Genesis 37:15-22

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15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?” 16 So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.” 17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. 18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father. ~ Genesis 37:15-22

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 37 where the spotlight has firmly been placed on the fourth patriarch of Israel, Joseph who was Jacob's most favored son causing Joseph's brothers to hate him. Due to his favoritism, Jacob did not require Joseph to work as his brothers did as shepherds. Jacob made Jospeh the overseer of his brothers. In our last study, Jacob sent Joseph to the fields to make sure that his brothers were doing well.

In v.15-17 of today's passage we read, "15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, 'What are you seeking?' 16 So he said, 'I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.' 17 And the man said, 'They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.' So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan."

Joseph arrived at his father’s field in Shechem which was about 60 miles away. It was then that Joseph discovered his brothers weren’t there. As he wandered the area, a man asked him what he’s seeking. Whoever the man was, the Lord had him there when Joseph’s brothers were there, and he was there when Joseph arrived as well. The brothers may not have felt lost, but to Joseph they were. Joseph, not sure where his brothers were at that point, asked the man where they have gone. 

The man then told Joseph that his brothers had gone to Dothan which was about 12 miles due north of Shechem. Dothan means "two wells." As we learn in John 4 the piece of land where they were in Shechem contained Jacob’s well, but Dothan has two wells. The message that emanates from these two wells is we always have the choice to partake of the true waters of life or the false. In Jeremiah 2:13 we read, "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water."

There are wells which nourish and there are those which disappoint. We are told again and again in the Bible, people either forsake the true water of life and hewn for themselves broken cisterns. In the Bible, the well is the place of spiritual nourishment and the true well is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of turning back home to his father, Joseph went on to Dothan in order to find his brothers and he found them there. 

In v.18-20 of today's passage we read, "18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, 'Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!'"

Even from a long distance, the brothers identified Joseph, probably due to his coat of many colors. They hated him so much due to his favored position and his dreams, his brothers drew up a plan to kill him. The book of Matthew is 28 chapters long and each of those chapters has one or several links, or hidden connections, to the first 28 books of the Bible. In Genesis, there are no less than four of these links. One of them is in the dreams of Joseph. In Genesis, Joseph the son of Jacob, is shown to have dreams. In Matthew 1, Joseph the legal father of Jesus was given dreams as well. There is a difference here though. The dreams of Joseph, the father of Jesus, were intended to save Jesus, but the dreams of Joseph here were used as an excuse to kill him.

Throughout the Bible, God the Father is the One who directs man’s dreams, both in the giving and interpretation of them. And so even though the title is meant one way when spoken by his brothers about Joseph, it is intended in its fullest sense in another way when picturing for us the Lord Jesus.

At Dothan, the place of the two pits, the brothers intended to kill Joseph and cast him into one of the pits. The word for "pit" is used symbolically in the Bible for the place where the dead go. There is Sheol, the place of the dead, but there is also the pit. In Psalm 30:3 we read, "O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit."

Jealousy, murder, conspiracy, and lying in one story. Not only did his brothers hate Joseph, but they had no regard at all for their father. All they could think of was doing away with Joseph. As was the case with Genesis 34 in the incident with their sister Dinah, the Lord is never mentioned in this entire chapter. Not in general and not specifically, the Lord was entirely left out of the picture.

In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, 'Let us not kill him.' 22 And Reuben said to them, 'Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him'—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father."

Reuben was the oldest son, the firstborn. He was in charge, and he was the one their father would hold responsible. Reuben tried to exercise his leadership by talking his brothers into a different plan to which they end up agreeing, for now. The Bible doesn’t specifically tell us why Reuben protested his brothers' plan, but scholars generally attribute it to his heart being more tender than the other brothers. The explanation is hinted at in Genesis 42 when they all stood in Joseph’s presence in Egypt, not knowing it was him and Reuben said, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us.'"

Genesis 40:5-15

 5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation.

Again we see God’s hand working in the story. These weren’t ordinary dreams that pass away when you wake up. They were dreams they both remembered and could sit up and compare with each other. They will be found to be prophetic. Each has his own individual dream which would each have an individual interpretation.

