Genesis – First, God


Jacob, not trusting the behaviors of his blended family members relies on Joseph to tell him when the brothers get out of line or as in the military, “sit-reps”. He is even rewarded for it with fancy clothes! No one likes a tattler! In the case of young Joseph, being favored by Jacob, now creates a jealousy that is out of control. His half brothers want to kill him.
God protected him from death by giving the brothers a softer heart who merely thrown him down a well and then later decide to make a little money and sell him as a slave to be taken to a faraway country. Okay, that’s better. Wait, what?!
Genesis 37, The Message

Meanwhile Jacob had settled down where his father had lived, the land of Canaan.
Joseph and His Brothers
2 This is the story of Jacob. The story continues with Joseph, seventeen years old at the time, helping out his brothers in herding the flocks. These were his half brothers actually, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. And Joseph brought his father bad reports on them.

5-7 Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said, “Listen to this dream I had. We were all out in the field gathering bundles of wheat. All of a sudden my bundle stood straight up and your bundles circled around it and bowed down to mine.”

9 He had another dream and told this one also to his brothers: “I dreamed another dream—the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to me!”
10-11 When he told it to his father and brothers, his father reprimanded him: “What’s with all this dreaming? Am I and your mother and your brothers all supposed to bow down to you?” Now his brothers were really jealous; but his father brooded over the whole business.
12-13 His brothers had gone off to Shechem where they were pasturing their father’s flocks. Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are with flocks in Shechem. Come, I want to send you to them.”
Joseph said, “I’m ready.”
14 He said, “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing and bring me back a report.” He sent him off from the valley of Hebron to Shechem.
15 A man met him as he was wandering through the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 “I’m trying to find my brothers. Do you have any idea where they are grazing their flocks?”
17 The man said, “They’ve left here, but I overheard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph took off, tracked his brothers down, and found them in Dothan.

21-22 Reuben heard the brothers talking and intervened to save him, “We’re not going to kill him. No murder. Go ahead and throw him in this cistern out here in the wild, but don’t hurt him.” Reuben planned to go back later and get him out and take him back to his father.
23-24 When Joseph reached his brothers, they ripped off the fancy coat he was wearing, grabbed him, and threw him into a cistern. The cistern was dry; there wasn’t any water in it.

28 By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt.

31-32 They took Joseph’s coat, butchered a goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. They took the fancy coat back to their father and said, “We found this. Look it over—do you think this is your son’s coat?”

34-35 Jacob tore his clothes in grief, dressed in rough burlap, and mourned his son a long, long time. His sons and daughters tried to comfort him but he refused their comfort. “I’ll go to the grave mourning my son.” Oh, how his father wept for him.
36 In Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, manager of his household affairs.
WHAT DO WE LEARN?

The chief actor in the Jacob section of Genesis will be Joseph, who is mentioned twice as many times as is his father in the next fourteen chapters. Jacob won’t be ignored, but it’s Joseph who will occupy center stage.

Yes, behind this story is the heart of the covenant-making God, who always keeps His promises. It is and always will be about God, our Father. Hold this in mind as we read and meditate on the story of God in Jacob’s family.
KEEP THIS IN MIND…

Genesis 37 unfolds the destructive dynamics of a family that knew the true and living God and yet sinned against Him and each other by what they said and did. The presence of Joseph in the home didn’t create problems so much as reveal them. Consider the destructive forces at work in this family, forces that God in His grace overruled for their good. Where sin abounded, grace abounded more (Rom. 5:20).

What are destructive forces at work in our families?
Who are we blaming?
What are we doing about those forces aimed at destroying our beloved relationships?
Are we allowing God to rule or the evil one?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Sometimes, nearly always, Your Word is personal. Continue to do your work in us until we reflect you. Your love, mercy and grace abounds. Thank you for your patience with us. Transform us from the inside out. May our story reflect your story of abounding grace.
In Jesus Name, Amen