I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
When Joseph was 17 he began working with his brothers tending the flocks. In particular, he worked with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, who were the servant women that Rachel and Leah had given to Jacob as wives in their competition over having children. These were the sons that Jacob had put out front when he thought Esau might be coming to extract revenge. Joseph reported on their bad behavior to Jacob (in other words he was a tattletale). To make matters worse, Jacob spoiled Joseph, giving him extravagant gifts that indicated that he favored Joseph over his brothers. This resulted in Joseph’s brothers hating him.
It is with this background that Joseph starts telling his brothers about the dreams that he had. In one dream he saw that they were out binding grain when the sheaf he had bound stood upright while the ones his brothers had bound gathered around and bowed down to his. This infuriated his brothers because they interpreted it as Joseph ruling over them. They also interpreted it as Joseph planning to rule over them. In another dream, he saw the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. When Joseph told his father about his dream, his father rebuked him for suggesting that his father, mother and brothers would bow down before him. While Joseph’s brothers became even more jealous of Joseph, Jacob filed it away in the back of his mind.
Some time later Jacob sent Joseph to find his brothers and see if all was well with them. It took him some time to find where they were, but when he finally found them, they saw him coming from a distance. When they saw him they conspired to kill him and tell their father that a wild animal had killed him. Reuben, the eldest, in an attempt to rescue Joseph from his other brothers, suggested that they not shed his blood. Instead Reuben suggested they just put him in one of the cisterns and let him die there. Reuben intended to return later and take Joseph to their father. His brothers liked Reuben’s idea and decided to follow it. When Joseph got to them, they stripped him of the fancy coat their father had given him and threw him in an empty cistern. While they were eating their noon meal they saw a caravan on its way to Egypt. Judah came up with the idea that rather than let Joseph die, they should sell him to the merchants. The remaining brothers agreed. When Reuben went to the cistern to rescue Joseph, he discovered he wasn’t there. Reuben went to his other brothers distraught over this. The brothers took Joseph’s fancy coat and dipped it in goat’s blood. They then took the coat to their father Jacob, told him they had found it like this and if it was “his son’s coat”. Jacob recognized the coat and went into mourning for Joseph. His remaining sons and daughters attempted to comfort him, but Jacob refused to be comforted.
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After Jesus heals another demon possessed man, the people begin to ask if perhaps He is the Messiah. However, the Pharisees start to say that He gets the power to cast out demons from Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus replies that any kingdom that is divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan drives out Satan, Satan’s kingdom would not stand. Further, if He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, by what power do their own people drive out demons? Jesus continues by saying that everyone who is not with Him is against Him, which is interesting because at another place Jesus says that whoever is not against Him is for Him. We tend to view these two statements as contradictory, yet these two statements tell us a lot about the nature of human reaction to Jesus. Sooner or later, everyone will take sides, either for Jesus, or against Him.
Jesus continues by saying that if a tree is good its fruit will be good, whereas if a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. You can tell what a person is like by what they say. What we say comes out of what is stored up in our hearts. If our hearts are full of good things, then our words will be full of good things, but if our heart is full of evil, our words will be likewise. On the day of judgment we will be held accountable by our words. Our words will either acquit us or condemn us. Based on this let us choose our words carefully.
I trust in God to Keep me safe. Every good thing in my life was given to me by God. Those who make anything other than God the center of their life will suffer ever greater loss.
you make my lot secure.
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I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
Do good to those who deserve it and act when it is within you ability to do so. Don’t procrastinate on doing good, if you have the ability to do good now, don’t put it off. Do not plot against your neighbor and don’t make baseless accusations. Do not envy or imitate the violent.