At Shechem
View daily reading plan: Genesis 37.14-17
Joseph’s brothers had left Shechem, and as he searched for them he was found “wandering in the field” (Gen 37.15). Here, Joseph’s experience diverges significantly from that of the Lord Jesus. With Him, each step was with purpose. Shechem of the Old Testament is Sychar of the New Testament, so He moved purposefully in the very place where Joseph had wandered; “he must needs go through Samaria” (Jn 4.4). He had a deliberate goal, the blessing of the Samaritan woman and the men of her city.
Joseph stirred the curiosity of a local man. “What seekest thou?” (Gen 37.15). His reply highlights the young man’s sense of responsibility to his father, and his concern for his brothers; “I seek my brethren” (v.16). His commitment to his father’s commission was matched by his desire for his brothers’ welfare
He “went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan” (Gen 37.17). The words are reminiscent of the shepherd’s perseverance in the parable of the hundred sheep - “until he find it” (Lk 15.4). The evangelical zeal that seeks sinners must also be applied to rescuing erring saints. “If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness” (Gal 6.1).
Wednesday, 31 January, 2024