Till Shiloh Comes (8 page)

Joseph kept his head lowered as Jacob droned on and on about incidents where Joseph had let his brothers know his feelings of superiority. Finally Jacob said, “Do you not see, my son, how wrong you have been?”

“Yes, Father, I understand.”

“I hope so,” Jacob said fervently. “You are clever with words. You have imagination. So when I send you to your brothers, I want you to humble yourself. Try to win back their confidence. I know this can't be done in a day,” he said sadly, “but it
can
be done over a period of time. Take them gifts. Offer to help them with their work—and above all say
nothing
of your dreams. Do you understand me, Joseph?”

“Yes, Father.”

“And will you try your best to keep your dreams to yourself and to keep your pride under cover? I know it's there, but at least don't let them see it.”

Joseph, in all truth, was only listening to half of what his father was saying. Instead he was thinking of the delights of the journey, but he was a fine actor, and he played the part of a penitent to perfection. In short, he managed to convince his father that he'd had a change in heart, but even as he listened, all he saw was himself going forth on a delicious adventure.

“You will leave in the morning,” Jacob said. “You will take three beasts loaded with the finest food we have. It is time to be generous. They will be your gifts to your brothers. Make that plain. And partake of them little yourself.”

“Oh yes, Father, I understand.”

“And above all do
not
wear your coat of many colors! Do not even take it with you. It is an affront to your brothers, and I erred greatly in giving it to you.”

“It shall be as you say, Father,” Joseph said, but his thoughts were not on the coat. It was on the adventure that lay ahead of him. He pretended to listen to Jacob's careful instructions, then ran to tell Benjamin that he would be gone for some time.

“Take me with you, Joseph,” Benjamin pleaded.

“No, Father would never let us both go. But when I come back, I will tell you everything that happened.”

“Be sure you forget none of it. When will you come back?”

“I will probably not stay with my brothers more than two or three days. Then I'll return and tell you everything.”

Benjamin looked up with awe in his eyes. This brother of his could do anything. “I wish I could go with you,” he said.

Joseph laughed, his mind not on his little brother but on his journey. What a fine thing it would be to wear his coat as he traveled! He would not wear it in front of Jacob, of course, but it would be good to wear it on his journey. People would know that a prince was passing through their midst!

“I wish I could go with you, Joseph!”

Joseph knelt and put his arms around Benjamin. “I wish you could too, my dear little brother. When I come back, you and I will make a shorter journey. I promise.”

“Really! You mean it?”

“Of course I mean it.”

Joseph kissed Benjamin's tearstained face, and his heart gave a tug. He had asked his father halfheartedly if Benjamin could accompany him, but Jacob had almost exploded. “Both of you at once! No, never!” It had been as Joseph had expected, but at least he had tried.

He gave the boy one final hug, then stood up and looked to where the three donkeys were waiting. Two of them were loaded down with cheese, dates, baked bread, and all the delicacies Joseph and Jacob could find. Jacob was standing to one side of the donkeys, his eyes filled with apprehension. Joseph went to him and said, “Promise you will not worry about me, my father.”

“How can I help it?” Jacob said, his voice breaking. “It is in my heart now to change my mind.”

“Oh no, don't say that,” Joseph said quickly, and his mind raced to explain why he should go. “It is our one chance to restore my relationship with my brothers. Please do not rob me of this, Father.” It took some pleading, for Jacob was indeed capable of stubbornly calling the entire journey off. Joseph spoke quickly and glowingly about what a glorious success the trip was going to be. Finally, when Jacob began to relent, Joseph quickly said, “I must go before the sun gets any higher. I'll be back in just a few days.”

Jacob opened his arms, and the tall young man embraced him. Joseph was shocked at how his father clung to him, almost as a small child clings to his father. He knew his father loved him dearly, but being seventeen years old, he had no fears for the future. When Jacob finally released him, he leaped on the donkey, waved to the two concubines and Leah, who stood watching silently. They did not look happy, but then they seldom did.

“I'll give your sons all your good wishes, good mothers,” he called and kicked the donkey in the side. The animal started forward, and Joseph waved until the village faded behind him. He took one last look at his father, who seemed at that moment more pitiful and vulnerable than Joseph had ever seen him. The sight shocked him, but with the exuberance of youth, he said, “I will bring him back a good report and make him happy.”

Jacob trembled as he watched his beloved son and the donkeys fade from view. He felt a touch on his hand and looked down to see Benjamin by his side. He took the boy's hand and squeezed it, then knelt down and put his arm around him.

Benjamin said, “Everything will be all right, Father. He'll be home in just a few days.”

“Yes. Just a few days, and I will see my son again—and you will see your brother.”

“Joseph said he would take me on a journey, a very short one. Will that be all right, Father?”

“Yes. That will be fine. I promise.”

The two stood watching the empty horizon, where only a thin puff of dust marked Joseph's trail. Benjamin went away to play, but the old man stood there staring, his heart filled with such dread and turbulence he could not bear it.

****

Joseph was excited to be journeying to Shechem alone. As soon as he was out of sight of his father, he stopped the donkeys, rummaged through the bag of his things, and got out the coat of many colors. He shook it out and was delighted with the flashing rainbow of light it made. He slipped into it, then mounted the donkey, and kicked the animal forward.

He encountered several travelers throughout the day, and all of them turned their eyes to stare at the young prince who wore such a beautiful coat that glimmered in the sun like golden fire.

Joseph was pleased with the impression he made and thought more about that than about the mission he was on. His conscience bothered him slightly for not obeying his father's order to leave the coat at home. But, as always, young Joseph in all his glory found a way of rationalizing his decision to go his own way, and as he watched the admiring stares of others, he decided his father had been wrong to deny him this pleasure.

