The Beloved Son Betrayed by His Brothers
Notes
Transcript
Text: Gen 37
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.
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.
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.
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.
In Genesis 37 we enter the final section of Genesis, the fourth and final patriarch of the book. From here until chapter 50, the story focuses primarily on Joseph, with Jacob and Judah playing important secondary roles, and Reuben getting a few dishonorable mentions.
Moses records the Joseph story to remind the people of Israel how they got to Egypt in the first place and of God’s providence in preserving them.
The Story: I want you to listen to the details of Joseph’s story, and see if it reminds you of someone else in Scripture:
The father sends the son on a mission to his brothers, the sons of Israel
When he comes to them, he is betrayed and mistreated by them
He is handed over to non-Israelites, sold for pieces of silver
He is made a slave (took the form of a servant)
He is presumed dead, reported as dead
But he’s not dead, he is alive
He is exalted to the right hand of power where he rules over the Gentiles
And eventually he delivers Israel by extending forgiveness to those who wronged him
Joseph’s story anticipates Jesus, the Seed of the woman who has become sovereign King of the world.
Like Joseph, He uses His authority and power to forgive.
To a smaller degree, Joseph’s story also anticipates Moses’s own story, as well as a later shepherd who became king — David.
Joseph is a shepherd (Moses follows in that example - rejection by brothers, later exalted over Egypt)
The Beloved Son Revealed (1-17)
The Beloved Son Revealed (1-17)
Through various circumstances, and in an indirect way, Moses presents Joseph as the seed of the woman who will carry on God’s promises.
Jacob’s Favoritism (1-4)
Jacob’s Favoritism (1-4)
Just like his father Isaac, Jacob shows favoritism toward one of his sons for superficial reasons, and thus fractures the family.
1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
Setting: the land of Canaan (promised land)
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.
Joseph’s age: 17
Joseph’s occupation: shepherd
Joseph’s bad report of his (half) brothers (sons of Bilhah - Dan and Naphtali; sons of Zilpah - Gad and Asher)
the word “report” has negative connotations — rumor, whispering, defamation
it’s a rare word
possible connection with Numbers 13-14 and the “bad report” that the spies bring from the land (the only other usage of this term in Moses’s writings)
The only other parallel usage of this word in the OT is in Proverbs 10:18, where Solomon tells us that bringing such a report is a foolish thing:
18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander [literally, brings out a bad report] is a fool.
These other connections with this rare word indicate that what Joseph is doing here in v. 2 is not good and right; though the text here does not give us an evaluation of his actions, later Scriptures indicate that it is not good.
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.
Favoritism for a superficial reason: the son of his old age (also the son of his favorite wife)
Robe — long-sleeve, not “of many colors”
Jacob’s favoritism was visible back in chapters 32-33 as well, when he placed the children of Leah and his two servant-wives at the front when Esau was coming to meet him.
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.
Jacob’s favoritism draws hatred from the other sons
They were unable to speak peacefully with Joseph
Joseph’s Dreams (5-11)
Joseph’s Dreams (5-11)
These dreams are not mentioned to have come from God, but like later sets of dreams, the doubling of the dream indicates that God has ordained this.
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.”
The first dream (v. 5-7): the brothers’ sheaves bowing before Joseph’s 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.
The brothers interpret this dream rightly — it means that Joseph will be exalted and they will bow before him.
Their hatred only increased
They held their own “No Kings” protest
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.”
Second dream: sun, moon, and 11 stars bowing down to Joseph
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?”
This time, Joseph tells his father too, and Jacob responds with a rebuke.
Jacob rightly understands the dream’s meaning.
11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
The brothers’ hatred and jealousy increases, but Jacob keeps the dreams in mind (similar to how Mary treasured these things in her heart in Luke 2)
Joseph’s Mission (12-17)
Joseph’s Mission (12-17)
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.
Joseph willingly obeys his father and goes to check on his brothers
This appears to be a very long journey — around 50-60 miles (probably at least a couple of days walking)
The Beloved Son Rejected (18-27)
The Beloved Son Rejected (18-27)
The Murder Plot (19-20)
The Murder Plot (19-20)
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.”
“this dreamer” = literally, the lord of the dreams
Reuben’s (attempted) Rescue (21-22)
Reuben’s (attempted) Rescue (21-22)
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.
Why did Reuben try to rescue Joseph? Perhaps to get back into his father’s favor after what he did in Gen 35.
Joseph in the Pit (23-24)
Joseph in the Pit (23-24)
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.
Here he is literally in a pit, and we’ll see later that the prison where he’s kept in Egypt is also described as a pit.
The Plot to Sell Joseph (25-27)
The Plot to Sell Joseph (25-27)
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.
Notice that it was Judah’s plan to sell Joseph into slavery. That detail will be very important later on. And the transformation we will see in Judah’s life will be incredible. Judah has emerged as the leader, and here he’s leading them toward evil; later he will lead in righteousness.
The Beloved Son Removed (28-36)
The Beloved Son Removed (28-36)
Joseph Sold as a Slave (28)
Joseph Sold as a Slave (28)
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.
Joseph sold for 20 shekels of silver — Jesus sold for 30 (inflation?)
Joseph’s leaving the promised land and going to Egypt is like death — leaving the clean realm of life and going out into the unclean realm of the dead — Joseph is figuratively dead.
Reuben’s Remorse (29-30)
Reuben’s Remorse (29-30)
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?”
The Brothers’ Deception (31-32)
The Brothers’ Deception (31-32)
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.”
Just like Jacob deceived his father Isaac with goat skin garments, now he is being deceived by his sons with a garment dipped in goat’s blood.
Jacob’s Grief (33-35)
Jacob’s Grief (33-35)
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.
Jacob refuses the comfort his other sons and daughters offer him and remains controlled by his grief for a long time.
This response seems to indicate Jacob’s failure to trust God and His promises.
God’s Providence (36)
God’s Providence (36)
36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
No mention of the LORD/God in this chapter
But just as in Esther, where God is not mentioned, His hand of providence is all over the story. He is working all things together for good, even when we can’t see it.
Applications:
Learn from mistakes; avoid favoritism
It is easy for us to repeat the sins and mistakes of previous generations. Jacob showed favoritism just like his father, and he received the same consequence. Learn from the mistakes of past generations and seek to avoid them. And do your best, parents, to avoid showing favoritism to any of your children.
Responding to disappointment
Joseph’s brothers responded to Joseph’s words and actions as well as their father’s favoritism of him with envy and hatred. How should they have responded? If God has chosen our brother Joseph to be the one through whom the promises will come, we will submit ourselves to God’s providence and bless him so that we may be blessed. We must guard against jealousy and envy in our own hearts when others receive advantages we don’t. Rejoice with those who rejoice.
Cut the roots of bitterness; Deal with sin early
We see from this passage that sinful attitudes, when they are allowed to continue, grow and produce sinful actions. We must learn to deal with sinful thoughts and attitudes before they lead us into further and more serious sinful actions.
Trust our sovereign God
Remember that God is sovereign, even over bad circumstances and even over other people’s sin. If you belong to Him, He is working all things together for your good. Trust His wise and good providence even when you don’t see Him at work.
