SCRIPTURE:
“Reuben further said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him"-that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.”
Genesis 37:22
OBSERVATION:
The brothers plot to kill Joseph, but Reuben speaks up. He says, “instead of killing him, let’s just beat and abandon him.” As the eldest of the Jacob’s boys he had a responsibility to be a leader and uses this mantle to save Joseph from the conspiracy to kill him. Reuben spoke up in the midst of a volatile, sinful situation. But, his compromise was just as bad as his brothers intent to kill.
APPLICATION:
Reuben could’ve, and should’ve just said, “stop!” But instead he compromises to the crowd to appease both his concern for Joseph’s life as well as his brothers thirst for Joseph’s blood. Instead of standing firm on what I think was his stance on the situation, Reuben gives in to the noise of the crowd, he jumps on the bandwagon of the popular opinion.
Jesus clearly makes a separation between light and dark, good and evil, righteousness and sin. There’s no gray area, in fact Jesus condemns the churches in Revelation 3 for being lukewarm.I’m called to be an ambassador of the Gospel of Jesus, a citizen of Heaven. In doing so I need to stand firm on the truth and act without compromise. I need to…
Be in complete and undying devotion to God and his word.
Live the words of Romans 1:16, “not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”
Sing the words of Psalm 27 over and over and over; “the Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear, whom shall I be afraid.”
PRAYER:
Lord help me to not compromise righteousness in order to please the crowd. May Your Word and Your voice be the foundation upon which I stand.