“My father would be proud of me,” he said as he caught the admiring glance of a passing family. He greeted them cheerfully and smiled regally as they all stopped to watch him pass by.

He would be pleased to see how the coat draws such admiration even from strangers,
he thought, utterly convinced that he had been wise to wear it.

Thus Joseph made his way across the country. He traveled steadily that morning with a light wind caressing his face. He stopped at noon for a meal, then went on his way along roads and mountain paths. From time to time he would pass through a small village and draw the admiration of all, especially the women.

That night he chose to stay in a village where he could stable his donkeys safely. He paid to have them fed out of the money his father had given him, and afterward he had dinner with the chief of the village, who was very impressed with Joseph's finery.

The oldest daughter of the house, a lively brown-eyed girl with a womanly form and a sensuous mouth, made herself conspicuous to Joseph. After he went to bed, she slipped into the room reserved for guests. Seeing her enter, Joseph sat up at once. She wore a dress of fine-spun material that clung to her enticingly. “I came to see if there was anything you wished, master.”

Joseph took a deep breath, for the words could have many meanings. The girl did not drop her head and hide her eyes as many young women would do. There was a boldness in her looks as she stood waiting, and Joseph struggled with the temptation being put before him.

“Th-there is nothing,” he finally managed to say. “Thank you, mistress.”

She stepped closer to Joseph, and his head spun as he smelled her pungent perfume. “If there's anything at all you'd like, I am here to serve you.”

The words seemed innocent enough, but the curve of the full lips, the sultry look around the eyes, the heady scent said something else entirely.

Joseph was a spoiled and headstrong young man, but when it came to women, he had kept himself pure. There had been countless opportunities for misbehavior with the younger girls of the tribe, all who thought him quite the handsomest man they had ever seen. But Joseph had a strong sense of his calling from God to someday be in a place of authority, and he knew this was one line he could not cross without losing his father's approval. He remembered Jacob's reaction to the transgressions of his brothers in this area, and his head argued against the urges this young woman was arousing in him. She stared at him with an open invitation in her eyes, and everything in him cried out to take her up on her offer.
Father would never know,
he reasoned.
Who would tell him?

One word from him, and she would be his. But he could not speak that word. Instead he curtly muttered, “Thank you,” and lay back down. He winced at the scornful glare the girl gave him as she whirled and left the room. A mocking voice in his head kept saying,
You fool! You could have had her. What's wrong with you?

Joseph closed his eyes and breathed deeply, forcing himself to think instead of the pleasure of the journey and the excitement of meeting his brothers. It was not an easy thing to do, but he controlled the urges of his flesh and drifted off into sleep.

****

After three days of hard travel Jacob reached his goal, the narrow Valley of Shechem. But he quickly discovered that his brothers were no longer there, and he began to ask the inhabitants of the place about their whereabouts.

“Yes, there were ten men here with large herds and flocks.” The speaker was a short, squatty man with one eye missing and gaps in his teeth. He was chewing on some tough meat as he sat in the shade of a tree.

“Where have they gone? Do you know?”

“As it happens I do, but information comes with a price,” the man said. He was eyeing Joseph's expensive coat, and there was admiration mixed with greed in his remaining eye.

Joseph laughed. He reached down into his pouch, pulled out a coin, and held it up. “I'm willing to pay.”

“Give it to me.”

“First, where did they go?”

“Over to Dothan.”

Joseph stared at him. “Why would they go there?”

“I have no idea, but I heard them say that's where they were going. Now give me the money.”

Joseph handed over the coin and turned and remounted his donkey. As he rode off, the man held up the coin, admiring it. “Should have asked for two of these,” he grunted. “That young lord would never miss 'em.”

****

The ten brothers quit early for the day, leaving the flocks in the hands of several servants. As they cooked their midday meal Reuben glanced around at their faces, feeling a little relieved.
They're not as angry as they were when we left Father,
he thought.
They'll get over Joseph's foolishness
.

But in truth the other nine brothers were still angry at Joseph, though for the time they kept their feelings to themselves. Like a fire that had settled down, there was no longer any visible flame, but the coals underneath were hot!

While the brothers ate, Reuben chose to sit by himself and think about his life. It seemed to be nothing but a series of mistakes. He was troubled about the future and about the meaning of Joseph's dreams, for he alone, with the possible exception of Judah, felt there was some truth to them that he could not understand. Somehow Joseph was different from the rest of them. It was more than the fact he was the son of Jacob's True Wife. Indeed, that seemed to be the least of it.

Reuben had always seen qualities in Joseph that made him stand out from the other brothers. It was not so much that he was better looking or more intelligent than the others; it was the spirit in him that Reuben could not grasp. It flashed out at times, overshadowing his foolish youthful pride, and there was definitely something to his dreams. Of that Reuben was certain.

Having finished his stew, Reuben got up and said, “I'm going to check the flock to see if the servants are staying alert.” He left without another word, and the nine paid him little attention. He had not been gone long, however, when the subject they had tried to keep hidden whenever Reuben was around now bubbled to the surfaced.

Gad was the first to speak. “I can never forgive Joseph for being a bearer of tales. It's bitter when we honest men have to kowtow to a puppy like that.”

All at once they began talking. Simeon and Levi were the loudest, their faces flushed with anger as they went over and over the many times Joseph had insulted them. It infuriated them that their father showed such favoritism, and they began to speak wildly.

This had gone on for at least half an hour when Asher, who had the keenest eyesight of the brothers, suddenly stood up and said, “What's that?”

The other brothers looked about casually, and Judah said, “I don't see anything.”

But Asher insisted. “There's something flashing over there. It's like silver.”

This caught Gad's attention, and he got up and stood beside Asher. They both stared into the distance while Asher insisted that something unusual was coming. Then they all got up to look.