Gen 37

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Well alright, so good to be with you for Wed Night Bible study. Welcome to all who are here and to those watching via Facebook live. I would like to remind you, especially those who are newer to the study that we create a Q&A fill in the blank sheet regrading the study so if you are not receiving it now get us your email address and we can get that to you.

So tonight our journey takes a new direction with the main character changing to Joseph. This section reads like a novel as is a favorite of most bible students.

Now to get us up to speed, we spent several months covering the first 11 chapters of Genesis, which are what some call pre-history. Including the creation week, the fall of Adam, and the flood. Followed by Babel and Noahs sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth re -populating the earth. And then we got to Abram, Isaac, and Jacob and have followed their adventures for the past 6 months or so.

Last time we saw Jacob being called to go back to Bethel, back to the first things. Sort of restarting his relationship with the LORD.

So lets stand as we read the first verses of Gen 37.

Genesis 37:1–4 NASB95

1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. 4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

You have undoubtedly heard the term “snitches get stitches.” Well, it seems Joseph was a very honest and straight forward young man but had not yet developed the sense of tact or self awareness. This trait would end up causing him a lot of pain but ultimately would be used by God to save the family.

Verse 3 points out that Joseph was “pasturing” the flock. This word indicates that he was the head shepherd among his brothers although he was younger than they. These brothers are identified as the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, as they were closer to his age. These were Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. This verse also points out one glaring detail,

Genesis 37:3 (NASB95)

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.

We have seen the issue or maybe better the reality of parental favoritism rear its ugly head many times in Genesis already. So hear we have the oldest son of the favorite wife. Add to that he is very smart and gifted and he is not afraid to tell anyone about it.

Maybe, you grew in a family with a sibling who was smarter, better looking, and more popular than you. It can be very annoying. If you don’t recall one maybe your it! The favorite is generally oblivious to it.

We are told that Jacob gave to Joseph a varicolored tunic. We know it better from Sunday School as the coat of many colors. You might remember the stage play Joseph and the technicolor dream coat. Scholars disagree on the meaning of the word. The word translated as colors is “pas” meaning flat like the palm of the hand or sole of the foot. So the meaning could be a coat with sleeves or the more traditional coat made up of patched of different colors.

The point is that Joseph was the only brother to get one. Perhaps to Jacob it was to symbolize his leadership as the shepherd of the flock but to his brothers it stoked the fire jealousy.

Genesis 37:4 NASB95

4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

Now, we get to some information that is critical to you understanding of the Revelation 12. As Joseph is given 2 dreams of which he was only too willing to share.

Genesis 37:5–11 (NASB95)

5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

Lot’s of hatred happening here!

6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had;

7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

8 Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

10 He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?”

11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

First let’s approach the subject of dreams. Can God or perhaps does God still speak to us in dreams?

Joel 2:28 NASB95

28 “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.

There are many examples of God speaking to people in dreams in scripture and many report prophetic dreams today. How would you discern a dream from God or just a regular dream? Does it line up with scripture and does it come to pass are the best tests. Ask God to speak to you in your dreams you find He does,

Back to Josephs dreams;

The first one had his brothers bowing before him. They were presented as sheaves of wheat but it was not hard to understand. The second dream is more important to us as it is interpreted and we can apply it to Rev 12.

Genesis 37:9–10 (NASB95)

9 Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

10 He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?”

So if we look at Rev 12 and apply what we have learned we can correctly interpret the symbolism there.

Revelation 12:1 NASB95

1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;

So if we apply what we have learned we see Scripturally, this woman clothed with the sun should be identified with Israel, according to Joseph's dream. In that dream, the sun represents Jacob, the moon represents Joseph's mother Rachel, and the eleven stars are the sons of Israel which bow down to Joseph. In this sign with twelve stars, Joseph is now "among" the other tribes of Israel.

The Roman Catholic’s see the women here as the Virgin Mary, only she is not a virgin, having 12 sons.

Image of Virgin Mary with 12 stars.

Notice that Jacob, very much like Mary, held on to these dreams.

Genesis 37:12–17 (NASB95)

12 Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem.

13 Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “I will go.”

Shechem was about 50 away from Hebron Valley and some bad things had happened there.

14 Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

15 A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.”

17 Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

Dothan was about another 15 miles from Shechem. It was probably better to get as far from Shechem as possible.

Now the plot thickens.

Genesis 37:18–24 (NASB95)

18 When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death.

19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer!

20 “Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!”

21 But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands and said, “Let us not take his life.”

Reuben the oldest does not want to see Joseph killed and has a plan.

22 Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.

23 So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him;

24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

Most believe the pit was a cistern, a deep, clay lined whole for storing water.

Image of a Cistern

Famously, Jeremiah was lowered into a cistern and left to die sinking into the muck and mire at the bottom. There was no way out without help.

What a loving family! Don’t be surprised when bad things happen, The nature of man is evil.

Genesis 37:25–36 (NASB95)

25 Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt.

These items being taken to Egypt were used for embalming. Something the Egyptians were expert at.

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood?

27 “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.

It seems Judah could not live with killing his brother and offers an alternative.

28 Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

The traders were called Ishmaelites and Midianites. The term Ishmaelite was a more general term both Midian and Ishmael were all sons of Abraham by Hagar and Keturah.

29 Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

30 He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?”

Reuben had apparently left the brothers for a period of time and had made a plan to rescue Joseph from the pit but before he could get back Joseph was gone. Reuben being the oldest felt it was his duty to answer for the brothers. So they came up with a scheme to deceive there father.

31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood;

32 and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

These brothers were very cold hearted. They couldn’t even say our brother or his name. The referred to Joseph as your son. Even if the hated Joseph the all knew the pain they were inflecting on Jacob.

33 Then he examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”

34 So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.

It is interesting how what we sow we will later reap, what goes around comes around, as they say. because some 60 years earlier Jacob was deceiving his own father with clothing of his brother Esau.

35 Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.

Note that here is your proof that Jacob had more daughters than Dinah. The word sheol means the abode of the dead.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

As we close, we meet Potiphar, an officer and captain of Pharaoh's Body Guard. His duties included, executioner, cook, bodyguard, guardsman. We will learn more next week with Joseph in Egypt.

Pray