Joseph is sitting in the dark of the cistern, what must be going through his mind? Is this how it all ends? Will they release me in a while? Will they leave me here? It’s incredible to think that some metres above him his brothers were sitting together eating a meal (Genesis 37:25).

Many years ago I was introduced to “Foxe’s book of Martyrs”. It’s a tough read and very sobering but it certainly puts our trials into perspective. It’s full of stories like this one of Cyril in 251 AD.

“Cyril, bishop of Gortyna, was seized by order of Lucius, the governor of that place, who, nevertheless, exhorted him to obey the imperial mandate, perform the sacrifices, and save his venerable person from destruction; for he was now eighty-four years of age. The good prelate replied that as he had long taught others to save their souls, he should only think now of his own salvation. The worthy prelate heard his fiery sentence without emotion, walked cheerfully to the place of execution, and underwent his martyrdom with great fortitude.”

How must Joseph have pondered his time below ground whilst his brothers feasted?

A group of Ishmaelites happened to be passing on their way to Egypt which gave Judah an idea as to what to do with Joseph this ‘master of dreams’. Judah’s concern was that he and his brothers should not shed innocent blood (vs 26). According to Genesis 4:10 innocent spilled blood cries out from the ground for vengeance when one tries to cover it up. There is no indication that Judah is having a mercy moment, it is more likely to be a moment of seizing the opportunity to permanently get rid of Joseph and the annoyance. There was also a gain to be had in the 20 shekels of silver the brothers received for the sale of Joseph. It was a risk because as later biblical law would show this is a crime that is considered to be a capital offence (Exodus 21).

A male slave was valued at about 20 pieces of silver at that time.

All of this points us to the story of the betrayal of Jesus at the hands of Judas for 30 pieces of silver. One can only gasp at the thought that Jesus was weighed in the balance by Judas Iscariot and found to be worth only 30 pieces of silver! The irony is overwhelming. He whose worth is beyond calculation is auctioned off for a mere pittance. The payment (Matt 26:15) was probably given to Judas for information as to where Jesus could be arrested that would provide a quiet setting with little chance for crowd unrest. It is possible that he first led this military and religious detachment to the upper room itself, thinking that Jesus and the disciples would still be there. Upon discovering that they had gone, Judas escorted the crowd to Gethsemane. We know the rest of the story but one part still gets to me, Judas is described as ‘one of the twelve’. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all refer to Judas in this way, most likely to heighten the enormity of his crime. It was not that Judas was ‘one of the crowd’, or ‘one of the Pharisees’, or ‘one of the arresting party’, he was one of the twelve. That is to say, one of those with whom Jesus was most intimately associated and to whom he had wholly entrusted himself. John puts it yet another way: “And Judas also who was betraying him, was standing with them,” that is to say, he was standing with the arresting party and not with the disciples. He had moved! Yet without the betrayal, there is not a trial or a cross. Without the 20 pieces of silver there would not be a leader in Egypt who would move his family there. A family that would populate lower Egypt and who would become a threat to Pharaoh and all of Egypt. Enter Moses and the Exodus and the promised land. Oh the amazing sovereignty and plans of our God.

So Joseph is pulled up from the cistern and sold to these passers-by. Reuben returns to find his brother is not there and much later on Joseph would identify himself as the one they sold into Egypt (45:4).

There is a general pattern that turns up over and over in the Bible, namely, that God’s saving victory for his people often comes through sin and suffering. Joseph’s brothers sinned against him, and he suffered as a result of it, but through all this, God is at work to save his people. This included the very ones, as mentioned earlier, who were trying to destroy the Saviour. The fact that Jesus came this way should not have been as surprising to as many people as it was and still is. That he was sinned against and suffered on the way to save his people is what we would expect from this pattern that repeats itself again and again. So through the story of Joseph and the sins of the  brothers, we see a reflection of the glory of Christ, his patience and humility and servanthood, all the while saving the very ones who were trying to get rid of him.

Died he for me, who caused his pain
for me, who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

And Can It Be
Charles Wesley

So what about suffering? It’s a big question to answer in one short blog. Let me ask myself and you a question. How many of us pause and thank God for suffering? Do we think it right that we should express our appreciation for hardships, setbacks, trials, and afflictions, or do we only express gratitude for a life largely free of opposition and persecution and suffering? It’s a big one isn’t it? Something within us wants our Christian life to be nice and easy and without conflict.

According to Paul, who was writing under the infallible influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, one of God’s most precious gifts to you and me, as his children, is suffering! Look closely, breath in, and don’t pop round to hit me, just ponder this for a while.

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, Philippians 1:29

Yep, we all have a God-given cistern, some horrible brothers and have been sold into slavery, but…….