Basic HTML Version
126
The Beginning of the End
“Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have
dominion over us?” exclaimed his brothers in envious anger.
Soon he had another dream which he also related: “This time,
the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” The
father, who was present, spoke reprovingly, “Shall your mother and
I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before
you?” Despite the apparent severity of his words, Jacob believed
that the Lord was revealing the future to Joseph.
As the lad stood before his brothers, his beautiful countenance
lighted up with the Spirit of Inspiration. They could not help but
admire him, but they hated the purity that reproved their sins.
The brothers had to move from place to place to find pasture for
their flocks, and after the events just related, they went to Shechem.
Some time passed bringing no news, and the father began to fear for
their safety because of their former cruelty toward the Shechemites,
so he sent Joseph to find them. If Jacob had known the real feeling
of his sons toward Joseph, he would not have trusted him alone with
them.
With a joyful heart, Joseph parted from his father, neither of
them dreaming of what would happen before they would meet again.
When Joseph arrived at Shechem, his brothers and their flocks were
not there. He asked about them and was directed to Dothan. He
hurried on, forgetting his weariness in the thought of relieving his
father’s worries and meeting the brothers whom he still loved.
His brothers saw him coming, but in their bitter hatred they took
no thought of the long journey he had made to meet them, of his
weariness and hunger, or of his right to their hospitality and brotherly
love. The sight of the coat, the token of their father’s love, filled
them with frenzy. “Look, this dreamer is coming.” Envy and revenge
now controlled them. “Let us now kill him,” they said, “and cast
him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured
him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
But Reuben could not bear to think of murdering his brother and
[98]
proposed that they throw Joseph alive into a pit and leave him there
to die. He secretly intended, however, to rescue him and return him
to his father. After persuading all to adopt his plan, Reuben left,
fearing that his real intentions would be discovered.