Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Joseph-Was He Cruel To His Brothers?
Bible Questions Answered:
“...we were debating in class if
Joseph wasn't cruel to his brothers, because he did not right away
reveal himself to his brothers...”
Tom/ San Diego, California – U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Genesis 42:5-8 KJV
5 And the sons of Israel came to buy
corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 And Joseph was the governor over
the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and
Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with
their faces to the earth.
7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and
he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly
unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From
the land of Canaan to buy food.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but
they knew not him.
Nowhere are we told
in the Biblical narrative that Joseph ever treated his brothers
cruelly or unkindly.
Though his brothers
had at one time, the idea to kill him, but were talked out it by
Reuben.
Yet they sold their
own brother into slavery.
Could Joseph have
been revengeful, yes but he was not. Joseph did however wish two
things, information about Jacob and Benjamin, and to awaken something
in his brothers that certainly they lacked, and that was, conscience.
Up until now in
the story, they had no regrets.
7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and
he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly
unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From
the land of Canaan to buy food.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but
they knew not him.
They would receive
more than food from the hands of God, also they would also receive a
contrite heart.
Psalm 51:10,17
KJV
10 Create in me
a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
17 The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise.
Hosea 10:12 KJV
Sow to yourselves in righteousness,
reap in mercy; break up your fallow* ground: for it is time to seek
The Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.
*Fallow-Hebrew: Nir
(Neer): Ploughing, freshly ploughed land: fallow ground, ploughing
tillage.
Hosea 10:12 NLT
I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of
righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard
ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek The Lord, that He
may come and shower righteousness upon you.’
Psalm 34:18 KJV
The Lord is nigh unto them that are
of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Conscience:
Hebrews 9:14 KJV
How much more
shall The Blood Of Christ, who through The Eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve The Living God?
Acts 24:16 KJV
And herein do I
exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offense toward
God, and toward men.
Romans 2:14,15
NLT
14 Even
Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know
His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard
it.
15 They
demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their
own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are
doing right.
Romans 9:1 KJV (Apostle Paul.)
I say The Truth
in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in The
Holy Ghost,
II Corinthians 1:12 KJV (Paul)
We can say with
confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given
holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s
grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted
ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.
I Timothy 1:5 KJV (Paul)
The purpose of
my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that
comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
I Peter 3:15,16
NLT
15 "...you
must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about
your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
16 But do this
in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if
people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a
good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Psalm 139:23,24
KJV
23 Search me, O
God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if
there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
See the blog posting: Conscience