READ: Gen. 37:1–36: … 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… 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? … And Reuben said to them, ‘Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit… So the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt … Then Jacob tore his clothes …
The Bible often provides detailed descriptions of events so we can clearly understand what happened, how it came about, how people acted, what God’s guidance was, and what purpose it served. These accounts are meant to teach us about our relationship with God and the responsibility He gives us.
This passage is not just an exciting story but a true history that shows how covenant children act within God’s covenant, both toward Him and one another. Does it reveal covenant faithfulness and love, or self-will and sin? Through this, we also see how the LORD uses everything in His governance of the church and the world, leading to Christ’s coming and the final judgment.
The story begins with Jacob’s special love for his son Joseph, which is not Joseph’s fault. Joseph also reports the bad reputation that Jacob’s sons have among the surrounding Gentiles, not as gossip but as an account of the feelings of the Gentiles nearby. Nevertheless, his brothers develop hatred and jealousy. When Joseph shares two dreams with prophetic messages, their hatred grows even stronger.
Joseph does not act inappropriately, but his brothers sinfully act on their jealousy. Reuben prevents them from committing murder, but they sell Joseph to traders, sending him to Egypt. This marks a new low in the history of the patriarchs.
What is God’s role in this story?
Sing: Ps. 143:4,7