Joseph - Favoritism, Hatred, Jealousy, Deception

Introduction

So far as we’ve gone through Genesis we’ve covered a lot of history.

We’ve looked at the preflood patriarchs in Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalale, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah.

And we’ve seen the lives and struggles of the post flood patriarchs in Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Esau and Jacob.

If you remember from last time in , we saw the defilement of Dinah and the vengeance of the sons of Jacob, that they murdered every male of Schechem which caused them to flee to the land of Isaac, on the way Rachel gives birth to Benjamin and dies in childbirth.

introduces us to a crucial piece of the history of the Jews and the important role that Joseph, the son of Israel and Rachel, will play in preserving and protecting the chosen family through a terrible drought and how that is ultimately going to lead to their being given land in Egypt and eventually forced into slavery there. The next 13 chapters of the book of Genesis, all the way to chapter 50, is going to be dedicated to recording the amazing way in which God will turn evil choices of men into salvation for his people.

If you remember from last time in , we saw the defilement of Dinah and the vengeance of the sons of Jacob, that they murdered every male of Schechem which caused them to flee to the land of Isaac, on the way Rachel gives birth to Benjamin and dies in childbirth.

We’re going to skip over chapter 36, the descendants of Esau, you are welcome for that, I’m certain that you didn’t want to hear me struggle through those names.

We’re going to skip over chapter 36, the descendants of Esau, you are welcome for that, I’m certain that you didn’t want to hear me struggle through those names.

But as amazing as the story is going to be from chapters 37-50, it is certainly going to have a really rocky start.

God’s chosen family is going to be a pretty poor example of a loving and caring family.

The sons of Israel have already proven to be prone to making rash and wrath filled decisions like they did at Schechem, and here in chapter 37 we are going to see that they don’t treat their family any better. In fact chapter 37 can be broken down into such categories as favoritism, hatred, jealousy, and deception.

Favoritism 1-4

Genesis 37:1–4 ESV

Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. 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. 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. 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.

Which brings us to chapter 37, Israel and his sons in the land of Canaan and Joseph at the young age of 17 appears to have secured a special place in Jacob’s heart as the son of his youth and the son of Rachel and he wasn’t shy about it, actually making Joseph a special robe or garment either of many colors or possibly long sleeved the translation isn’t entirely positive, but in any case, the garment was purposely meant to set him apart as having more value in the eyes of Jacob.

And of course this has the very predictable effect of causing the other brothers to hate Joseph. Has there ever not been a case of favoritism within families that hasn’t lead to pain and hurt among children?

It’s strange too, because Jacob should have been all too familiar with this pain having been through a similar experience with his brother Esau. But perhaps this is one of those times that happens no matter how hard we try. I can’t tell you how many times as a child growing up I would say of my father, “When I’m a dad, I’ll never do that to my kids.” And yet there are times I’ll catch myself doing the exact same things.

Boldness, Jealousy, and Hatred 5-11

Genesis 37

This favoritism by Jacob toward Joseph no doubt created out of Joseph a bold young man, likely thinking that he was above the reach of his brothers doing anything to him because of his status with Jacob. His boldness shines through in verses

Genesis 37:5–11 ESV

Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 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.” 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. 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.” 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?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

Now at this point we aren’t told the source of these dreams. We of course have seen God communicate through dreams before, Jacob had such an experience, but who’s to say at this point that these are just dreams of an overly ambitious young man trying to get under the skin of his brothers? He doesn’t invoke the name of God, nor does the writer tell us that they are from God.

Undoubtedly, without the knowledge that these dreams were from God, the act of Joseph who was already the favorite, telling his brothers about his dreams of ruling over them were not well recieved. In fact, it wasn’t well received by his father as his father rebuked him for it initially before keeping it in mind.

It’s this favoritism and boldness that produces in the brothers an incredible amount of jealousy which always eventually turns into hatred.

Murder and Deception

It’s this favoritism and boldness that produces in the brothers an incredible amount of jealousy which always eventually turns into hatred. In fact it produces hatred to such a level that it appears that the brothers wish to be as far from home as possible, and they take the flock all the way to schechem and Dothan.

Jacob sends Joseph to inquire on the well being of the flock and of his sons in v. 12-17

And we pick up in v. 18

Genesis 37:18–24 ESV

They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 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.” But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 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. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Gen 37.18-

The brother’s jealousy by this point had turned into full on hatred to such a point that they were willing to actually kill Joseph.

It’s interesting that this morning we talked about how we can fall into the trap of referring to people as descriptive terms in the way that the Scribes and Pharisees referred to the woman in John at as “Such Women” and we see that being done here with Joseph being called “the dreamer.” Joseph was no longer human to them, he was only seen for his boldness and favoritism with his father and their solution was to murder him in cold blood.

Yet the oldest of them Reuben devised a plan in order to rescue him. It seems as if it might have been Reubens turn to watch the flock while the brothers ate, so he tells them not to shed his blood, but instead it seems he talked them into leaving him in a pit to die from lack of food or water. Of course Reuben’s plan was to retrieve him later, but this would ensure that he was alive when he got back from what we assume was his watch.

Greed and Deception

:29-

Gen 37:

Genesis 37:29–36 ESV

When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 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.” 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.” Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 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. Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Genesis 37:25–36 ESV

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. Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 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. 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. When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 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.” 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.” Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 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. Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Imagine how hard hearted you have to be to keep such deceit from your father even after seeing the level of grief he has over losing his son?

Conclusion

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.