The Joseph Experience – Path Of Pride 02 Series

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Last week, we took an in-depth look at Joseph’s teenage attitude problem. Did anyone do their homework on Attitude City? Don’t worry, we won’t ask for details.

This week’s study, we’re going to study the effects of Joseph’s bad attitude, and why it’s dangerous to keep one. Let’s jump back into the story where we left off.

Genesis 37 NKJV

12Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.” 14Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

Once again, we can see that Joseph was in charge of helping his father with the business. He wasn’t working with his brothers, and his father tasked him with the job of some type of overseeing. I’m not sure why his father would send him to gather information in a heated situation.

According to Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, the trek from Valley of Hebron to Shechem was 60 miles, a quick Google search with no references state it’s only 50 miles. Ancient people probably walked about 25 miles a day, donkeys can walk about the same, 25 miles a day.

Joseph eventually finds his brothers, after a man overheard them saying they were going to Dothan. According to Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, Dothan was another 12-mile journey. Joseph appears to be on a 3-day journey.

18Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.

This is why walking in love and being a peacemaker is of the utmost importance. Our attitudes, as Christians, should cause people to see us and think peace, joy, gentleness, and other good fruit. As for Joseph, living in the Old Testament, they should have at least thought, here comes a blessing.

19Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20Come therefore, let us now kill him 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!”

I could imagine his brothers laughing as they decided this. But as we studied in depth last week, the dreams just pushed the brothers over the edge. It wasn’t the dreams alone that caused hatred. Remember, the first dream indicated Joseph would control their food, because their grain bowed to his grain, and the second dream indicated Joseph would be the ultimate authority over the family, the chosen family of God, the moon and the stars bowed to the sun (ultimate authority in the ancient world).

21But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

Reuben, being the oldest, was acting as the wise leader of the brothers, despite their father favoring Joseph, he was still carrying out his ancient roll as first born.

23…Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Arrogance blinds people to the truth and we can see that happening here. On one side, we see these brothers plotting to kill Joseph; and on the other side, we see Joseph prancing around in his coat of authority to tattletale. It makes you wonder how Joseph could be so blind to feel completely safe walking up to them. The answer is pride. Pride really convinced him his brothers had to honor him.

Proverbs 16:18 NKJV

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Merriam-Webster defines haughty as having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior. Joseph was doing both, prideful and haughty. People who often experience destructions and falls because of their attitude, can’t ever seem to see it coming. Pride blinds people to the truth and it prevents them from correcting the situation before it gets worse! It’s like living with horse blinders.

25And they sat down to eat a meal.

They were happy, huh?

(25) Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt.