Carrying the Burden

Scripture:  In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” Genesis 42:21

Observation:    Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers when he was 17.  He was probably 39 when his brothers came to Joseph in power in Egypt.  This is a difference of 12 years.  When Joseph, unrecognized by his brothers, throws them in jail for three days under the charge of being spies, they quickly connect their present consequence from the earlier sin of selling their brother into slavery.  This means that the guilt from that act had lingered for 12 years.  I am not sure if this was something they thought about often, or if it just now entered their minds at this moment.  Unless they were completely cold hearted, I have to think that the guilt of what they had done to their brother weighed upon them and dogged them all those years.  Reuben points out his disagreement with the plan, so perhaps they had even argued among themselves.

Application:    Ultimately, God used for good what they had meant for evil.  Even their confession here, overheard by Joseph, was used by God.  But what stuns me is the reality that the guilt of unrepentant sin is not assuaged by time.  That 12 days, 12 months, 12 years later, the guilt of their actions haunts them.  I wonder what it was like to carry that weight with them for over a decade.   

Prayer:             God, I pray that you help me to confess sin quickly to you.  Help me not keep secrets that burden me, so that anytime something bad happens I am quick to think the two are connected.  Let me experience the freedom of unburdening myself with you and others.