Joseph accepted to go and check on his brothers when asked to do so in obedience to their father on one part and because of the love he had for them as his beloved brothers on the other hand, Gen. 37v14. He must have set out on his onward long-distance journey to them with great love, joy, and enthusiasm of seeing them again after days of their being away from home. However, his brothers were of a contrary mind, because of their envy, hatred, and anger towards him most especially because of his dreams, Genesis 37: 19-20. Instead of being happy on sighting him from afar, they maliciously informed themselves of his coming, called themselves together, conspired to kill him, dump his corpse in a pit and lie to their father that he had been devoured by an evil beast, Genesis 37:18-20. Is this not the height of conspiracy against an innocent soul? Truly, the heart of man is desperately wicked and full of evil imagination continually, Genesis 6:5.

However, Reuben the eldest son of their father dissuaded them and suggested they cast him alive into the dry pit nearby with the intention of rescuing him later, Genesis 37: 21-22.
Joseph got to where they were, unaware of their evil plots against him yet he must have sensed that all was not well on seeing them. They probably welcomed him with mockery, abuses, insults, and name-calling, beating him with each of them laying their hands on him. All his joy and enthusiasm of seeing them would immediately have turned to bewilderment as his brothers rough handled and maltreated him, snatched from his hands whatever he brought for them and stripped him off his coat of many colors. They took him and cast him into the pit. He must have become perplexed and dumbfounded. That they cast him implied they carried him and threw him into the pit not minding if he got fatally wounded in the process or not. Having succeeded in carrying out their evil and wicked plot against their innocent younger brother that loved them, they joyfully sat down to feast on the food he brought for them while the one who brought it was languishing in the pit without food! Is this not the height of callousness and betrayal of trust and love? Truly a man's enemies are members of his family. In his case, struggling or doing anything to free himself would not be of any help amid 10 hefty men. It was such a helpless situation.

Can anyone imagine the pains and agony of betrayal and abandonment this poor lad must have felt as they held him, rough handled him, removed his coat, carried, and casted him into the dry pit? They all confessed later that Joseph in the anguish of soul pleaded with them for his life, it fell on deaf ears. They refused to be merciful unto him. They saw his soul was in anguish as he wept bitterly, but were not pacified with his tears and showed no compassion to one of the same blood with them. Genesis 42:21.Their hearts were hardened against him and they pitied him not. They paid him evil for the good of trekking a long distance all alone in the wilderness to check on their well-being and to bring them food. While he was agonizing in the pit, his brothers sat down unconcerned and feasted on the food he had brought for them in love believing that they had successfully gotten rid of the dreamer and his dreams of ruling over them once and for all.

A thousand and one thoughts must have flashed through his mind as he sat quietly in the bottom of the pit bemoaning his ordeal with a very heavy heart pondering on why his older brothers treated him the way they did. They wanted him dead. There wasn't anything he could have done to save himself than to beg and surrender because he was outnumbered and they were older and stronger than him. He must have cried to God for help pleading his cause and probably saying. 'My God, you are all I have and in you alone I trust. I have dreams given to me by you that I am yet to fulfill, the reason why my brothers hated me and did this to me. I know you will not allow them to triumph in victory over me because you are with me. I trust you will get me out of this pit soonest.'

Then, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their goods on their way to Egypt and Judah, one of Joseph's brothers suggested they sold him instead of killing him and they accepted, Genesis 37: 25-27. The brothers drew and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They sold their brother into slavery for just 20 pieces of silver! Is there any other form of betrayal and abandonment worse than been sold into slavery by one's older brothers that are supposed to love, protect and defend one against outsiders? What a betrayal! What a painful and harrowing experience!

CONSPIRACY, BETRAYAL AND ABANDONMENT
Conspiracy, betrayal and abandonment by loved ones often happen out of envy, jealousy, rivalry, malice and hatred or due to demonic manipulations. It can happen to anyone and can be carried out by any of our loved ones, friends, family members that we love and trust. Nothing hurts more than being conspired against, betrayed and abandoned by persons who one thinks would never hurt you. Conspiracy and betrayals by trusted friends, family, spouse, neighbors, colleagues, and so on are part of the man's inhumanity to man and can happen to anyone and at any time. "They will surely gather"...this is an unavoidable truth from the Holy Bible in the book of Isaiah.54:15a. People would conspire, betray and abandon you as long as you are succeeding, ahead of them, different and you have a glorious destiny, therefore watch your back and be prayerful that God will deliver you. These terrible acts cannot be prevented, however, one can save oneself the heartache, pains, disappointments and other traumatic feelings and agonies of these experiences by heeding God's warning that says: "take ye heed every one of his neighbors, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanders”, Jeremiah 9:4.

"Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom," [/i]Micah 7: 5.
The truth is humans can't be trusted, they can betray you at any time. Don't disclose your plans and dreams to anyone, so that they will not conspire to kill you, your plans and your dreams!

PUT YOUR TRUST ONLY IN GOD
Joseph trusted so much in God and lived in the consciousness of His continual presence with Him, which was of great help to him in all his challenges. Therefore, put all your trust in God because He can never betray nor abandon you, Isaiah 26:4. God is ever true, ever-loving, ever faithful and ever-dependable. Let those who want to plan, plot and betray you continue, they can never kill you because your life is hidden with Christ in God, Colossians 3: 3.

Happy is he whose trust is in God as Joseph's because in the face of conspiracy and betrayal God would save him, raise help and deliver him, [i]"But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them because they trust in Him.” Psalm 37:39-40.

It was God that used Reuben to dissuade the other brothers from carrying out their plot to kill him and suggested they threw him in the pit. For him not to be fatally wounded when casted into the deep pit he had to be drawn out from, God must have sent His angels to carry him and give him soft landing so that he was not wounded, Psalm 91:11-12. It was also God who brought the Ishmaelites along at that point in time. It was God who also used Judah to convince the brothers to sell him to the Ishmaelites instead of killing him.

From these sad incidents in Joseph's life, we learned that as long as God has not given anyone up to die no amount of conspiracy and other evil plans will succeed. Every true child of God's life is secured in His love, Isaiah 43:4; Jeremiah 31: 3. He alone can save one from snares secretly set for us.
Child of God, child of destiny, be rest assured that no amount of conspiracy and betrayal can thwart God's plans for your life. It is a fact that conspiracies, betrayals and abandonment will come from people you never expected it, but always be conscious of this truth that God is always for you, with you and in you, so you will overcome, Isaiah 43:1-3. Romans 8:37.

When you trust God He can save and deliver you from all the evil plans of your haters and use them for the advancement of your life and destiny. God is trustworthy, therefore put all your trust in Him.

IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR IN LIFE, AND NOT GET DEPRESSED; ACCEPT DISAPPOINTMENTS/ BETRAYALS AND ABANDONMENTS IN GOOD FAITH, EVEN WHEN IT COMES FROM THOSE YOU LOVED AND TRUSTED SO MUCH.

GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I.

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