And however many people there were in the prison, only these two are given the memorable dreams. Even Joseph doesn’t have one. It all points to God’s superintendence over the situation which is intended for us to understand that what is happening was planned by Him to meet His purposes.

6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they weresad.

Here we see that Joseph isn’t bound in the prison, but he was bound in prison. In other words, he did had freedom to move around. In the morning, he came to them and saw their faces. The Hebrew word here is zoaphim. It indicates being enraged.

They had these dreams and they were angry that they had no way of knowing what they meant. If they weren’t in prison, but rather still in Pharaoh’s court, they could have a magician interpret them.

7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”

Madua penkhem raim – Why are your faces evil? For Joseph –

Just one look; that’s all it took, yes, just one look
He could tell that things weren’t right
There was something bothering the cupbearer and the cook
Something had changed about them during the night

He knew something was wrong by the change in their faces.

8 And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”

They tell him that together they had dreams. Their answer shows that they were angry because “there is no interpreter of it.” If only they weren’t in this prison, then they could get an answer. But if God is going to give them a dream which should be interpreted, Hewill give an interpreter for the dream he has given.

It would make no sense otherwise. A dream from God with no interpretation would be a contradictory concept and so Joseph responds accordingly…

8 (con’t) So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”

Why would God give a dream and not tell you what it meant
This doesn’t make sense, so please tell it to me
Maybe this is the reason why to prison I have been sent
Interpretations belong to God, surely you must agree

If the dream is from God, then it is given to be interpreted because “interpretations belong to God.” The Source of the dream will be the Source of the interpretation. If Joseph interprets the dream, it is because God has so used him. He’s not claiming to be God’s appointed interpreter, but he is saying the he could be God’s appointed interpreter.

Daniel explained this when he stood in the presence of King Nebuchadnezzar –

“Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.” Daniel 2:27-28

And so, like Daniel, Joseph says that God is the interpreter. He doesn’t say “the Lord” but simply God. A pagan would have no reference as to who Jehovah is, but everybody realizes who God is, whether they admit it or not. If someone has a dream from God, then there must be God who gave the dream.

II. The Resurrection of Life

9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me,

The chief cupbearer speaks first. It doesn’t say why, but when we get to the baker, it will say that he spoke when he saw that the first interpretation was good. I’d suggest that he was scared of speaking up first as his dream disturbed him. When you see what this is pointing to, you will understand why he was afraid.

We might ask, “What are we afraid of?” Are you afraid of a bump in the night? Maybe of financial ruin? Are you afraid of losing a loved one? What about death? Death is pretty permanent and it is 100% guaranteed. Are you ready for yours?

Lord, I don’t think about it often, but I know I will die
Everyone before me has, and in me it will happen too
Only Jesus came back from that place, and so I must ask, “Why?”
What can make me rise again? What is it that I must do?

There is a way to be freed from that fear. Stay tuned and I’ll explain it. In the dream, the cupbearer says that he saw a vine. This is an obvious connection to his office. He is the cupbearer and there is a vine. In Hebrew, the word is gephen and comes from an unused root which means to bend, just as a vine bends as it grows.

In Hosea 10:1, Israel is likened to a vine and in John 15:5, 6 Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

The symbolism is given for us to see Jesus if we can think the picture through clearly. There is an immediate fulfillment which we’ll see in this chapter, but there is an ultimate fulfillment in what will come about in Christ. Stay tuned for the exciting details…

10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.

Right before the cupbearer’s eyes, the vine showed three branches which budded, made blossoms, and clusters of ripe grapes. It was as if he were looking at a time-lapse scene on a movie. From vine to grape before his eyes.

Something similar happens overnight after the exodus. When there was a challenge to the priesthood of Levi, the Lord told Moses to have each tribe bring a rod forward with its name inscribed on it. When they did, the following happens as is seen in Numbers 17 –

“And Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. 8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.” (7:8)

The almond has its significance (shaqed) and the vine has its own. God uses the natural, including agricultural themes, to show us how He works out his plan of redemption. There is never a detail which isn’t exciting in how it fits into the larger themes of the Bible. The more you read this book, the more the themes fit together and the more they reveal of the wisdom of God.

numbers, colors, dust, almonds, wheat, barley, etc. water, types of metal, directions, different animals, incense,

He uses created things to make spiritual applications. Because He created these things, the applications will always fit perfectly with the picture He wants to show us. This book has an unlimited supply of intelligence mixed with love, all put together so that we can understand Him better.

