bosom to visit us in great humility and love; he came from heaven to earth, to seek and save us, yet then malicious plots were laid against him; he came to his own, and his own not only received him not, but consulted, This is the heir, come let us kill him; Crucify him, crucify him. This he submitted to, in pursuance of his design to redeem and save us.
23. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 24. And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 25. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27. Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, and our flesh. And his brethren were content. 28. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; 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. 29. And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
We have here the execution of their plot against Joseph. I. They strip him: each striving to seize the envied coat of many colours, v. 23. Thus, in imagination, they degraded him from the birth-right, which perhaps this was the badge of, grieving him, affronting their father, and making themselves sport, while they insulted over him, "Now, Joseph, where is the fine coat?" Thus our Lord Jesus was stript of his seamless coat, and thus his suffering saints have first been industriously divested of their privileges and honours, and then made the off-scouring of all things.
II. They went about to starve him; throwing him into a dry pit, to perish there with hunger and cold, so cruel were their tender mercies, v. 24. Note, Where envy reigns, pity is banished, and humanity itself is forgotten, Prov. 27. 4. So full of deadly poison is malice, that the more barbarous any thing is, the more grateful it is. Now Joseph begged for his life, in the anguish of his soul, (ch. 42. 21.) entreated by all imaginable endearments, that they would be content with his coat, and spare his life; he pleads innocence, relation, affection, submission; he weeps, and makes supplication, but all in vain: Reuben only relents and intercedes for him, ch. 42. 22. But he cannot prevail to save Joseph from the horrible pt, in which they resolve he shall die by degrees, and be buried alive. Is this he to whom his brethren must do obeisance? Note, God's providences often seem to contradict his purposes, even then when they are serving them, and working at a distance toward the accomplishment of them.
III. They slighted him when he was in distress, and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph; for when he was pining away in the pit, bemoaning his own misery, and with a languishing cry calling to them for pity, they sat down to eat bread, v. 25. 1. They felt no remorse of conscience for the sin; if they had, it would have spoiled their appetite for their meat, and the relish of it. Note, A great force put upon conscience, commonly stupifies it, and, for the time, deprives it both of sense and speech. Daring sinners are secure ones: but the consciences of Joseph's brethren, though asleep now, were roused long afterward, ch. 42. 21. 2. They were now pleased to think how they were freed from the fear of their brother's dominion over them, and that on the contrary, they had turned the wheel upon him. They made merry over him, as the persecutors over the two witnesses that had tormented them. Rev. 11. 10. Note Those that oppose God's counsels, may possibly prevail so far as to think they have gained their point and yet be deceived.
IV. They sold him; a caravan of merchants very opportunely passed by; (Providence so ordering it;) and Judah made the motion, that they should sell Joseph to them, to be carried far enough off into Egypt, where in all probability, he would be lost and never heard of more. 1. Judah moved it in compassion to Joseph, (v. 26.) "what profit is it, if we slay our brother? It will be less guilt and more gain to sell him." Note, When we are tempted to sin, we should consider the unprofitableness of it. It is what there is nothing to be got by. 2. They acquiesced in it, because they thought that if he were sold for a slave, he would never be a lord, if sold into Egypt would never be their lord; yet all this was working towards it. Note, The wrath of man shall praise God, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain, Ps. 76. 10. Joseph's brethren were wonderfully restrained from murdering him, and their selling him as wonderfully turned to God's praise: as Joseph was sold by the contrivance of Judah, for twenty pieces of silver, so was our Lord Jesus for thirty, and by one of the same name too, Judas.
Reuben (it seems) was gone away from his brethren, when they sold Joseph, intending to come round some other way to the pit, and to help Joseph out of it, and return him safe to his father; this was a kind project, but if it had taken effect, what had become of God's purpose concerning his preferment in Egypt? Note, There are many devices in man's heart, many devices of the enemies of God's people to destroy them, and of their friends to help them, which perhaps are both disappointed, as these here; but the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Reuben thought himself undone, because the child was sold; I, whither shall I go? v. 30. He being the eldest; his father would expect from him an account of him; but it proved that they had all been undone, if he had not been sold.
31. And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 32. And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 33. And he knew it, and said,, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35. And all his sons
