Genesis 37 12-17 – God watches over His own

Joseph’s brother’s animosity toward him was evidently clear. His rejection by his brothers was largely due to Israel’s insensitivity as a father. He had prized Joseph above his other sons and we can understand why. For Joseph, after all, was born to him by Rachel, the love of his life. Genesis 37:12-14 tell us that the brothers of Joseph were shepherding at Shechem. And Israel sent him from the valley of Hebron to find out and inquire about their well-being. Hebron was located 20 miles south of Jerusalem and 50 miles north of Shechem. It was a good five days journey from Hebron to Shechem. The distance that separated the two places, and what Simeon and Levi did to the people of Shechem for the rape of Dinah, must have caused some discomfort to Israel. His unease was understandable.  

We are not sure why Israel sent Joseph to check on them. Didn’t he notice their animosity toward his favourite son? We guess not. Probably in front of him they moderate their response to him. We expect Joseph to be more cautious when dealing with them for he had often been roughly rebuffed by them. Apparently he went to them without any bone of suspicion that they would do him harm. For he must have thought that his brothers would not harbour any ill-intention against him. We all know that family members do have misunderstandings, but to come to a point where one would plot and scheme to get the life of another is rare. Perhaps this was the reason that Joseph did not suspect his brothers’ murderous intention. He had no inkling at all when he set off to enquire of them. Innocently Joseph, in his multi-coloured tunic, made the five days journey to them.

When Joseph reached Shechem, thinking that that was where they had gone to, they were nowhere to be found. They had instead taken the flock to Dothan. But his meeting with a man in the lonely field of Shechem was not a co-incidence. For God, who had a design on his life, was watching over him. Notice it was the man who had found him wandering and checked with him. It was the man who had initiated the conversation. He asked Joseph, “What are you seeking?” Promptly he responded saying ‘I am seeking my brothers,’ and “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” That kind man overheard the brothers saying that they would go to Dothan. So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan which was 14 miles up north. That would make Joseph approximately 65 miles away from home. He was far from his father’s protection but not from the reach of God. Truly there is nowhere in the wide expanse under heaven that the long arms of God cannot reach us. We take heart that as long as we are His, there can be no barricade that will bar him from reaching to help us. Praise His name!