So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit.
Genesis 37:23-24
One of the most popular Old Testament stories is that of Joseph and his coat of many colors. Joseph was given the coat by his father, Jacob, who favored Joseph over his other sons. This gift angered Joseph's brothers and they were filled with jealousy, prompting them to devise a scheme of killing Joseph and then throwing him into a nearby pit. Their plan was to tell their father that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Fortunately, there was a change of plans, fueled by the brothers' guilt, and Joseph was not murdered before being thrown into the pit.
This passage can serve as a reminder to us all to trust in God, no matter what obstacles we face in life. I feel the pit is symbolic of the difficult challenges we all will face, and a reminder that God is always there for us, no matter how deep our despair. Joseph always put his trust in God by simply trusting that God would take care of him. He knew God was in charge, and that gave him comfort in the "pit" of his life. No matter how bad things become, we can always rely on God. How comforting!
"If we don't learn to bloom in the pit, we will never blossom on life's mountain" (Author unknown).
Susan Dowling (2009)
