Before Joseph arrives, Reuben argues against bloodshed. Like an attorney before the jury, he pleads his case. He first appeals to the law of God, "shed no blood." Second, he suggests an alternative: throw him into a pit. Reuben succeeds. He persuades them not to kill Joseph, intending to rescue him later. But he does it by trickery, a duplicitous argument rather than overt moral leadership. As soon as Joseph steps foot into the brothers' camp, they pounce. The succession of verbs conveys the speed and roughness of the brothers' assault: stripped, took, cast, sat down. Stripped not only means they tore off (and tore apart) his coat, but they also probably ripped all his clothing off, leaving him naked. The verb "took" suggests violence—blows and cursing as they cast him into the pit. The last verb is the worst. Such a simple phrase, "sat down to eat bread," but one filled with darkness, cruelty, hardness of heart. Their conscience was so seared that they sat down to eat without a qualm—a warning for us to take the commandment seriously to not "let the sun go down on our anger." All the while, Joseph is crying out in "anguish of soul," not only to his brothers but also to his heavenly father. But the Lord says, "no." Often he says "no" to use in our deepest trials, as well. Like Joseph, we must joyfully embrace his providence. Then the Lord sends traders, taking the story in an unexpected, surprising, and welcome direction. The Ishmaelites show up, prompting Judah to orchestrate the sale of Joseph into slavery, sending him to Egypt. |