During medieval times, there were different types of warriors. The most popular are the members of cavalry, swordsmen, and archers. Among them, I consider archers as the most dangerous for they attack their enemies from a secure place. They have an advantage when it comes to distance.

In Jacob's farewell blessings to his sons, I would like to focus on his message to his favorite son, Joseph. In his parting words, he compared Joseph to a warrior and his enemies as archers. By uttering this message, Jacob was referring to Joseph's suffering at the hands of his brothers and the wife of Potiphar.

Joseph's enemies were afraid to confront him in a close fight. They decided to attack him from a distance. His brothers hated him for his special robe and his dreams, shot out bitter words against him, mocked him, conspired to kill him, stripped him of his clothes, cast him into a pit, and then sold him. Potiphar's wife too grieved him with her day-after-day temptation, hated him for refusing her impure love, and finally shot him with false accusations. But after all these trials, by the grace of God, Joseph came out victorious.

I believe that Joseph is not alone in his experience of archers' attacks. I believe that one way or another, whether past, present, or future, we faced, we are facing, or we will be facing a similar situation. And so I would like to share with you in this article the lessons we can learn from Joseph's experience how are you supposed to respond when archers attack you?

When archers attack you, remember who you are.

Jacob described his favorite son as:

a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.

In Jacob's mind, his son's life was very productive, vibrant, and active. It was constantly growing and producing fruits. But not all were happy with Joseph's life. Both his brothers and his master's wife hated him. And so they attacked him. But Joseph knew who he was. He knew that by God's grace, he was a fruitful vine. That was his identity.

How about us? Who are you? Under the state of sin, we were dead in our transgressions and sins. This was our former life before we came to know Christ. But by the grace of God, we were made alive with Christ. And so right now, Jesus being the true vine, his description of his disciples as his branches is also true to us. Being Jesus' branches, our productivity depends on our relationship with him. On our own, we cannot bear fruit. We bear fruit as we remain in him and as he remains in us. This is our identity. This is who we are. This is who you are.

And so when archers attack you, remember who you are; you are Christ's branches. When somebody hates you for your relationship with Jesus, remember your identity. When you face temptation and false accusations, remember who you are.

Besides being Jesus' branches, as members of Christ's church, you are also identified as His bride, the body of Christ, the temple of God, the family of God, Christ's flock, a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, and many more. This is your identity. And so when archers attack you, remember who you are.

When archers attack you, know whose you are.

Even though Joseph was bitterly attacked by archers, his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber. This does not mean that Joseph was not affected. He was hurt; he suffered so much. This means that he did not avenge his sufferings. When he was in power and no one could prevent him from exacting punishment both from his brothers and Potiphar's household, he did not do it. Very few people could resist such temptation to use power to avenge the suffering of those who made their lives difficult. Joseph did not pay them back for the evil they did against him. I wonder how terrified his brothers were when they realized that the second most powerful person in Egypt was their betrayed brother. I wonder how worried Potiphar and his wife were when they heard the news that Pharaoh promoted their former slave to governor of Egypt. Perhaps Potiphar's wife could not sleep for fear of suffering justice from Joseph's hand. But Joseph did not do anything of that sort. His bow remained steady.

Doing nothing against your oppressor when you are already in power is not an indication of fear or weakness. It is an indication of strength. How come Joseph was so strong not only during the time of his suffering but also when he was in power? Why was he able to endure the pain and to resist the temptation to take revenge? Jacob said:

. . . because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father's God who helps you, because of the Almighty who blesses you. . ."

Therefore, Joseph's strength did not fail, but through his trials, he bore all his burdens with firmness because God is his Source of strength, the One who provided and took care of him, and the solid foundation of his life. It is God who gave Joseph the strength to resist the temptation of using his political power to avenge his sufferings. It is God who helped him in times of pain and in times of political gain. It is God who took care of Joseph in all his situations. In other words, when archers attacked him, Joseph knew who he was. He knew that he belonged to his God. He is the apple of God's eye. Joseph was convinced that God had a wonderful plan for his life. And for Joseph, that's enough. He didn't see the need to pay back the evil done against him.

And so in your case, when archers attack you, if the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is your God then you belong to God. And since you belong to Him, he will protect you, strengthen you, and provide for you. And besides through the apostle Paul, God said:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay. . .' (Romans 12:17-19).

Finally, when archers attack you, bear in mind the blessings you received.

Yes, Joseph was promoted as the second most powerful man in Egypt. In the eyes of men, This would mean superior political and economic power. Joseph was able to do that by taking care of his family and giving them property in Goshen. But people didn't see the spiritual reality of such blessings. Jacob described the blessings that God bestowed upon Joseph as:

. . . blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb, blessings greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. . ."

That's the kind of blessing that Joseph received and that is why when archers attacked him, he did not waste his arrows shooting back at them when he was already in power. This is simply because the blessings he received can never be compared with the pains that he experienced. The blessings he received were far greater than the afflictions he suffered.

In Paul's letter to the saints in Ephesus, he enumerated the spiritual blessings you and I received as a result of believing the gospel of Jesus. We have been elected, adopted, redeemed, given revelation, made heirs, and were sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3-14). And so whenever you experience the archers' attacks in your life, bear in mind that you already received the blessings of God. And not only that, the apostle Paul said:

. . . that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

Conclusion

As we continue our journey in this life, we will experience attacks from various kinds of archers such as envy, hate, and false accusations. Remember that whenever archers attack you, keep in mind your true identity in Christ, who you are, and the blessings you receive. Don't ever forget also that Christ Himself experienced all such kinds of attacks. One of his disciples betrayed him with a kiss; his enemies mocked him and spit upon him; they stripped him of his clothes, flogged him, crowned him with thorns, and conspired to crucify him. But Jesus triumphed over all of these. After his victory over death, he ascended into heaven seated at the right hand of the Father and showered everlasting blessings upon his people.

Grace and peace!

Note: This biblical reflection got its initial inspiration from reading Charles Spurgeon's exposition of the same text.