FORGIVE ‘TIL IT HURTS – Part 3
-Brenda Graff
Re-cap from Part 1 & 2
-Joseph was
favored by father
-Received
tunic of many colors
-Joseph
dreams
-Joseph
interprets dream to family
-Joseph ticks
off his brothers
-brothers
plot to kill Joseph
-Snare setups
and pitfalls
-Joseph lands in pit
-Pit
perpetrators
PART 3 - SOLD FOR 20 SHEKELS
Genesis
37:25-28
As they
sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites
coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and
they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we
gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to
the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our
own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph
up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the
Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
Joseph sold
by his very own siblings! His life
wasn’t worth much to them. Sold for 20
shekels. A shekel is a unit of weight, which
roughly equals to 10.5 grams. In 2010 a gram of silver was worth just under 50
cents. This would make a shekel worth about 5 dollars. So basically Joseph was sold for $100. Yet, there are some sources suggesting that
silver was more valuable back then, nonetheless, sold!
One hundred
bucks, can you imagine? To find that
your worth was set incredibly low. You
basically had no value.
Have you ever felt that your worth was sold for mere
pennies? Worthless? Your life or love given may have meant
nothing to someone you deeply cared about?
Maybe it’s a spouse who sold out for a one-night affair after you dedicated
merely a lifetime to them.
It could be a
child that you gave your all for, who in turn refuse to acknowledge you exist.
It could be a job you’ve worked for many
years and find yourself let go despite the sacrificial hours you took from your
family to be at your employer’s beckon call.
It could be a parent you cared for during times of illness who were ungrateful or left
you out of an inheritance, perhaps it was given to other siblings who weren't involved in care taking. Ouch!
It could
be as simple as a friendship you thought was real to find that they were only
using you for personal gain.
What was
the worth of your love, caring, and striving commitments? Was it worth merely twenty shekels?
In these
situations, it’s easy to build up walls.
Trust is torn. The risk of
committing is compromised. You become
enslaved into an abyss, a pit of paranoia.
Paranoia - para·noia \ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-ə, ˌpa-rə-\ defined in Merriam-Webster calls it a serious
mental illness that causes you to falsely believe that other people are trying
to harm you. Also, it is an unreasonable
feeling that they are trying to harm you, do not like you, etc...
It can cause
you to defy developing relationships, which in turn stunts your growth with
God. God is all about relationship. You can’t spend your life held up in a cave
of consequences that have left you isolated and introverted, otherwise you lose
out on love you could be experiencing and giving away.
Its normal to
feel like reacting to these situations like this. David certainly experienced similar
situations along with the emotions that came with it. Yet, his situation wasn’t based on paranoia…he
had many foes and real folks out to destroy him!
Psalm 7:1
Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
Psalm 22:1-2,
6-7, 14-18
My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me? Why are
you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out
by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. 6 But I am a worm
and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults,
shaking their heads. 14 I am poured out
like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it
has melted within me. 15 My mouth is
dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay
me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs
surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare
and gloat over me. 18 They divide my
clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
Jesus
definitely felt the ultimate sting of being sold out!
Matthew 27:46
(KJV)
And about the
ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?
that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
One of his
very own disciples had turned on him.
Sold him out for a bribe of thirty pieces of silver. Roughly at 150 dollars…Jesus was wrongly arrested, beaten,
whips ripped his flesh, nails driven into his wrist and feet, thorns placed on
head, spat at, side pierced, fed vinegar to quench his thirst. His clothes were divided among the soldiers by them casting lots, disregarded as the Son of God shed blood, sweat, and tears pouring from the cross, and this began with
the act of one greedy, dishonest, full of the devil being. I couldn’t imagine a betrayal much worse than
this.
Judas
Iscariot who was one of the twelve disciples according to the The Gospels of
Matthew, Mark, and Luke who also played an active part in the apostolic ministry
with Jesus. Who in turn had confidence in him prior to his betrayal. However, in John's
Gospel, Judas' outlook was discriminated - many of Jesus' disciples abandoned
him because of the difficulty of accepting his teachings, and Jesus asked the
twelve if they would also leave him. Simon Peter spoke for the twelve:
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life", but
Jesus observed then that although Judas was one of the twelve whom he had
chosen, he was “a devil”.
John 13:26-29
(KJV)
Jesus
answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when
he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And
after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, that thou
doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake
this unto him.
A sop was a
piece of bread that was dipped in some kind of gravy. (FYI)
Luke 22:3
(KJV)
Then entered
Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
Mark's Gospel
states that the chief priests were looking for a cunning way to arrest Jesus.
They decided not to do so during the feast [of the Passover], since they were afraid
that people would riot; instead, they chose the night before the feast to
arrest him. According to Luke's account, Satan entered Judas at this time. According
to the account in the Gospel of John, Judas carried the disciples' money bag. He
betrayed Jesus for a bribe of "thirty pieces of silver" by
identifying him with a kiss — "the kiss of Judas" — to arresting
soldiers of the High Priest Caiaphas, who then turned Jesus over to Pontius
Pilate's soldiers.