11 Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”

No sooner had the vine budded, blossomed, and put out grapes than the cupbearer was pressing them into Pharaoh’s cup and the cup was being handed to him.

You can learn something about commentators from reviewing their commentaries on this verse. You can see which scholars were teetotalers and which weren’t. Those who are opposed to any hint of drinking alcohol will invariably say that the ripe grapes being brought in and squeezed into the cup was grape juice, not wine.

And then there are those who look at these verses in the context of the whole dream. If the cupbearer saw the vine spread, blossom, bud, and put forth fruit in a single day, then the obvious connotation concerning the pressing of the grapes is that it was his job – whether fermented or not; he was in charge of the process.

This verse has nothing to do with whether the cup had alcohol or not, but rather it is speaking of the process of supplying the king with the fruit of the vine. Little distractions like these among scholars diminish the importance of the passage through petty peeves. And they cause me to grind my teeth…

12 And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days.

The dream is obvious and yet at the same time it requires a spark of divine interpretation to understand that the branches are three days. Seeing that, the rest falls into place. The term he uses is sheloshet yamim hem – “yet three days.” Before the third day is over, it will come to pass, not at all unlike the death of Christ who was resurrected on the third day.

In the Hebrew way of saying this, we get a sense of what other passages in the Bible mean as well. “The three branches are three days”, “this bread is my body”, “this cup is my blood.” In the Hebrew language a one to one comparison is often used to say something represents something else.

This is why when we take communion, we don’t believe that the bread is literally Jesus’ body, nor is the cup literally Jesus’ blood. That was never the intent of His words, though many attempt to justify this in their theology. DISCUSS trans/con/spiritual/symbolic

13 Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler.

The explanation is complete with this verse. Within three days the cupbearer will be brought back into favor with the Pharaoh. One commentator says that each year the Pharaoh would make a new list of his high officials. On or after the previous birthday they were removed from the list and now the list was being updated.

This would be similar then to the president appointing cabinet officers each term and it would make sense as to why this comes about on his birthday. All in all, it’s good news for the cupbearer.

14 But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.

When Joseph speaks, there is no hint that his interpretation could be incorrect. He is so confident in it that he says to the cupbearer that “when it is well with you….” This shows with certainty that he knew what would occur. Which brings us back to his own dreams.

He already knew that his brothers would bow down to him, but he didn’t know how. To ask the cupbearer to intercede for him would be a stretch on even a good day, but he may believe that this was his divinely appointed path to freedom.

15 For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”

Joseph says gunab ganabthi – “Stolen! I was stolen.” I was taken away from the land of the Hebrews, and I’ve done nothing here to be thrown into this dungeon. The word for “dungeon” is bowr. The same word used to describe the pit his brothers threw him into.

We simply can’t miss the usage of the words which have been given in order to understand what is being pictured. The term ha’sohar or “round room” was used twice. The term bowr, or “pit” is used here. The symbolism is that of a round pit, like a tomb.

Jesus was in the tomb, having done nothing deserving of death. And He was “stolen away from the land of the Hebrews.” Instead, His message has gone to the gentiles… just like Joseph. Keep thinking as we go, it will all make sense.

Genesis 37:12-14

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12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. ~ Genesis 37:12-14

Today, we continue our study of the life of Joseph. Just as God spoke His wisdom to us through stories out of Jacob's life, He did the same through the life of Joseph. In doing so, God didn’t present Joseph as perfect, but rather exposed him for all of us to see. The patriarchs of Israel were no different than we, they struggled to walk with the Lord as we do and I find that quite encouraging. Through these stories we see the struggles in the lives of people who loved God and wanted to love Him even more. As we watch God interact with them, we get a sense of what it looks like to have a personal relationship with Him. 

