October 8. 2023
Reading: Genesis 37
Focus: Genesis 37:3-4 – 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
Father God, We thank You for another day. Thank You that You watch over us and work all that we experience to our good. Help us to see the good in the trials. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Israel is finally where God wants him. But it took him a while and a tragedy to get there. Now he and his sons are going about their daily lives of caring for their families and their livestock. But there is a nasty fly in the soup. Remember the issues that favoritism has caused this family in past generations? Well, favoritism is rearing its ugly head again. Israel loved his wife, Rachel, far above his wife Leah. Now that Rachel is gone, that favoritism is transferred onto Joseph, Rachel’s firstborn. The Bible tells us in Genesis 37:3, that Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons. The reason is not important, but we are told it is because he was born to him in his old age. Joseph wasn’t the baby of the family, but he was pampered as if he were.
Now when we see Joseph here, we are told he is a teenager, age seventeen. And you know teenagers – they know everything, right? It seems that he was somewhat of a brat. He knows he’s loved more than the others and, I think, that made him somewhat boastful and, no doubt, he bragged about it. I don’t know about you, but as the oldest in my family, it bugged me to death when my younger siblings got into my stuff, got me into trouble with our parents and got things I had wanted but didn’t get. Not that I wanted to get rid of them but being an only child looked attractive. Joseph was also a bit mouthy. He also seems to be a little naïve. Some things should have been kept private. He did know God, but I am not sure if he realized just what God had planned for him. The dreams seemed to be pretty potent stuff. The Bible doesn’t tell us that Joseph knew the interpretation of those dreams. But he just had to tell everybody about those dreams. Jacob rebuked Joseph for his bragging. But that did not stop his brothers from hating him even more. Even so, Jacob did not forget about the dreams.
Joseph was also a tattle tale. I don’t know what his brothers were doing while out in the fields with the flocks, but Joseph told on them. As the eldest in my family, getting told on was more irritating that just about anything. I don’t know if any of us were the absolute favorite, but I do know that one of us was just a little bit more favored than the rest. But it was not as inflated as the favoritism shown to Joseph. This favoritism made Joseph a target for his brothers. They hated him. On top of all of that, Joseph was given an expensive coat.
The coat that their father made for Joseph only poured more fuel on the fire of his brothers’ hatred. Everyone had a coat or cloak of some type but this particular coat was a very significant item. It was very colorful. Made of many colors and probably of very expensive materials. It wasn’t the common everyday kind of coat his brothers had. It was more a coat for royalty. It probably had long sleeves and was ankle length. It was not the kind of coat for work. It was the kind of coat a king or someone of high status would wear. It signified that Joseph was the heir apparent.
This coat was significant in a number of ways. It was a symbol of birthright. We know that the eldest, Reuben, lost his birthright when he slept with his father’s concubine. It seems that Jacob now considered Joseph his heir. Meaning that he would receive twice the inheritance than the others. The uniqueness of the coat set him apart from the others. It showed that Joseph was preferred over the others. The coat also symbolized God’s favor in Joseph’s life. We will see that favor in future posts. It also gives a hint at Joseph’s future and of God’s protection of Joseph and of his family. Joseph will experience good times and bad times but, in all of that, God protected and prospered him.
Jacob sent Joseph out to check up on his brothers who were watching the flocks out in the fields. All Jacob wanted to know was how the flocks and the brothers were doing and where they were grazing them. Simple, right? But this was a recipe for trouble. The initial news was that they were in the Valley of Hebron, but Joseph did not find them there. He asked around and found that they had moved on to the area around Dothan. Unwisely, Joseph was wearing the colorful coat that his father had given him. Seeing this probably incensed the brothers even more when they saw it. They muttered among themselves, remembering how he had tattled on them before. Their anger led them to plotting his murder.
We have to give credit to Reuben here. He did try to save him. He suggested that they don’t kill him but throw him into a cistern. It was his intent to rescue him and send him back to Jacob. When Joseph arrived, they attacked him and stripped off the fancy coat and threw him into a cistern which, fortunately, was dry. It seems that Reuben left the camp for a while.
