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Day 33…Genesis 37:

October 27, 2010 at 3:24 PM Leave a comment

Genesis 37: Joseph & his brothers

v.1-2, Joseph is 17 yrs old and is trying to help his brothers herd the flock. They were his half-bros (son of his father Jacob but Mom’s were Bilhah & Zilpah–concubines). Joseph tattled on them to his father.

v.3-4, UNFORTUNATELY Jacob (Israel) loved Joseph MORE than any of this other sons because he was the child of his old age. He had a special gift made for Joseph–coat of many colours (embroidered elaborately). When his bros realized their father LOVED Joseph more then them they grew to HATE him–they wouldn’t even speak to him!

v.5-11, Joseph had 2 dreams and he told the 1st one to his brothers and the 2nd one to his Dad as well:

Dream 1 | “We’re all in the fields gathering wheat in bundles. All of a sudden my bundle stood straight up and your bundles circled around and bowed down to mine.”

Joseph’s bros HATED him EVEN MORE because of his dreams. They said “you think you’re going to rule over us? You’re going to boss us around?”

Dream 2 | “the sun, moon and 11 stars bowed down to me.”

His Dad reprimanded Joseph “stop with all the dreaming. Are your Mother and I and your brothers suppose to bow down to you?” Now his bros were really JEALOUS but Jacob wondered what the dream really meant.

v.12-17, Joseph’s bros had left for Shechem to take care of the flock. Jacob (Israel) told Joseph to GO and MEET UP (bring back a report of how they are doing) with his bros. Joseph agreed of he went. On the way he met a man (from the area) who asked him what he was looking for. Joseph told him he was looking for his brothers and asked where they are. He told Joseph they were left here and on their way to Dothan. So he tracked them down at Dothan.

v.18-20, his bros saw him from a distance and by the time he got to them they had cooked up a plan to KILL him and throw him in one of the old cisterns. They would blame his death on a vicious animal, then they said “we’ll see what he’s becomes of his dream then!”

v.21-22, Reuben (1st born) intervened to save him and convinced his brothers not to MURDER Joseph but to still throw him into the cistern. He planned on returning back later and rescuing Joseph. [I believe Reuben left at this point...]

IDEA: if they left Joseph in the cistern long enough he would die without laying a hand on him (no food, no water)

v.23-27, when Joseph reached his bros they RIPPED OFF his fancy coat and GRABBED him and THREW him into a cistern (it was dry without any water in it). Then they sat down to eat supper. They saw a caravan of Ishmaelites in the distance on their way from Gilead to Egypt to sell the wares. Judah came up with the idea not to kill Joseph but SELL him to the Ishmaelites because there was nothing to gain by killing him [we have to try to cover up a murder] and besides “he is our brother, flesh and blood.”

v.28, by the time the caravan were passing by the bros pulled Joseph up and sold him to them for 20 pieces of silver and the Ishmaelites took Joseph with them to Egypt.

v.29-30, later Reuben came back to get Joseph [as he planned] and saw he was no longer there. He ripped his clothes in despair and went to his bros to find out what happened.

v.31-36, then the bros killed a young goat and put it’s blood on Joseph’s coat and took it back to their Dad and told him they found it like this. Israel recognized the coat right away and figured a wild animal had eaten Joseph. Israel tore his clothes in grief and dressed in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long long time! His family tried to comfort him but he refused their comfort–he wept bitterly and believed he was going to mourn his until he died.

MEANWHILE...the traders arrived in Egypt where they SOLD Joseph to Potiphar (one of Pharaoh’s officials, manager of his household affairs).

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME? Jealousy and hatred can lead you to terrible things like killing and selling someone into slavery, as Joseph’s brothers did to him. SIDE NOTE: Israel shouldn’t have treated Joseph any different than any of his other sons. He shouldn’t have had a fav son!!!

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Don’t allow resentment / hatred / frustration that I feel lead to killing or selling another human being (in my mind). In other words, I need to get over the deep hurt I felt and forgive!

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