What prompted Judah to suggest selling his brother Joseph?

Was it to save his brother’s life or to keep his own hands clean?
Was he protecting Joseph or did he hate his brother so much he wanted him to suffer?

So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.

Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed.

~ Genesis 37:23-27 (NLT)

Would you like to gain some insight into Judah’s charater? Check out this study: God Chooses (Im)Perfection People: Tamar and Judah

words→pictures→doodle→for some of us: art

If you’re looking for a new way to spend time in the scriptures listening for what God has to say to you today, you might try doodling.

I am not an accomplished artist, but I am a life-long doodler. Here’s the method I use. I invite you to adapt it to fit your own style and skillset.

• Read the verses and pray about them.
• Ask yourself:
  • Is there a word or phrase the jumps out at me?
  • What visual comes to mind? (It may be as simple as colors, an abstract, a word, or a stick figure…)
  • Do the verses remind me of something or someone in my life?
  • If I was going to explain this concept to a 6-year-old, what picture would aid in understanding?
• Draw a picture or write the words and let the Holy Spirit guide your thoughts.

Feel free to share your work in the comments.