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, 'Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.' So he said to him, 'Here I am.'"

Jacob, the father of Joseph, was at this time, living in Hebron which was about 60 miles away from Shechem. During this period, Joseph had his dreams concerning his brother's sheaves bowing down to his sheaf, and then the 12 stars and the sun and moon bowing down to the Lord Jesus. After this, his brothers went back to Shechem to feed their flocks. Shechem was the same place where Jacob and his family had once lived, the place where Jacob's sons had killed all of the men of the town.  

The name "Israel" is mentioned only twice in this chapter; the first to describe Jacob's love for Joseph and the second when Jacob spoke to Joseph directly. Later, when he hears of his son’s supposed death, he will be called Jacob. There is Jacob, the deceiver, who will be deceived, and there is Israel who struggles with God. In this verse, he is Israel.

And so Israel said to Joseph, the beloved son, "Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem?" This question was a way of introducing a line of thought. It is a rhetorical question like others frequently used throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The question was actually a statement of fact. With the usage of this question, Jacob was preparing Joseph for his directions. By introducing this thought as a question, it alleviated the explanation. Jacob told Joseph where his brothers were and what they were doing. As a result, all he had to do was to give his directions and then anticipate Joseph's response. 

At this point in the narrative, Jacob was a picture of God the Father. Joseph pictured the Lord Jesus. Joseph was hated by his brothers, something which was specifically noted earlier in this chapter. The Lord Jesus, likewise, knew He would be hated by His countrymen. Jacob then sent His most beloved son similar to way that God the Father sent His Son from His heavenly home to this wicked world. 

As soon as Jacob spoke, Joseph responded, and he did so without hesitation in his words. Joseph replied, "Here I am." In Hebrews 10:5-7 we read, "5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. 7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come in the volume of the book it is written of Me to do Your will, O God.'" Quoting Psalm 40 the Lord Jesus responded in the same manner as Joseph.

In v.14 of todays passage we read, "Then he said to him, 'Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.' So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem."

Literally, Jacob said to Joseph, "go see if there is peace." Jacob wanted to make sure that his sons were ok. If so, Joseph was to bring back the news. This shows that Jacob had assigned Joseph as the overseer to his older brothers. Jacob's sons were back in the place where they had killed all of the men in the entire town of Shechem. Jacob was concerned for the safety of his sons. Since Jacob also mentioned the flocks, he was also concerned for the weakest of the sheep. What a picture of the Father was Jacob and what a picture of the Lord Jesus was Joseph. In John 10:11 we read, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

Jacob and Joseph were in the Valley of Hebron. This is the only time in the Bible the words "the Valley of Hebron" is used. It was specifically named here to show us that from this place of depth comes the reuniting of God and man through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Deep is the love of God even for the least. The root for the word "valley" is used in Psalm 92:5 which reads, "O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep." In Romans 11:33 we read, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

The Lord Jesus left heaven! The simplicity of those words belie the magnitude of their meaning. The second person of the trinity, who has always existed in perfect, unbroken union with God, the Father, and God, the Holy Spirit, left that perfect fellowship to find you and me. He left heaven with full disclosure of the horrors that awaited Him on earth. During the final hours of His earthly life, the Lord Jesus asked the Father if there was any way other than the cross. It makes me wonder what He felt in those last hours before He stepped out of heaven, put on human flesh, and submitted to the Father’s will for leaving. Despite all of that, He sought us out so that we might be secured by Him for eternity.

Genesis 37:5-11

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5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf." 8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me." 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?" 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. ~ Genesis 37:5-11

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 37 where the spotlight has shifted to the next Patriarch of Israel, Joseph. Although his brothers already hated him because he was most favored by their father, the events of today's passage further ratcheted down their hatred for their little brother. The underlining story was that Joseph's brothers hated him because of his God-given rule and authority. Their problem was they could not see in advance that God had His hand upon Joseph who pictured the Lord Jesus who was hatred Himself by His countrymen.

In v.5-8 of today's passage we read, "5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, 'Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.' 8 And his brothers said to him, 'Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?' So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words."

