The saga of Joseph and his brothers continues when Joseph was sent by Israel from the valley of Hebron (south of Bethlehem) to check on his brothers and their flock in Shechem (north of Jerusalem). He found his brothers twenty miles north of Shechem at Dothan. His brothers saw him coming and plotted against him, some wanted to kill him, but Reuben and Judah said, “Let us not take his life.” So when Joseph arrived at their camp, they took his colored tunic and threw him into a pit. As they sat down to eat a caravan of Ishmaelites and Midianites was coming from Gilead going to Egypt, so some of the brothers pulled Joseph out and sold him for twenty pieces of silver. They slaughtered a male goat, put the blood on Joseph’s tunic, and took it to their father. Israel assumed that a wild beast had devoured him. Israel mourned for his son for many days, refusing to be comforted by his sons and daughters. Meanwhile the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer.
The meal that the brother’s ate was probably a simple meal of bread and possibly goat cheese. It is unlikely that they often killed a goat from the grazing herd. Their meal was interrupted by the Midianite caravan. How often do you allow your meal to be interrupted by passersby or the phone? Do you let anything interrupt your devotional time, that time that you have set aside to feast on the King’s word---His bread of life? Keep focused on His word today and let Him show you something special or new. Share that word with your family the next time you meet together.
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