THE BIG PICTURE
SO YOU THOUGHT BIBLE STORIES HAPPENED BY ACCIDENT!! FOLLOW THIS STORY FROM GENESIS AND SEE HOW GOD WORKS EVEN IN THE SMALLEST OF ISSUES.
We know that God is at work even in the midst of conflict. However, all conflict can feel like it is keeping us from more meaningful issues or activities. God can use whatever conflict we are facing though, to bring meaningful results to our lives. Sometimes resolution can be found in conflict where this resolution can lead us to a far stronger relationship with others. God can strengthen our faith and endurance through conflict. Today we will consider the favoritism, hatred and envy involved with the family of Jacob. The older sons of Jacob so hated Joseph that they wanted to kill him. You probably remember why Joseph’s brothers hated him so much, but turn to Genesis for a reminder.
Read Genesis 37:5-8
Jacob (Israel v.3) and his 12 sons lived in Canaan. Joseph was only 17 years old and worked with his brothers tending sheep. One occasion, he brought an unfavorable report concerning some of his brother’s behavior. We are also told that Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph had been born to Jacob when he was in old age (v.3). Can you think of another reason Jacob may have favored Joseph? (Joseph was the first born by Rachel, who Jacob loved more than Leah.) This was part of the unwholesome environment in the family (v.3-4). One day Jacob gave Joseph a special multicolored robe. This all added up to this conflict between the other eleven brothers and added up to this conflict between the other eleven brothers and Joseph, but that was not all. Verse 5 tells us about Joseph’s dream and that he demonstrated immaturity by describing it to his brothers.
In Joseph’s day, everyone had a robe or cloak. Robes were used for warmth, to bundle up belongings for a trip, to wrap babies, to sit on, or even to serve as security for a loan. Most robes were knee length, short sleeved, and plain. In contrast, Joseph’s robe was probably of the kind worn by royalty- long sleeved, ankle length, and very colorful. The robe became a symbol of Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph, and it aggravated the already strained relations between Joseph and his brothers. Favoritism in families may be unavoidable by its divisive effects should be minimized. Parents may not be able to change their feelings toward a favorite child, but they can change their actions toward the others. (Remember the Smother’s Brothers?)
While Jacob’s favoritism with the robe was at the heart of the family’s disputes, Joseph’s dream and the way he handled it brought everything to a head. The brother’s hatred of Joseph grew because he delighted in telling them about his dream. The dream in verse 7 seems to telling his brothers that they needed to bow down to Joseph. Then Joseph had a second dream (v.9). In that dream, Joseph, said the sun, the moon, and 11 starts (catch the fact that there are 11 brothers) bowed down to him. Now even Jacob was incredulous and reprimanded Joseph. If we stop at this point and think about what was in store for Joseph, we realize what those dreams really mean. We also see God’s plans in those dreams. Clearly we know that all people have freedom of choice but everything that happened to Joseph by the hands of his brothers actually fulfilled these dreams that appear to be from God and led Joseph to be in position to save his whole family.
Read Genesis 37:26-28
Judah, who was Jacob’s fourth son and fourth by Leah, came up with a plan to make some money from Joseph’s “disappearance”! It is difficult to determine if Judah just wanted to make money, sincerely wanted to prevent Joseph’s murder or he just wanted to satisfy his brother’s thirst for revenge with a lesser evil. Regardless, he saved Joseph’s life. As God’s plan unfolds, the buyers of Joseph, the Midianite traders, passed by the brother’s location. In previous verses 198-25, Reuben was the first to come to Joseph’s rescue. He convinced the others to put Joseph in a pit rather than to kill him. Reuben’s plan was to return later and get Joseph out of the pit so he would not die. Before Reuben could come back for Joseph, Judah’s plan was agreed to and Joseph was removed from the pit and sold for 20 pieces of silver. This began Joseph’s journey in Egypt.
Verse 28 uses two different words that appear to refer to the same group; Ishmaelites and MIdianites, but were they? However, it is likely that Ishmaelites designated the caravan as a whole; while Midianite referred to an ethnic group in the overall caravan. The Midianites had developed a connection to Potiphar, who was the captain of the palace guard for the Pharaoh of Egypt. So Joseph was re-sold to Potiphar and started a whole new chapter in his life. So even though this was not what the brothers had in main when they first thought to kill Joseph and toss him into one of the cisterns. The end result actually worked out well for them later. Joseph was alive and sold instead of being killed because the brothers developed a conscious about committing murder. Sometimes we jump at a solution because it is the lesser of two evils but still is not the right action to take. When someone proposes a seemingly workable solution, first ask “is it right?”
Read Genesis 50:15-21
Joseph’s brothers thought they would never see him again. But God was in control of Joseph’s life and had other plans. A lot of things had happened from when Joseph first arrived in Egypt and when we find out Jacob had died. Joseph’s position in Egypt again involved dreams. First he interpreted dreams of two prisoners to win back the approval of Pharaoh. Then Joseph understood Pharaoh’s dreams that forecast a seven year famine. This famine got Joseph and his family back together again. Joseph showed forgiveness and even love for his brothers. Joseph got the Pharaoh to settle his whole family in Goshen (43:15- 47:31). This is where Jacob died.
Before his death, Jacob did two things. He insisted that Joseph promise not to bury him in Egypt. Jacob wanted to be buried in his homeland, in the burial ground at Hebron with his ancestors (47:29-31). Jacob also gathered his sons around him and gave to each a blessing before he dies. He showed great insight into the personal qualities of each of his sons. His words were indeed prophetic, but he also spoke of traits that had already shown up in each of their lives. What each of the sons would become could already be seen in what they were. Remember Jacob’s name had been changed by God to “Israel” (32:28). So what would the twelve sons establish? (The 12 Tribes of Israel.)
Now that Jacob was dead, the brothers feared revenge from Joseph. However, Jacob knew that Joseph had forgiven his brothers but had made the request that Joseph forgive his brothers (v.17) for the brother’s benefit. To the brother’s surprise, Joseph not only forgave them but assured them, offering to care for them and their families. Joseph’s forgiveness was complete. He demonstrated how God graciously accepts us even though we don’t deserve it. With all that Joseph went through, it shows he had great faith in God. Verse 19 asks the question “Am I in the place of God?”. This meant not only that God’s purpose prohibited Joseph from taking revenge but also that Joseph had neither the power not the right to interfere with God’s workings. Because God forgives us even when we have ignored or rejected him or think we have the right to take matters into our own hands, we should graciously forgive others.
THIS SET THE STAGE FOR MOSES’ GREAT STORY!
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