"But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands and said, 'Let us not take his life.' Reuben further said to them, 'Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him'—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father." -Genesis 37.21-22
Joseph's brothers have had all they can take. First it was their father's favoritism, but then Joseph had these dreams that just pushed them over the edge. They take the sheep to pasture, probably relieved to be on the road away from home, and their brother. But Israel wants a report. Again, he cares about all of his children, he loves each of his sons, Joseph is just his favorite, and everybody knows it.
Joseph is sent to bring a report, his brothers see him in the distance and decide to be done with him. They are in the wilderness, no one will know what really happened except for them, and so they decide to be rid of their pesky little brother forever. But then Reuben, the oldest, speaks up, and saves his life.
I have a theory that Reuben is trying to win back some approval from his father after his relationship with Bilhah. What better way then by saving the life of the favorite son? But here we see a crucial characteristic for a man. Men value, and protect, life.
Anyone can take a life, physically or figuratively. It's not hard to destroy someone, people do it everyday without a second thought. But it takes strength to stand up for life. It takes strength to fight for life. It takes strength to resist taking a life. In the first Hobbit movie Gandalf says to Bilbo, "True courage is knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."
It takes a man to protect life, and a man does. A man does everything he can to save life. He realizes how precious a gift it is, and he does what he can to give it. Men, let us do all that we can to protect life. Let us speak it into others, and rescue them from those who seek to destroy it.
Life is precious, value and protect it. This is what your strength is for.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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