From Betrayal to Restoration: God's Hand in Our Brokenness

Bible Passage: Genesis 37:1-40:23

Summary: This passage not only recounts Joseph's betrayal by his brothers and subsequent suffering but also reveals the complex dynamics of family relationships, highlighting how personal actions can lead to widespread consequences that affect future generations within Israel's lineage. These stories show us how Cain and Abel color all of the history of God’s people by showing how brothers continue to do wrong to one another.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that despite human failures and familial betrayal, God's overarching purpose and covenental loyalty uses even these broken circumstances for His will, leading individuals towards repentance, forgiveness, and reunion within the family of faith over long periods of time.

Big Idea: In our moments of betrayal and family turmoil, God is still at work, using these trials to align our hearts and families with His divine purpose of redemption and grace.

1. Dreams and Discord

Genesis 37:1-11

2. Betrayal and Sold

Genesis 37:12-36

3. Deceit and Destiny

Genesis 38:1-30

4. Integrity in Adversity

Genesis 39:1-23

5. Purpose in Prison

Genesis 40:1-23

This passage transitions seamlessly from Jacob’s story to Joseph’s, the one God planned to use to continue His covenant purpose. Joseph was more morally upright than his brothers and recognized their actions as wrong, prompting him to report their behavior to Jacob, who favored him. This favoritism highlighted Joseph’s integrity, which was respected and cherished by his father. However, Jacob’s favoritism—a clear allusion to the story of Cain and Abel—provoked envy and hatred among Joseph’s brothers, ultimately leading them to plot his death.

Joseph’s acceptance by God was evident in his dreams, which foretold that his brothers, father, and mother would one day bow to him. Coupled with Jacob’s special gift, the famous coat of many colors, these factors fueled his brothers’ resentment. They succumbed to the same sin as Cain, allowing jealousy to dominate their hearts. Acting as an administrator on behalf of Jacob, Joseph visited his brothers while they were pasturing the flock in Shechem. Both Shechem and Dothan, where the brothers later moved, were places with abundant water supplies. Dothan, meaning “the place of two wells,” was also a key trade route between Syria and Egypt.

As Joseph approached in Dothan, his brothers conspired to kill him, aiming to destroy the future revealed in his dreams. However, Reuben intervened, persuading them not to kill Joseph but to throw him into a pit instead. Reuben secretly hoped to rescue Joseph later. Before he could act, Ishmaelite traders passed by. These descendants of their grandfather’s brother offered an alternative: the brothers sold Joseph into slavery for twenty shekels of silver. The Midianite traders took Joseph to Egypt, where he was sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian official. Meanwhile, the brothers deceived their father Jacob by using Joseph’s coat to fake his death.

Two significant details stand out here: the sale for twenty shekels of silver and the involvement of the Midianites. These are providential markers in the story. Jacob was devastated, believing Joseph to be dead, while the brothers became deceivers, mirroring their ancestors’ sins. Reuben’s plan to save Joseph failed, leaving him to live with the guilt.

Judah, another brother, also faltered by marrying a Canaanite woman, aligning himself with the ways of Ishmael and Esau. His sons followed suit, and one of them married Tamar, a Canaanite woman. Tamar, described as sweet like a date palm, proved to be a pivotal figure in Judah’s story. After Judah’s first two sons died, he withheld his youngest son from Tamar, deceiving her. However, Tamar outwitted Judah. Disguising herself as a prostitute, she awaited him at a spring. Judah, succumbing to desire, slept with her, unknowingly pledging his seal, cord, and staff as payment. When Judah later sought to have Tamar punished for becoming pregnant outside of marriage, she revealed his items, proving he was the father of her twins. The boys, who struggled to be firstborn even in the womb, became significant figures in Israel’s future. In a moment of humility, Judah acknowledged Tamar’s righteousness, despite his earlier judgment.

Both Tamar and Joseph are depicted as blessed in these accounts. Joseph, despite his exile, found favor wherever he went. As a slave in Potiphar’s house, he rose to be the head of the household, much as he had managed his father Jacob’s household. Potiphar’s house prospered because of Joseph’s presence. Yet, temptation struck when Potiphar’s wife, captivated by Joseph’s good looks, sought to seduce him. Joseph, maintaining his moral integrity, refused her advances and fled. Her scorned pride led her to falsely accuse Joseph of attempting to assault her, resulting in his imprisonment.

Even in prison, Joseph found favor with God and the jailer. He was once again elevated to a position of leadership and encountered two of Pharaoh’s officials—the baker and the cupbearer—both troubled by dreams they could not understand. Through divine insight, Joseph interpreted their dreams: the baker would be executed, while the cupbearer would be restored to his position. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him upon his release, but the man forgot.

Joseph remained a prisoner, an exile, and yet continually favored by God—a challenging burden to bear in a world increasingly marked by selfishness and sin.