While the rest of the brothers were eating, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt. Judah suggested that the brothers sell the boy to the Ishmaelites rather than kill him and they all agreed. They pulled him up and sold him, hoping that he would last long as slave. When Reuben returned, Joseph was no longer in the cistern. He went to his brothers asking what to do now. He wasn’t worried so much for what it would do to their father or what would happen to Joseph but how was it going to affect Reuben? To cover up what they had done, they shredded the coat, killed a goat and drenched what was left of the coat in the blood. Then they took it back to their father. How horrible!!! To deceive their father about the death of his son.
Jacob tore his clothes and mourned for his son. No one could comfort him. He told them that he would mourn his son for the rest of his life. And the brothers had to watch the results of their actions. In the meantime, Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, the captain of Pharoah’s guard.
There are pictures of Jesus all over this story and in other stories of Jospeh’s life. Both Joseph and Jesus were loved dearly by their fathers. When Jesus was baptized, God told those around Him, that He was His son and that He was loved (Matthew 3:17. Jospeh was of a shepherd family. Shepherds were often looked on as the lowest of the low in many societies. Jesus was from a humble family. He was born in a stable. He called Himself a shepherd (John 10:11). Both were sent by their father to their brothers. Joseph was sent to his brothers to see how they were doing and that all was well with them (Genesis 37:14). Jesus was sent to the people of Israel to heal the sick, feed the hungry and teach about God’s love. We know that Joseph’s brothers hated him and were jealous of him. Jesus was hated by those around him. The religious leaders, who should have recognized who He was, hated Him and were jealous of His power and authority (John 15:18). Both went to Egypt. Joseph as a slave and Jesus as a child. Joseph and Jesus were both sold for the price of a slave, 30 pieces of silver. Joseph and Jesus both had their robe taken from them. Joseph’s coat was shredded and covered with blood. Jesus’ robe was gambled for. I also see that both Joseph and Jesus were buried. Joseph was dropped into a cistern, which could have been tomb for him had it not been for the caravan. Jesus was placed in a tomb after his death. And both came up out of those tombs. The rest of Joseph’s story has more parallels with Jesus, but we will look at those as we move through his story.
What I want you to look at here is that Joseph was who he was, a rather bratty teenager. He was hated and sold into slavery by his brothers, who should have been protectors instead. In all of this, God was looking at the big picture. He had known what his brother’s would do and knew that He would take that event and turn it to the protection of the house of Israel. In the meantime, the sons of Jacob watched as their father mourned for their brother, knowing that they were the cause of that sorrow. As time passed, that sorrow had to begin to wear on them and make them reflect on their sins.
As you look back on your life, is there something you have done that harmed someone? Have you seen results of your actions in that person’s life? Please know that your actions will be forgiven if you ask God for forgiveness. It may mean that you will have to go back to that person and ask for forgiveness. But at the same time, you will be free of that burden of sin. I know, first hand, that asking forgiveness is difficult. It’s downright embarrassing but if it is required of you by God, He will give you the strength and humility to do so.
Jesus came that we could be free of the burden of sin that all of us carry. His forgiveness gives us strength, humility, and courage. But most of all, it gives God free reign in our lives once we have surrendered our lives to Him. I want you to see that God works in our lives, even before we give our lives to Him. Up until this point in Joseph’s life, we don’t see him giving God his trust. He had to be confused, terrified and without hope. But as we study the life of Joseph, we will see how he lets God take the lead. That is what we need to do. Let God take the lead.
Who leads you?
Father God. Thank You for Your love. As I write, Israel is fighting against the enemies of Your people. I ask that You put Your Hand over Israel and protect her. Give her the guidance that she needs to defend herself. Be with those who are being held captive protect them and those who have lost loved ones, comfort them. Be ever present to them. Be Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace. Be Jehovah Sabaoth, The God of the Armies. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Food For Thought
- Why do you think Joseph was so bratty? Should Jacob have done something about it? What?
- Why do you think Reuben was so worried about Joseph?
- Who was the brat in your family?
- How did you get along with your siblings?
- Have you every had to ask forgiveness for wronging someone? How did that go?
