Genesis 37:23-28 "And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt."
Joseph’s oldest brother, Reuben, had tried to persuade the other brothers to not kill Joseph. He had pointed out to them a pit where they might put him, with the implication that they would simply leave him there to die without food or water. It was actually Reuben’s intention to sneak back later and deliver Joseph. He hoped to return him safely to their father, Israel. There is no reason to think that Reuben did not hate Joseph as much as his other brothers. Instead, it is likely that Reuben was hoping to earn back his father’s approval after Reuben had been intimate with one of Israel’s concubine (Genesis 35:22).
The first thing the brothers did was strip Joseph of the coat that his father had given him. Then they cast him into the pit that was in the wilderness. Their bitter callousness toward Joseph was made plain by the fact that after throwing him into this pit where there was not even water for him to drink, they sat down to eat. There was no remorse in any of them for the act they were committing.
It would appear that Jospeh’s brothers were camped near a popular trade route with Egypt. Both the Ishmaelites and the Midianites were identified here. These were both descendants of Abraham, the Ishmaelites through Hagar, and the Midianites through Keturah. Everyone involved in Jospeh’s hardship and his subsequent selling into Egyptian bondage were relatives.
The brothers sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver. His brothers’ only concern was how they might profit from their betrayal of Joseph. He was carried to Egypt as a slave. He was brought there by a caravan that was carrying spices used by the Egyptians for embalming their dead, among other things.
Like Joseph, Jesus was sent by His Father to see to the welfare of his brethren (that would be us). When Jospeh came to his brethren, he was stripped of the beautiful garment his father had given him. In like manner, when Jesus came to this earth, He laid aside the glory He was clothed with as God and took upon Himself the form of sinful flesh. His people were concerned with how they might be profited by Jesus. They expected Him to break the yoke of the Roman empire and elevate them above other men.
Jesus was sold for a handful of silver. He was delivered into apparent bondage. Spices were brought to anoint His body after His burial. Yet, rather than being held in bondage, He wrought the most wonderful deliverance for His brothers.
Child of God, this Jesus who is still despised and rejected of men, is our Deliverer. He has delivered us from sin eternally, and He delivers us daily as we walk here with Him. We often have to face great hardship before we see Him as our Deliverer. But His love for us never fails!