When Judah rescued Joseph from the pit and had him sold into slavery, it wasn’t a nice outcome for Joseph, but it kept him alive.
Reuben had a motive to keep him alive also, but it was in reference to himself.
Motive, makes or breaks the man
We see this when we look at Reuben and Judah.
How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.
Genesis 37:29-31
“Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?”
So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colours, 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?”
When Reuben discovers Joseph is gone, he is worried about himself. “Where shall I go?” He bellows.
The men kill and skin a goat, so that Reuben can save his own skin. Imagine the pain and horror of Jacob, when he hears the story of his son’s demise… from his other sons.
As for Judah, he has said little, and yet, he has ensured the safety of the boy without raising suspicious attention to himself.
When the one wants to save his brother and the other himself, both achieve their ends. And yet, it is the line of Judah which GOD uses to bring forth the Messiah.
Motive matters to GOD… more than outcome. That is worth remembering — especially when our outcome might not yield what we expect.