Ishmaelites, 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 Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, and they brought Joseph into Egypt." p. 141, Para. 1, [3SG].
The thought of being sold as a slave was more dreadful to Joseph than to die. He manifested the deepest anguish, and appealed first to one of his brethren, then to another, for compassion. Some of their hearts were moved with pity, but through fear of derision from the rest, kept silent. They all thought that they had gone too far to repent of their acts, for Joseph might expose them to their father, and he would be exceedingly angry with them for their treatment of his much-loved Joseph. They steeled their hearts against his distress, and would not listen to his entreaties for his father's sake to let him go, but sold him as a slave. p. 141, Para. 2, [3SG].
Reuben went away from his brethren that they might not learn his purpose in regard to Joseph. He advised them to put him in the pit, and designed to return and take him to his father. "And Reuben returned unto the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit, and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?" His brethren told him that they had sold Joseph. p. 142, Para. 1, [3SG].
"And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood, and they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found; know now whether it be thy son's coat or no." They caused their father intense anguish, as he pictured to himself the violent death his son must have suffered by being torn in pieces by wild beasts. His sons had not imagined that their father's grief would be so deep. All his children tried to comfort him, but he refused to refrain from his grief. He declared to his children that he would go down into his grave mourning. p. 142, Para. 2, [3SG].
Joseph's brethren flattered themselves that they were taking a sure course to prevent the fulfillment of Joseph's strange dreams. But the Lord controlled events, and caused the cruel course of Joseph's brethren to bring about the fulfillment of the dreams which they were laboring to