# 348 Lie Upon Lie, Guilt Upon Guilt

The Book of Genesis

Day 348

Ge 37:31 So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood.  32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, "We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?"  33 And he recognized it and said, "It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces."  34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.  35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, "For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning." Thus his father wept for him.  36 Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Don’t you just wonder who the brothers found to transport the bloody tunic back to their father? What did they tell this unsuspecting courier? “Hey, we found this tunic and we think it might have belonged to our brother,   would you mind taking it back to our father’s house and showing it to him?”

Before they sent it, did they bother to tear it up a little bit to make it appear there was some mauling that took place?  Oh, the things we will do to cover our sins! Their shame and guilt in the matter is evident in that they didn’t have the courage to break the news of their lie face to face with their father, and their feigned comfort for their father is sickening to say the least.

I wonder what God the Father was thinking as He was present in the room when the family, including every hypocrite brother,  all arose one by one to comfort him? I wonder what each one said as they sought to speak comfort to their father with their double tongues?

I think God the Father was thinking, “Okay boys, keep piling on your guilt, but I will one day turn your mess into a message!” Take hope from this! Maybe you have been piling up lies in order to cover your sin and shame and guilt. God is watching! He is aware, and He is waiting for you to come to Him for forgiveness. He is waiting to lift your burden of guilt.  It took years for the brothers to have their guilt and shame removed, but God is patient and the moment you confess HE is there ready to forgive through faith in Jesus Christ.

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

One more thing. Please note the grief in Jacob’s heart over the loss of a child. Unless you have experienced the loss of a child, you have no idea what it means to mourn that loss all the way to your grave. There is nothing you can say or do to remove that grief. But you can be a listening ear and a hugging arm to walk beside the mourner, whenever the need arises.