Genesis 37:1-36
37:1 We continue to move through the generations of this family. A covenant established between God and Abraham has moved from Abraham to Issac, Isaac to Jacob and now to one of Jacob's children. Jacob and his family are living still where Isaac lived in the land of Canaan.
37:2 Some time as passed, Joseph is a seventeen year old young man at this point in the story. Joseph is tending the flock with some of his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. While with them, Joseph notices the bad temperament of his brothers and he brings it up in conversation with his family. These are Joseph's siblings, there is both love and sometimes resentment in any family and he brings it up with his father.
37:3 Much of the resentment between the brothers comes from the fact that Joseph is Jacob/Israel's favorite child. Joseph, son of Rachel, was the most like his father in nature and character. For this reason, Joseph wore the tunic which represented the patriarch and heir of the family.
37:4 Joseph's brothers were cruel to him. They were unable to communicate and deal with their problems in an effective manner and it manifested as bullying (this is a familiar concept to us today).
37:5 Joseph experiences an incredible dream and he shares the details of it with his brothers but it only causes them to increase their dislike of him.
37:6-7 Joseph explains his dream: he dreams himself and his brothers as sheaves (bundles of grain). In the dream, all of the sheaves bow down to the sheaf that is Joseph. We can immediately understand why his brothers were so angry: they already resented him as the favorite and this dream reinforced that.
36:8 Jacob/Israel had dreamed throughout his life in direct communication with God. Perhaps Joseph's brothers realize before even he does that God is speaking a message to him about his life and impending leadership. Joseph is the product of love, Rachel and Jacob. Almost every one of Joseph's brothers were children of Jacob but their mothers were not loved as equally as Rachel was. Laban had thwarted their partnership by marrying Jacob to Leah instead of Rachel at first. Then, Leah and Rachel arranged for Jacob to have children with their maids (who he had even less natural affection for).
36:9 Earnest Joseph, enthusiastic about his vivid dreams, shares another with his brothers: he dreams that the sun, moon and eleven stars bow down to him (he so happens to have eleven brothers).
36:10-11 Joseph remains the only one enthusiastic about the dream (besides God) after he tells his brothers and father. His brothers were envious, likely perceiving that there was more to this dream than it seemed. Jacob kept the dream in mind but was upset because it caused much tension and confusion among his children.
36:12-13 Joseph's brothers leave without him to tend to the flock and Jacob offers to send Joseph to them. The stop brothers, angry with him and his dreams, have stopped including him.
36:14 Jacob sends Joseph to see how his brothers are doing and tells him to report back.
36:15-16 As Joseph wanders, a man finds him and asks him what he is looking for. Joseph explains that he is looking for his brothers and the family flock.
26:17 The man tells Joseph that he overheard his brothers say: Let us go to Dothan. Jacob makes his way to Dothan and finds his brothers there.
37:18-20 Infuriated with him, the brothers spot Joseph and conspire to take his life. Their unchecked jealousy completely overtakes them. Some of the brothers mock Joseph saying that "the dreamer" is coming. They plan to kill him and pretend that he was killed by a wild animal.
37:21-22 Jacob's eldest son Reuben rescues an unsuspecting Joseph and convinces his brothers not to kill him. To convince his brothers, his plan is to get Joseph into a pit and abandon him. It is not exactly compassionate but he does what he can to save his brother's life.
37:23-24 Joseph walks up to his brothers and they attack him: the divest him of the family tunic they resent him for wearing and toss him into a deep hole without water.
37:25-27 Unfazed by their own cruelty, the brothers sit down to eat. A group of Ishmaelites walks toward them with camels and spices and other goods. Judah has an idea: instead of killing Joseph, he plans to sell him to the incoming men. Instead of having their own brother's blood on their hands, but still getting rid of their problem, the brothers agree with the plan.
37:28 And so they did: Joseph's brothers sell him for 20 pieces of silver. The men take Joseph to Egypt. This is an absolutely stunning moment for us as readers but considering Joseph's reaction and emotions! The faith he would need to employ to deal with such a traumatic betrayal: carried away by strangers to a strange land. Carried away from his family knowing that the truth of what happened might never reach his father (meaning almost no possibility of being rescued). Joseph would need to remember, as we constantly need to remember, that our rescue is in our God.
37:29-30 Reuben, unaware of Joseph's capture returns and finds that he is missing. He asks his brothers where he should go to look for him.
37:31-32 To cover their tracks and evil-doing, the brothers kill a young goat and wipe the blood on Joseph's tunic. They bring the tunic to their father and pretend that they found it that way. They ask Jacob is he recognizes the tunic.
37:33-34 Jacob recognizes it, of course, and comes to the conclusion that his son has been killed by a wild animal. In despair, Jacob tears the garment into pieces. For a long time he mourns the supposed death of his son.
37:35 Jacob's other children try to comfort him but Jacob commits to mourning his son for the rest of his life. He continued to weep.
37:36 Meanwhile, Joseph very much alive is sold again to an officer of the pharaoh and captain of the guard.
