“Now when they saw him AFAR OFF, EVEN BEFORE HE CAME NEAR them, they conspired against him to kill him. (Their envy and hatred had at this point been nursed and cultivated to such an extent that the mere sight of our poor Joseph incited violence to spring forth from that carefully tended seed; also: having been given over to a debased mind in this area, they didn’t need any provocation to murder and consequently were already consumed by murderous thoughts only in glimpsing his frame from afar.) Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer (or: “master of dreams”) is coming! (Notice how the derogatory mocking tone used to state the concrete Truth has been used by the enemies of God’s Chosen & Anointed Ones since the beginning of time; simultaneously employed to strengthen their own envy shrouded in hatred, but at the same time also self-condemning them: “Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let THE CHRIST, THE KING OF ISRAEL, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.” – Mark 15:31-32 (NKJV).) Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ (Notice how readily our true enemy – the devil – provides one with the necessary lies, schemes, deceptions and supporting rationales to facilitate one’s sin; they didn’t have to think twice to concoct this lie. Also, whoever is speaking here is effectively summarising the group-think that has been allowed to fester among them; it will take great courage for one to speak up and circumvent the evil mindset that has already deeply ingrained itself into their group dynamic.) We shall see what will become of his dreams!” (This is effectively a victory cry rallied by the enemy, believing that he has succeeded in thwarting the plans of God. And yet in the Romans 8:28 Hands of The LORD it becomes more Prophetic Utterance than anything else 😁) But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” (As noted above, it would have taken great authority and conviction of purpose for Reuben to stand up against his brothers here, for the witchcraft of the flesh already employed to force all to see things unanimously – namely intimidation, manipulation, control and domination – must have been operating very strongly at this point. It is only by the Grace of God, for Joseph’s sake, that Reuben, as the eldest, was awarded the courage and authority to spare Joseph’s life. There is also an allusion made here in the phrase” [b]ut Reuben heard it” that implies that Reuben kept himself to one side whenever the other brothers were winding themselves up, speaking evil of Joseph; perhaps not courageous enough to blatantly oppose them, but too wise as the eldest to share wholeheartedly in their evil.) And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him” (it also appears that Reuben inherently understands the horrifying implications before God of shedding the blood of an innocent man, especially a brother, even if the other brothers have at this point been wholly deceived unto believing that Joseph is not innocent in their appraisal of him through the lens of worldly wisdom fuelled by bitter envy and selfish ambition, as we read in James 3:15-16) — that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father (Reuben’s heart is Spirit-led in his holy understanding through the wisdom that is from above – James 3:17,18 – that always seeks to reconcile the Father with a beloved son . . . ).”

“¹⁸Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! ²⁰Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”

²¹But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” ²²And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him” – that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.”

– Genesis 37:18-22 (NKJV)