph was in Potiphar’s house and later the palace, while they were carrying their guilt all over the place. Joseph was enlarging and prospering, while they were being tormented in their hearts.*
*3) FOOLISH BARGAINING : The brothers of Joseph embarked upon a foolish bargain by selling their God sent prosperity for a paltry 20 pieces of silver.*
*…”and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt”.(Gen 37:28)*
*_Bible history has it that 20 pieces of silver was the price of a crippled slave at that time. A healthy slave was sold for 30 pieces of silver (the amount Judas Ischariot (another Judah) sold Jesus to the high priest and the Pharisees.)_*
*They hated their own brother badly, and they priced and sold him cheaply! (How are men wicked!)*
*Now look at Joseph that was this cheaply sold : in the house of Potiphar, he made Potiphar prosper – “And the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake…(Gen 39:5).*
*While in prison, Joseph made the place peaceful and prosperous – Gen 39:23.*
*And while serving as the Governor in Egypt, Joseph made the whole nation of Egypt and the surrounding nations to prosper greatly -Gen 41:56-57)*
*The brothers of Joseph foolishly sold their agent of prosperity for 20 pieces of silver. The money realized from a sales that got finished quickly. But the prosperity Joseph carried with him kept increasing in leaps and in bounds – the prosperity that would have blessed their lives, their father’s house for generations.*
*Just like Esau who sold his birthright for a mere pottage( Heb12:16), these ones foolishly sold their own destiny for “dinner money”.*
*Envy makes you throw away what will bless you greatly, in place of what will benefit you momentarily.The 20 pieces of silver could not save them from the famine, but the Joseph they sold saved the world of the time.*
*To be continued tomorrow, God willing.*
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©️ Olubunmi S Adebayo.
