(1) Did Joseph cause troubles for himself?
v.5-11 The meaning of Joseph's dream seems so obvious. Both his brothers and his father knew the meaning right the way. Why did Joseph still tell them and put himself into trouble?
Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, was taking care of the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
Also, Joseph brought back bad report about his brothers to his father. Did he just causing troubles to himself v.2?
(2) Joseph was a obedient son
37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” Joseph replied.
(NET) With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.
37:14 So Jacob said to him, “Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron.
Jacob relied on Joseph to tell him about the well being of his sons. Therefore, in v.2, Joseph' reports was not out of his evil motives. Even from the conversations of his brothers when they were plotting to kill him no one brought up that up as the reason they hated him.
(3) Why Joseph's brothers hate him
a. It was because Jacob showed favoritism in the family and it was because of Joseph's dream
37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son born to him late in life, and he made a special tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly.
b. The 2nd reason was because of Joseph's dream
37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams!37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!”
(NET)Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.
When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph that means they refused the revelation from God. They said, "Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” They thought they would win over God's plan
c. The name of the brothers who plotted to kill Joseph was not named in Scriptures, but we know Judah was the one who plotted to sell him. Judah thought that selling his brother as slave was a kind gesture to his brother. The question is, shall a brother sell "his own flesh" into slave? That is a cold blooded transaction.
37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.
Reflection: Joseph brothers, especially, Judah sold him as slaves had a reason, but it was not Joseph who caused his own trouble. Jacob's favoritism made his sons jealous. Then when they heard the dreams they rejected the message of God because of their jealousy. Do we refuse to listen to God's message because of our own sins? e.g. We do not want to listen to the message about submission because we do not like our leaders.
Finally, Judah sold Joseph and sounded like he was a kind brother who did not want to kill him. Do we rationalize our sins? Do we give our sins a "sound-good" reason? e.g. We worry and sin, but we said that we have just a psychological sickness.
Audrey
v.5-11 The meaning of Joseph's dream seems so obvious. Both his brothers and his father knew the meaning right the way. Why did Joseph still tell them and put himself into trouble?
Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, was taking care of the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
Also, Joseph brought back bad report about his brothers to his father. Did he just causing troubles to himself v.2?
(2) Joseph was a obedient son
37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” Joseph replied.
(NET) With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.
37:14 So Jacob said to him, “Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron.
Jacob relied on Joseph to tell him about the well being of his sons. Therefore, in v.2, Joseph' reports was not out of his evil motives. Even from the conversations of his brothers when they were plotting to kill him no one brought up that up as the reason they hated him.
(3) Why Joseph's brothers hate him
a. It was because Jacob showed favoritism in the family and it was because of Joseph's dream
37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son born to him late in life, and he made a special tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly.
b. The 2nd reason was because of Joseph's dream
37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams!37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!”
(NET)Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.
When his brothers plotted to kill Joseph that means they refused the revelation from God. They said, "Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” They thought they would win over God's plan
c. The name of the brothers who plotted to kill Joseph was not named in Scriptures, but we know Judah was the one who plotted to sell him. Judah thought that selling his brother as slave was a kind gesture to his brother. The question is, shall a brother sell "his own flesh" into slave? That is a cold blooded transaction.
37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.
Reflection: Joseph brothers, especially, Judah sold him as slaves had a reason, but it was not Joseph who caused his own trouble. Jacob's favoritism made his sons jealous. Then when they heard the dreams they rejected the message of God because of their jealousy. Do we refuse to listen to God's message because of our own sins? e.g. We do not want to listen to the message about submission because we do not like our leaders.
Finally, Judah sold Joseph and sounded like he was a kind brother who did not want to kill him. Do we rationalize our sins? Do we give our sins a "sound-good" reason? e.g. We worry and sin, but we said that we have just a psychological sickness.
Audrey
2026
v.1-17
1. Context
v.1-2 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob
(NET) In the format of the Book of Genesis, the line of Esau is “tidied up” before the account of Jacob is traced (37:2). As such the arrangement makes a strong contrast with Jacob. As F. Delitzsch says, “secular greatness in general grows up far more rapidly than spiritual greatness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:238). In other words, the progress of the world far out distances the progress of the righteous who are waiting for the promise.
2. Repeated word:
(A) love and hate/jealous
v.3-4 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons...When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly
v.5, 8 Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it they hated him even more...They hated him even more because of his dream and because of what he said
v.11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said.
