Fall Out

“So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.” (Ge 45:24 AV)

 

Thus was the instruction of Joseph to his brothers as they returned to Canaan.  Joseph had finally revealed himself to his brothers and was sending them back with a caravan of wagons to retrieve the entire family.  They were to move everyone and everything to Egypt so Joseph could care for them.  Joseph, in the wisdom God gave him, orchestrated events to secure his brother’s true repentance in selling him into slavery.  He did so without condemning them himself.  He allowed the Holy Spirit and their own conscience to do so.  Now, he sends them back with the above instruction.  The phrase ‘ fall..out..’ means to quiver especially by violent emotions like anger or fear.  When we consider the situation of their return, this may not make sense.  Following them to Canaan was a caravan of moving trucks and Egyptian servants to help them pack.  They are returning to give the good news that Joseph is still alive.  They are returning to share with their father they have not a care in the world because Joseph will take care of them.  Wait!  They are returning to tell their father that Joseph is still alive.  Hmmmm.

Growing up in such a large family, we have had our share of disagreements.  Some of those ended up in brief physical altercations.  Passing the buck was a regular ritual.  It is as old as the garden of Eden.  Usually, it involved a task for which we were all responsible, yet it did not get done timely or correctly.  Like clearing the driveway and sidewalks of snow.  In times of lite snowfall, it wasn’t all that bad to do.  But a foot or more and it became a real chore.  My father would command all his minions to the outdoors to clear off a three-car wide, two-car deep driveway and a sidewalk on a corner lot.  Far more than most homes.  We had a snowblower, but my father never let us use it.  After the task was done; or when we thought it was done; my father would inspect.  If it didn’t meet his standard, he would ask questions.  Invariably, we would all begin to pass the buck.  That wasn’t our part.  That was our brother or sister's part.  The infamous ‘they’ stuck me with a half-broken shovel.  The infamous ‘they’ also took the easy part and left me with the harder part.  My boots leaked and I got soaking wet.  So on and so on.  The blame game would continue for only so long.  Then outside we would all go and do the job properly.  Which was miserable.  Have you ever put on your winter clothes after you’ve dried off and they are still wet?  Yuk!

Now, put yourself in the place of Joseph’s brothers.  They had to explain to their father how Joseph might have been still alive.  Who was more to blame and who was less to blame was bantered back and forth.  Even Reuben, who started this discussion, tried to lesson his own blame.  Genesis 42:21,22 reveal Reuben tried to obfuscate his own guilt by challenging his brothers in what they did.  No doubt, Joseph in his wisdom, knew his brothers would try to blame one another for something that God turned around and meant for good.  They had culpability.  Sure.  There was a time of confession and repentance.  Absolutely.  This time had come and gone.  Spending time placing blame, arguing, or getting angry at one another would have cost them the unity Joseph tried to establish.  Families, communities, and churches go through difficult times when mistakes are made.  Sometimes, they are sin.  Sometimes, they are a lapse of judgment.  Sometimes, they happen simply because there is no easy solution.  The thing is, when it is all over and done, it is a time to forgive and unite so that God can turn it around for good and His glory.  Joseph shows why the LORD called him to lead.  He saw the need to maintain unity far greater than assigning liability.  He was able to get beyond the injury caused him because he saw the greater good.  That being, the welfare of the family as a whole.  While we journey, we have to be careful that we do not have a falling out by the way.   Or, there is no returning to a place where we won’t starve to death.  That is the alternative.  We either learn to forgive or we will spiritually starve to death.  “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”