Joseph's dream was from God and in it Joseph saw that there were 12 sons binding sheaves in the field. He then saw that his sheaf arose and stood up. And then he said that his brothers' their sheaves stood all around his and bowed down to his sheaf. Needless to say, Joseph's brothers did not like this message. When prophets speak on the behalf of God, more often than not they are hated. Thirteen years later, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt and they bowed down to him, because they wanted food. They were starving to death, and they didn't know that their little brother had become the second most powerful man in the world and could give them all the food they needed. When we are not in the habit of walking with the Lord, we will fail to recognize His will and His ways. 

The first dream got Joseph in trouble with his brothers. They asked, "shall you indeed have dominion over us?" Twice we are told that they hate him and along with the second time we read the words "even more" which is a Hebrew word that has the same root word as Joseph’s name. Joseph means "he increases." Over the course of this story, Joseph will increase, but his brothers’ hatred will increase as well. The amazing part about this is that even their hatred was allowed and used by God for Joseph's and his family's good.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, 'Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.'"

Once again, Joseph had another dream which resembled the first, and in the Bible, when things are repeated, the second occurrence is given to confirm the first. The symbolism of the 11 stars was the same as the 11 sheaves. They speak of the 11 brothers of Joseph. Joseph's second dream was in the heavens. The sun, the moon, and the stars bowed down to him. The message is that Christ is Lord in the heavenlies. 

Here's why Joseph's dream could have become a living nightmare. He came from a dysfunctional family. His grandfather, Abraham was dishonest. Abraham put his wife in another man's tent, told her to spend the night there. "Tell him you're my sister," Joseph said to Sarah. Jacob was deceitful. His name meant deceiver. He stole the birthright from his brother, Esau. Jacob fled in terror from Esau because Esau was going to kill him. He fell hopelessly in love with Rachel, the daughter of Laban. Jacob was deceived by Laban, his father-in-law, to work 14 years for Rachel's hand in marriage. What we do to others, God will see to it that that happens to us. Jacob deceived his father, so he was deceived by his father-in-law, and it cost him 14 years of his life.

In Joseph's second dream the sun and the moon represented Joseph's father and mother, Jacob and Leah. I know, his mother was Rachel, but she had dies and at the giving of this prophecy Leah was his mother. The sun represented the tribe of Judah, through whom the Lord Jesus Christ came. And, as we will see, the moon was ultimately fulfilled in Leah who pictured the law. In the Psalms, Judah is said to be the lawgiver. All the tribes of Israel and the law, which was what established them as a people, will all bow down to the Lord Jesus Christ as the King of kings and the Lord of lords to the glory of God. 

Joseph's second dream not only got Joseph in trouble with his brothers, now his father was mad at him too. We are told that his father rebuked him. Here, Joseph was in the middle of a completely dysfunctional family, yet there are these promises from God. Glimpses of the future which didn’t really seem to fit their current situation. Joseph was given promises from God and he was careful to be defined by those promises. Even when our family shuns us we must be defined by the word of God.

In v.10-11 of today's passage we read, "10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?" 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind."

After Jospeh told his father and his brothers this second dream, Jacob was incredulous and rightfully so. There is no record of Jacob bowing to Joseph. It would be a stretch to find this dream’s fulfillment in him in any way at all. In the end, this second dream can be, and is, only fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel, and the law which was issued to them, is the only reasonable explanation to what has been seen in Joseph’s second dream. Thus, there is a literal and spiritual fulfillment of the first dream, and a spiritual fulfillment in the second. But both are realized in the Lord Jesus ultimately.

Envy can lead to trouble, however, our trouble can be used by God in ways that are more marvelous than we might imagine. The terrible ordeal that Joseph would face because of his brother’s envy will be used by God at the Exodus to show forth His glory in a way which has been remembered for close to 4000 years. The exodus of Israel out of Egypt never would have occurred if Joseph wasn’t first sold by his brothers. And our exodus from our unforgiven state would have never have come about unless the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified whose cross also came about by the consuming envy of His own countrymen. 

