Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Genesis 42:37, “Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, ‘Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.'”

Background

There’s a funny line from a television show where two characters were in the midst of a crisis situation. The one tries to calm the other by pointing out that ordinarily, the first thing that people usually do in a case such as this is to panic. The other man then says, “Good. Then I’m doing it in the right order.” Panic. That word, in spite of my humorous introduction, is not a word that generally conjures up pleasant images or emotions. For those who suffer from panic attacks, it’s a vivid reminder that certain situations can trigger an awful physical and emotional response, rendering them fragile and helpless. For others, it carries the notion of certain scenarios where disaster is looming, like being caught in a building fire, or having lost a child in a public area. By definition, panic is a sudden overwhelming or uncontrollable fear or anxiety that can produce wildly unthinking behavior. It’s the kind of reaction that can occur after you’ve sold your brother into slavery, lied about his death and broke your father’s heart, seemingly been framed for stealing by an Egyptian ruler, left another brother behind as a prisoner, and then been refused by your father the demand placed upon you by that same ruler. It’s the kind of reaction where, in the hopes of placating your father, you grant him permission to kill your two sons, his grandsons, if you fail to bring back home your youngest brother, thinking somehow that that makes perfect sense. 

Application

Reuben didn’t know what else to do. Years of deceit had caught up to him and his siblings, and something had to give. But granting the killing of his sons to make up for losing his brother? When your world is crashing in, or just wearing you down drip by drip, the senseless can look very sensible. Panic can quickly take the place of peace, and our behavior can be misguided and unthinking. But God has not left, and He still sees the blue skies on the other side of your storm. Trust Him to be bigger than your predicament or condition. He is the other alternative. 

Charge

As we seek Him today, ask God for a perspective that lets you see things from His point of view. Let Him lead you to His way out. 

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words