Matthew
26:14-16 (KJV)
Then one of the twelve, called Judas
Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them,What will ye give me, and I will
deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Mark 14:43-45 (KJV)
And immediately, while he yet spake,
cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and
staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. And he that
betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same
is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth
straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
Have you ever been given the kiss of
death? Sometimes it turns out to be a
life sentence instead.
You were caught up in the thrill of
the moment, an opportunity presented itself, i.e. engagement, marriage, a
business venture, or a position in a community.
All excited at what may be promised to find before too long, your promises are
in pieces before you on the pavement. In the ruins lays your confidence turning
you chronically cynical…leaving you in a present state of (PTCCS) post-traumatic-chronic-cynical-syndrome. I’m sure there’s a pill for that.
You can't stay there!
Who is your Judus? Is it someone from your past? Someone
who has passed on?
Perhaps it is someone very close to
you and they think that you don’t realize their evil intentions but you are very
aware and painfully hold back the exposing of the fact while they continue to
plot against you. It takes a very
courageous, and merciful person to hold back divulging a dialogue in which you
know could ultimately destroy that individual.
Why not? After all, this would be
the ultimate vengeance, would it not?
I will tell you why not?
To expose someone in such a way, will destroy
your character. Despite the fact that
this someone has betrayed you. In the
eyes of witnesses, you will be the one thought of as callous and calculating.
It shows the immaturity of your mind and spiritual walk with God.
Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 2 Peter 1:5,6,
It is to only edify you; it serves no purpose other than trying to get even.
Romans 16:18, Ephesians 4:29-32, 1 Timothy 5:6, Philippians 2:3, James 3:14-16,
2 Timothy 3:1-5, 5:6
It screams insecurity. Insecure people tend to abuse others with their words, and emotional manipulation. Matthew 12:36-37, Ephesians 4:29
It names you a narcissist - a person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish. Psychoanalysis defines this as: a person deriving stimulating gratification from admiration of his or her own physical or mental attributes. 1 Peter 5:5-6, Proverbs 18:12, Philippians 2:1-30, Romans 16:17-19, Proverbs16:18
It bleeds a bumptious core – a blatant intent to boast. This in the sense of intent of tearing someone else down to make yourself look better. James 4:16, Jeremiah 9:23, Proverbs 27:2, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Psalms 94:4, 2 Corinthians 10:12-18,
It strips you of self-respect. 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Timothy 2:15,
It taunts your thoughts - Romans 2:15,13:5, Titus 1:15
It makes you their puppet - guided by your emotions, and their actions alone, Proverbs 16:32, Philippians 4:7,
It tatters your testimony. Proverbs 25:26, Galatians 6:10-17
Aside from all these previous points encouraging
to take the high road, there is one major that simply state to not repay evil
for evil. This wasn’t an opinion, but a
command.
1 Thessalonians 5:15 ESV
See that no one repays anyone evil for
evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone
.
This doesn’t mean that you stand there
like a beaten pup left out in the rain…waiting to take the next hit.
Nor do you
allow folks to take your kindness for weakness so they can continue to manipulate
you or walk all over you.
There are situations and others
that are too toxic to stay involved with.
God tells us to guard our hearts, for it is the well-spring of life.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Above all else, guard your heart, for
everything you do flows from it.
We do need to be conscious of what we
allow to affect our hearts, good and bad.
If we are not filling up with the things of God, then we are not
protecting it. If we continue to allow
ourselves to be exposed to chronic negativity, it will cause heart damage, not
only figuratively, but medically.
In saying all this I truly realize
that some who are reading this, may be in a negative situation
they cannot escape…. you may feel helpless, or even hopeless.
However, you can take your issue to the ONE
who can and is more than able to give you wisdom and the ability to put into
action what He so desires for you to do.
He can lead you to the right person to confide in, i.e. Christian Counselor, Pastor, a prayer partner who lives not by what they say but what they do, a life of integrity. Whether this is addressing the deceit,
extending mercy to the deceiver,
or finding inner healing. This is not a situation that you alone can tackle despite how strong you may think you are. Having a false sense of self-assurance gets you no where. It may carry you through the situation for a time, but at some point the break is going to come, and you will find yourself back in a helpless position.
God says, come unto me! I will give you rest in your souls! Matthew 11:25-30
You also must become sold out for
God! Sold out on His promises, truth,
character, His WORD beginning your days with (Putting on the
whole armor of God.)
Ephesians 6:10-12
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in
his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your
stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of
this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
That person trying to deceive you, is
being led by Satan himself. They are the
puppet on the string listening to the enemies lies as he directs their
steps.
But you don’t have to be strung
out over this. You can choose to react
differently. Though you’ve been sold out
for mere pennies, you can take that change to the bank of our Bread of Life who
will keep you bountifully blessed in such a way through peace, and a joy unexplainable, that even your enemies will be
confused!
Proverbs 16:7 (KJV)
When a man's ways please the Lord, he
maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
You may have not been able to prevent being sold out, but you don't have to sell out your
soul.
II Corinthians 4:7-12
But we have this treasure in jars of
clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We
are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always
carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also
be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to
death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.
12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
-To Be Continued
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