Genesis 37 (Prairie Ridge Nursing Home)
Notes
Transcript
From the Pit to Potiphar: God's Sovereign Plan Unfolds
From the Pit to Potiphar: God's Sovereign Plan Unfolds
Growing up, I always felt like my older sister got to do all the cool things. She was older, so she had more freedom—she got to stay up later, hang out with friends, and do things I wasn’t allowed to do yet. I remember thinking, ‘It’s so unfair! She gets all the privileges, and I’m just stuck waiting for my turn.’
But what’s funny is that, years later, I realized my sister saw things completely differently. She thought I was the spoiled one. She thought I had it easier because I got away with more, and by the time I came along, our parents weren’t as strict. We were living in the same house, with the same parents, but we saw things totally differently.
That’s exactly what happened with Joseph and his brothers. Joseph probably didn’t think of himself as ‘the favorite’—but his brothers sure did. His brothers probably thought they had it harder, while Joseph might have felt like the odd one out. The problem wasn’t just the coat Jacob gave Joseph—it was the jealousy, resentment, and misunderstanding that grew between them.
Today, we’re going to look at how unchecked jealousy and comparison can lead us down a dangerous path, and how God can use even the worst situations for His purpose.
It’s a popular story. I think many of us have heard of the “coat of many colors”, even non-Christ-followers. If you’re a parent and read your children Christian storybooks, the Joseph story has got to be in there for sure! It’s a story that we might be familiar with broadly, but there are fascinating details for us in this when we take a closer look. There are very helpful implications from this passage that help us in our day-to-day life. I think in many ways we can relate to Joseph and other characters in this story more than we typically have thought of.
Let’s jump into the text…
1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
This is the first introduction we have to Joseph. When we slow down and think about it — the text paints a profile of Joseph that he is a spoiled, potentially snotty, entitled kid. That sibling that gets whatever they want, that sibling that is favored by dad.
When we think about the context too — Joseph’s father Jacob learned this very bad parenting trait from his father Issac, who favored Jacob’s older brother Esau. We learn how the leadership of the father in the home greatly affects the family for generations.
A wise father will ensure that his affection is equally distributed to all of his sons and daughters. We know this to be the right way of parenting. Let’s check ourselves and make sure we’re following this.
Now, we see the real negative affect that this has on the other brothers. Favoritism sets up the favored child to be spoiled and entitled, and that’s bad — but, the damage is also (and especially) done to the other siblings. The father’s sin of favoritism sets up the brothers to sin…and it’s a compounding thing, as we will see.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph, obviously having to be aware that his brothers hate him, shared two dreams with his brothers. The dreams were not favorable toward his brothers, so you’d think Joseph had to have known that this would not go well… How bold, right?! Interestingly, commentators infer that even the way Joseph prefaced telling the dreams revealed Joseph’s youthful arrogance… he said “Hear this dream that I have dreamed”… assuming the world revolves around him and people just want to hear anything he has to say…
Fascinatingly, the dreams echo each other. They share the same theme and message. In light of chapters to come of how the story unfolds, we see that these dreams are prophetic — they end up representing the future. Also, because of the repetition of the dream, it would be understood that this was a legitimate message from God. They took dreams very seriously in those days!
Jacob’s reaction is actually similar to what we see in Luke 2 when Jesus is born in Bethlehem and the shepherds come to see Jesus and they share all that the angels shared with them about Jesus… Luke 2:18-19 says…
18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
The story here continues…
12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Just an FYI - “Ishmaelites” and “Midianites” in this text is referring to the same group of people. Ishmaelites is more general, Midianites is more specific.
Things for Joseph just went from bad to worse…
A major theme to observe here is how bad sin can get. Sin is deadly and when it goes unchecked, the results are devastating… ultimately, with fear and trembling, we know that the result of unchecked sin is eternal condemnation. (Praise God for our Savior, Jesus).
Here’s how it goes…
The brothers compare themselves with Joseph (Joseph is the favorite).
That comparison leads to envy.
That envy leads to anger.
Anger leads to hatred.
Hatred leads to murder.
However, we know from the teachings of Jesus how serious unchecked anger is…
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
So, now what? Let’s continue on…
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
A coverup scheme is now in play to only compound and worsen the sin… Things are only getting worse here.
Jacob believes the lies and is devastated, and is even refusing to be comforted… neglecting the ultimate comfort that we have in the Lord… So, even Jacob is being tested in an interesting way here.
The chapter ends with a glimpse of hope. We are told that Joseph is not dead, but is being tossed around. His story isn’t over.
Consider the parallels to Jesus…
Joseph’s perfect obedience to his father Jacob.
Joseph is mocked and given a mocking title of “the dreamer”.
Jesus is given a mocking title of “King of the Jews”.
Joseph is rejected, abused, and sold…
Jesus was rejected, mocked, beaten, abused, and sold (by Judas for 30 sheckels of silver).
Suffering…
Joseph - throne to come
Jesus - throne to come
You in your suffering… Keep your mind set on things above, not earthly things! (Colossians 3:2).
Know that in every circumstance, Romans 8:28-29
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Sanctification…
