Joseph betrayed by His brethren Genesis 37

Introduction

Joseph is one of just a few men in the Bible that nothing bad is said about. The lord was with Joseph in both the good times and the bad times, which is a great reminder for us that God is there with us in the good and bad times.

Through the circumstances Joseph went through he could have gotten bitter, but instead he trusted God in the good times and bad times. After Jacob, his dad dies he makes a statement that we should all be able to make when the world persecutes us.

Genesis 50:20 “20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

This morning we are going to look at the beginning of Jospehs journey to 2nd in command in Egypt.

Joseph introduced vs. 1-4

Here we find a 17 year old Joseph out feeding the flock with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the Sons of Zilpah

Joseph brings their evil report to his father.

We aren’t told what the evil report said, but whatever they were doing wasn’t pleasing to the Lord.

Israel or Jacob loved Joseph more than all his brothers

He made him a coat of many colors

Joseph is one if Rachels sons

Remember how Jacob fell in love with Rachel and her father Laban told Joseph he would have to work 7 years for her, but he was tricked into marrying Leah first. After a week of marriage Jacob married Rachel and worked another 7 years to pay her off.

Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, so the Lord shut up her womb.

Leah gave Jacob Ruben, Simeon, Levi and Judah, while Rachel gave him no children.

Rachel is upset and tells Jacob to give her a son or she will die. He pretty much tells her he isn’t God.

Rachel gives her handmaid, Bilhah, to Joseph to have kids for her.

Her handmaid has Dan and Naphtali

When Leah sees Rachels handmaid having kids, she gives her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob to have kids.

Her handmaid has Gad and Asher

Then Leah had Issachar, Zebulun and a daughter name Dinah

The lord remembers Rachel and opens up her womb.

Rachel had Joseph and knew the Lord would give her another son which she had Benjamin.

Jacob wasn’t quiet about his favoritism of Rachel, he wasn’t quiet about his favoritism towards Joseph and it got to the point where Josephs brothers could not speak peaceably to him any longer, and it was about to get even worse.

Josephs dreams vs. 5-11

Joseph had a dream, so he told his brother the dream and it made them hate him more.

The first dream he had was that he would reign over his brothers and as you can imagine that didn’t go over very well with his brothers.

They no longer hated him because he was the favorite now they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

The second dream was that his father, mother and brothers would bow to the earth.

His brothers envied him, his dad observed the sayings.

Things were about to reach a breaking point in this family

Joseph sent to the field to find his brothers vs. 12-17

Josephs brothers are tending to their fathers flock in Shechem and Jacob sends Joseph to find out 2 things and then report back to him

Are your brothers okay?

Is the flock okay?

Joseph gets to Shechem and is wandering the fields looking for his brothers when he finds a certain man that tells him his brothers are tending sheep in Dothan.

They make the 15 mile journey and find Josephs brothers in Dothan.

The brothers plan vs. 18-24

They see Joseph coming and they start their plan to get rid of him

They start by saying to kill him, throw him in a pit and say an evil beast devoured him.

They then said “Lets see what becomes of his dreams”

Ruben, the first born, tries to talk some sense into his brothers

He tells them they shouldn’t kill, but just cast him into a pit in the wilderness

When Joseph reached his brothers they took off his coat and cast him into a pit.

Anger and Jealousy will cause us to do some crazy things. Here it caused his brothers to contemplate killing their brother.

Joseph Sold into slavery vs. 25-36

As the brothers are sitting down to each a company of Ishmeelites came form gilead with their spices, balms and myrrh and they were heading for Egypt.

Judah, the fourth born, uses logic to keep Joseph from being slayed by the brothers.

How much does it profit us to kill Joseph, why not sell him instead?

They didn’t want their blood on his hands

They sell him to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver, and they brought Joseph to Egypt with them

They take Josephs coat and rip it and then they kill a goat.

They dipped the coat in blood to make it look like Joseph was killed by an evil beast.

They go tell their father the news.

They act as though they don’t know its Josephs coat they have and ask Jacob if its Josephs coat.

Jacob confirms it is and rents his clothes puts on sackcloth and mourned his sons many days.

His family tries to comfort him, but he tells them he will go to his grave mourning the loss of Joseph.

The Midianites that bought Joseph sold him in Egypt to a man named Potiphar who was an officer of Pharoah and the captain of the guard.

Conclusion

All throughout Josephs life we see a constant theme that God was with Joseph. While Joseph was in the pit God was with, while he was in slavery God was with him. He lived the promise every day that God will never leave him nor forsake him.

What are you going through this morning that you might be thinking there is no way God is here with me? May I remind us all this morning that no matter where we are, no matter what we are going through God is their with us.

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”