(B) bowed down
v.7-8 your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down to it...rule over us or have dominion over us?
v.9 bowing down to me...come and bow down to you?
Summary: The meaning of the dream became clearer in the 2nd dream. Joseph would rule over the family and they would bowed down to him. The haterd of the brothers became more clear as well. They were jealous.
3. The obedient son
v.2 Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
(NET) this section portrays Joseph as faithful to his father in little things, even though unpopular—and so he will eventually be given authority over greater things.
v.13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” Joseph replied.
Joseph was first sent from Hebron to Shechem and then he went further north to Dothan to look for his brothers v.15-17. He had travelled quiet a distance to finish the task given by their father.
(BKC) From Jacob’s home in the Valley of Hebron (v. 14) north to Shechem (v. 12) was about 50 miles, and Dothan was another 15 miles north.
Conclusion: In the description of the heir of Ab's promise, Scripture focused on the fulfillment of revelation in the family. God's word will be fulfilled. However, as a father, Jacob failed and repeated the favoritism and jealousy narrative in his family.
Reflection: Jacob did not learn from his experience again. Do I?
God chose this family and He had a plan for them even though they would went through a hard time before their rescue. Being chosen by God did not mean everything would be smooth. Trust in Him.
4. Questions
1) He told them his dream the second time even they did not respond well to the first dream. For people who did not welcome revelation of God they did not like the dreamer.
v.18-36
1. The cold-blooded brothers
v.18b before he reached them, they plotted to kill him
v. 20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!”
v.23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic...threw him into the cistern.
v.25 When they sat down to eat their food...
v.26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites
v.28b sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver
Summary: Just because of jealousy and because Joseph told them regarding his future rulership over them they wanted to kill their own brother. It was something planned before Joseph even said a word to them. They hated his tunic so much that they had to stripped him of his tunic before they killed him. While they had Joseph in the "cell" they still had their appetite to eat their food. Finally, out of the relationship of a brother they only sold him for profit and not killing him!
2. Factors that saved Joseph from the cold-blooded brothers
A. out of the responsibility being the eldest brother
v. 21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph from their hands,
v.22b Reuben said this so he could rescue Joseph from them and take him back to his father
29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! He tore his clothes, 30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?”
(UBSH) Reuben is thinking of himself in his role as eldest brother and responsible for Joseph in his father’s absence. As long as Joseph was held in the cistern, Reuben had some degree of control over his destiny, but with his disappearance Reuben feels helpless. RSV’s rendering is literal and does not mean that Reuben is asking where he can go; rather he is saying “What can I do?” “Who can help me?” “I don’t know what to do.”
B. God's sovereignty
v.24b Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.)
(NAC) The brothers heeded Reuben’s plea by forcing Joseph into a nearby pit, probably one of those used for drawing water for the flocks...The empty cistern explained why Joseph would not drown
Summary: Joseph was spared of the murder by Reuben's plan and the dry pit. However, those only hold them temporary. Even though Reuben tried to save Joseph, the real reason why Joseph was not dead was because of Judah.
C. The circumstances and the greed of Judah
25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.
From v.26-27, Joseph might have doubt what was the real intention of Judah. Was Judah's rescue out of the profit v.26? Or was his rescue out of the brotherly love v.27? Maybe that's why Joseph wanted to test him later.
(NAC) This feature of the incident becomes the basis for Joseph’s tests of Judah and his brothers. Will they be satisfied with the mistakenly returned silver and grain, or will they sacrifice themselves for their brothers Simeon and Benjamin (42:19–38; 44:1–34)
3. From the angle of the sovereignty of God, God's plan was to rescue the family through Joseph. Before he could rescue his family, he was mistreated by them and went through many tribulations. One of them was to bear with the cold-blooded brothers. However, the harm to Joseph would not be over the limit God had set. If Joseph was murdered, then there would be no rescue of them in the future.
From the angle of human responsibility, Jacob had a terrible family. His favoritism almost fueled a murder by siblings. Judah probably also saw profit more than brotherly love. Deception also took root in the family. Joseph's dream/revelation was not welcomed in the family.
Reflection: Our sufferings have a limit. He will not give us something that we cannot bear. Trust in Him through tough times.
4. questions
2) They were jealous and they were cold-blooded. They plotted to kill their own brother. They were responsible as well as their father.
3) ?
4) Jacob was morning for Joseph's "death." Joseph was sold as slave in Egypt.
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