Genesis 37:17b to 24
17b “So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.”
Dothan, a city North of Jerusalem. It literally means “2 Wells.” An Interesting fact, those wells are still there today. One is called “Joseph’s well” by the Muslims. The other is “Joseph’s well”, named by the Christians.
Why is this significant you ask? The Wells represents teachings. Good and bad teachings. This modern era has modern teachings to fit anybody and anything. Then there are teachings for the disciples of Christ.
Jeremiah 17:13 “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame.Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”
John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 4:11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Keep those verses in the back of your mind.
Genesis 37:24b “The cistern was empty; there was NO water in it.”
Joseph was cast into the dry well. So why didn’t God pull him out? God could have done it. He can do anything. Right?
I imagine God filling the well with water. Joseph floats to the top, then he climbs out and escapes. End of story. Praise God! Yet that’s not the story.
What is an empty well? A dark pit. A place of despair, depression, a place of questioning. We Question God, what am I doing on earth? Even a place where you ask, “wouldn’t be better if I was never born?” Not a healthy place. An empty well fills a person with hate, anger and revenge. “I get you back! Some brothers you are!”. Joseph could have thought.
The man hanging on the cross next to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus replied what? “Shut up dude, I have enough to deal with. I’m dying here.”
If Jesus was an empty well, that might be an answer. If Jesus was not the son of God. A lot would be different.
Luke 23:43 “Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus’ answer from a full well.
Jesus prayed and sweated blood, one night. The son of Man. Had to pray to fill the well of his soul. Joseph had to pray and endure 13 years.
Pray and endure… If innocent Jesus and Joseph could do it. Then we, who are not so innocent, can do it. The trials we’ve gone through, create humility. A trait seen over and over in the Bible.
Gandhi was quoted saying, ” I love this Jesus, but hate the Christians.” Was it because modern Christians are opposite from the nature of Christ? Maybe…
Fill your well. Pray until God changes your attitude. Every night I pray that God removes my bad character. Guess what? It works! It’s easier to deal with people. I smile more. People respond positively to Jesus in me.
“Fill my heart O Lord. I dedicate the first fruits of love to you Jesus. So I can love my neighbor. Amen”
i believe in the beginning of Joseph’s slavery days, there was bitterness and self pity. At the end of the slavery days, there was little or no ego. Read Joseph’s reply to his brothers.
Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”
Lets be clear. Remove a Christian’s ego, you get a Servant of God. God called Moses by this title. What an honor.
My first pastor was gunned down in front of his congregation. He told the wife of a violent man, to leave. Divorce the man and not look back. Violence comes from an empty well. The killer was then killed by an off duty sheriff. Without Jesus we are empty, looking for water that comes from the “wrong well.”
Dream:
A man was in a cavern. On the far end was a pool of molten gold. A rotating chain went from pool to ceiling. Golden people came out of the pit. It was moving incredibly slow. A worker appeared next to the man. “Can you speed up the process? It’s going way too slow.” Said the man. “This is how you make Christians,” said the worker. “Speed up the process and the golden person could be missing an arm or a leg.”
My current pastor, I’ve sensed people have taken advantage of him. Yet, a man of prayer. Being able to lifted out of the well full of “living water.”
It takes the water of life, to wash away the torment. It took the blood of Jesus for me to realize that I was special in God’s eyes.
story:
Hebrews 1:14, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”
Al finished his evening devotional reading. He prayed to close the night out. Asking the Lord for an angel to watch him as he slept. He put his head down and fell asleep. A light in the room woke him up. Eyes flickered open. What he saw amazed him. In the middle of the room was a young man of about 18. Al was speechless. The light emanated from the youth. Al shook his head in disbelief. “I’m wide awake,” Al said to himself. He looked, again. I’m not dreaming, the kid is still there! He took note of the boy. Brown hair, bronze skin, wearing a white toga ad thin. Here’s the thing that caught Al’s attention the most. The youth was floating. Bare feet just dangling about 6 inches of the ground. As Al started sitting up the youth floated towards him. Al shook his head again and the kid disappeared.Joseph alone in his struggles? Absolutely not. God was with him every night. Jesus teasingly calling out to Joseph. “Come here dreamer. Let me share what plans I have for you.”
Friends you are never alone with Jesus. Prayer can fill your heart, like a well. Pray, wait and see.
God bless you.
Called 4 Jesus 