Genesis Chapter 37 Deep-Dive: Joseph's Dreams, Joseph is Sold Into Slavery

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GEN 37

1Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.  THE PROMISED LAND 2These are the generations of Jacob STORY OF JACOB.  THE NARRATIVE NOW TURNS TO JOSEPH, RACHEL’S FIRST SON, AND JACOB’S FAVORITE …  Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah (DAN & NAPHTALI) and Zilpah (GAD & ASHER), his father’s wives . And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.  JOSEPH WAS A TATLE-TALE 3Now 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. 4But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.  THE CORROSIVE NATURE OF FAVORITISM IN A FAMILY

5Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7Behold, 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.” 8His 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.

9Then 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.” 10But 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?” 11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.  (LK 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things WHAT THE SHEPHERDS TOLD HER, pondering them in her heart … V51 And he JESUS went down with them MARY & JOSEPH and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.)

SO, JOSEPH IS A TATLE-TALE AND DAD’S FAVORITE, AND AS THE FAVORITE HE FEELS LIKE HE CAN SAY ANYTHING, SO HE SHARES HIS DREAMS WITH THE FAMILY … BACK TO GEN 37

12Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13And 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.” 14So 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. 15And 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.” 17And 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.

18They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.  CAIN & ABEL!! 19They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20Come 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.” 21But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22And 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. 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25Then they sat down to eat. WITH THEIR BROTHER CALLING TO THEM FROM THE PIT! … 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. 26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27Come, 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. 28Then 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 THE PRICE OF A SLAVE, They THE ISHMAELITES took Joseph to Egypt. 

29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ?!? 31Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32And 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.” 33And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35All 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.  IT’S VERY INTERESTING THAT GOD HAD JUST KILLED RACHEL IN CHILDBIRTH, JACOB’S BELOVED FAVORITE WIFE … REMEMBER, GOD KILLS EVERYONE … AND THEN GOD ALLOWS JACOB TO BELIEVE THAT HIS FAVORITE SON, JOSEPH, HAS BEEN KILLED BY WILD ANIMALS … GOD IS CLEARLY TESTING JACOB.  IT’S ALSO INTERESTING THAT JACOB WASN’T SURPRISED BY THIS … IT WAS POSSIBLE TO BE KILLED BY A WILD ANIMAL AT THAT TIME IN CANAAN!

NOW BEFORE WE START JUDGING THE BROTHERS LET’S STOP AND CONSIDER HOW THE ANCIENTS AND TORAH VIEWED THIS SORT OF THING … AN INDIVIDUAL IS THE PRODUCT OF HIS FAMILY AND INFLUENCES AND NOT JUST A LONE DECISION MAKER IN A VACUM … THE SINS OF THE FATHER … JACOB WAS A SCAMMER FROM A FAMILY OF SCAMMERS … LABAN AND REBEKAH.  POLYGAMY PRODUCES A TOXIC ENVIRONMENT … CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO LIVE IN THAT HOUSEHOLD? … ADD TO THAT DAD FLEEING FROM GRANDPA LABAN AFTER WORKING FOR HIM FOR 20 YEARS, THE STORIES ABOUT UNCLE ESAU AND DAD’S FEAR OF HIM, JACOB’S INACTIVITY WHEN DINAH WAS RAPED, SIMEON AND LEVI USING CIRCUMCISION TO KILL THE MEN OF SHECHEM AS RETRIBUTION FOR DINAH’S RAPE, THE REST OF THE BROTHERS LOOTING AND ENSLAVING THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF SHECHEM, REUBEN SLEEPING WITH HIS FATHER’S WIFE, BILHAH, AND NOW JACOB’S FAVORITISM FOR JOSEPH … SIN IS THE SYMPTOM OF A DISEASE AND NOT JUST CHOOSING “B” INSTEAD OF “A” SO YOU’RE GUILTY.  IN JACOB’S FAMILY IT’S NOT LEVELS OF “BADNESS” AMONG THE BROTHERS IT’S WHAT JACOB’S LIFESTYLE PRODUCED … UGH.  PAUL SAID THE LAW WAS GIVEN BECAUSE OF TRANSGRESSIONS … LIKE THESE … TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AGAIN AND PUT THEM BACK IN ORDER.  JACOB BECOMES ISRAEL AND WRESTLES WITH GOD … IT’S ALL PART OF GOD’S PROCESS.  SO, WHEN YOU THINK OF JACOB BECOMING ISRAEL (WRESTLES WITH GOD) AND HIS 12 SONS BECOMING THE 12 TRIBES … IT’S A NASTY, NASTY BUSINESS THAT GOD WORKS TO PUT RIGHT.

BACK TO GEN 37:36Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.  POTIPHER WAS A COMMON NAME IN EGYPT AND THERE’S NO GOOD WAY TO DETERMINE WHO WAS PHAROAH AT THAT TIME.  SO, JACOB LOSES HIS FAVORITE WIFE AND SON TO DEATH, THE BROTHERS HAVE THE GUILT OF JOSEPH ON THEIR MINDS AND THE FAVORITE SON, JOSEPH, WHO HAS BEEN HAVING DREAMS ABOUT HIS GREATNESS … IS SOLD INTO SLAVERY IN EGYPT … GOD HUMBLES EVERYONE …

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