Genesis 37:1-4

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1 Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic 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 peaceably to him. ~ Genesis 37:1-4

Today, we transition into Genesis 37 where the focus turns from Jacob to one of his sons, Joseph, the final patriarch of Israel. As quickly as Abraham and Isaac ceased to be the focus of the narrative, Jacob did the same. Enter the firstborn of Rachel. The entire book of Genesis is structured around four events: Creation, The Fall, The Flood and The Tower of Babel, and, four people: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The Holy Spirit allotted one-fourth of the Book of Genesis to the subject of this one man named Joseph. One-fourth, 25% of the book of Genesis is dedicated to him.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father."

While Esau’s line had moved to and possessed the land of Seir, the son of the promised line lived as a stranger in the land. Jacob's father, Isaac was indeed a stranger in Canaan much more so than his son Jacob was a stranger. It would seem that if you were to look at Jacob's life, he resembled in his value system the people of Canaan more than Isaac, his father. All who have been born again by the Holy Spirit of God live as strangers in this world. This world will never be the home of the follower of the God of the Bible. 

Joseph was a teenaged boy of seventeen years at this point in the narrative. He was a shepherd and he was out with some of his brothers, referred here as the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. This meant that Joseph was out in the fields with Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. Joseph was out there with his older brothers to be a servant to them. Actually, he was doing their dirty work for them. It was at this point that we are told that Joseph "brought a bad report of them to his father." 

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors."

The name Jacob is used three times in this chapter. The name Israel is used twice. Both times Israel is used, it is in connection with Joseph. Here it says Israel loved Joseph more than all his children. And the reason is given, "he was the son of his old age." This is not a reference to Jacob’s advanced physical age, it was a reference to Joseph’s advanced mental age. Joseph had wisdom and understanding beyond his 17 years and Jacob loved him for this quality. 

The irony of this was Jacob of all people should understand how dangerous favoritism can be in a family. Jacob’s dad preferred his brother Esau over him. In response, Jacob's mom cooked up a scheme for him to trick his father and steal his brother's blessing. Not only was Joseph his father’s favorite, but his father gave Joseph "a robe of many colors" which was a symbol of privilege and authority. This robe was a robe of royalty in their culture. Jacob wasn’t just expressing his favoritism, he was elevating Joseph above the other older brothers. When Joseph wore this robe, it meant that he was given the position of overseer and was not expected to do manual labor.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him."

There is no shortage of irony in these verses because Jacob had been reared by parents who each had their favorites. The favoritism that had spoiled the tranquility of Jacob's childhood home was about to wreck his family, too. One might think that Jacob would have learned of the dangers of favoritism, but this was not the case, for Jacob proved to be a stubborn, impetuous man and a very poor father. Although he had eleven other sons, Jacob’s favor clearly rested upon the second-youngest son, Joseph. Jacob's overt favoritism created a dangerous schism among the brothers. The older boys hated Joseph because he received his father’s undivided attention and affection. The older sons resented Joseph, and this open contempt created a common bond that eventually resulted in a family mutiny and Joseph’s hostile banishment into Egyptian slavery.

The Christian life is an ongoing civil war whereby we are meant to learn the wisdom of feeding the Spirit. Sin is an ever-present threat that requires believers to be on our constant guard against our most prominent enemy, ourselves. The greatest danger isn’t posed by the "big sins," like murder and adultery. It is the obscure sins that pose the greatest hazard because they’re simply not on our radar and they don’t yield immediate consequences. The sin of favoritism is one example. We are so naturally inclined to play favorites that we can do it without even knowing it. And the consequences simmer like a resentful volcano, waiting to erupt when we least expect.

The answer to this is that we may be defined by God. This is what it means to walk in the Spirit. Rather than what our flesh naturally desires which is always sin, the Spirit will lead us to be defined by God. This is why it is so important that we obey God, especially when we lack the wisdom to see its value in the moment. As we will see, Joseph had to go through some intense moments before he could be used of God in some mighty ways. When we allow God to meet with us in obscurity and makes us in secret into what He wants us to be, it will be then that He will use us in very powerful ways in the lives of others.