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Genesis 37:

Reading #141  Joseph’s indiscretion

Now our reading takes us into the life of Joseph the son of Jacob.

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Genesis 37:

1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger [Hebrews 11:8-10], in the land of Canaan. 

2 These [the verses before this] are the generations [beginnings] of Jacob. 

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It is an interesting study to follow this phrasing in the Bible.

Unlike our way of doing things, in the book of Genesis the Holy Spirit gives us at THE END of each early section a summary, or title, of what we have just read, and a guide to the author of that part. 

We need to read the truth before we need to know who wrote it!

e.g.  From Genesis 1:1:1 to Genesis 2:4 the LORD tells us about the changes He made to our solar system in preparation for mankind. 

In this case the Spirit’s record is:

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Genesis 2:

4 These [the verses before this] are the generations [beginnings] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

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So here we learn that it was the Son of God Himself who recorded for us the story of the adaptation of this world to suit Adam and Eve and the other creatures.  He, of course, was the only One who could tell us of this, for humanity only came into existence after the fact.

A little further on, chapter 5:1 reads “This is the book of the generations [beginnings] of Adam”, which is the title of the section from 2:5 to 5:1.  This details Adam’s choice and his leap into sin, with its consequences. 

This was first put out into circulation as a story authored by him. 

Verses 5:2 to 6:9 carry on with a family tree, and then the conditions in the world which gave rise to Noah’s experiences.  These are described by Noah for our benefit.

After that we have 6:10 to 10:1 which set out the story of the Flood and the survival of the sons of Noah.  This is obviously the recollections of Shem, Ham and Japheth as co-authors.

Then Shem alone picks up the details of his time and tells us of the re-division of the world into two sections under the leadership of Nimrod the great opposer of God’s way.  (Genesis 10:25).  He and his successors followed in the footsteps of Cain.  See verses 10:2 to 11:10.   

After that another family tree was added by Terah, Abraham’s father. 

That’s in verses 11:11 to 11:27.  Others added their contribution in due course, and eventually Jacob published the actions we have just finished reading. 

Then all this passed into the folklore of the Hebrews.  Later, Moses, under the inspiration of the Spirit collected all the stories and wrote them down for us in one Book. 

We now pick up our history with young Joseph minding the sheep.

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Genesis 37:

2 Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was [often] with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's [secondary] wives: and Joseph brought to his father their evil report [tales of their doings]. 

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The sin of Jacob, and the train of events to which it led, had not failed to exert an influence for evil - an influence that revealed its bitter fruit in the character and life of his sons.  As these sons became teenagers and young men they developed serious faults.  The results of polygamy were clearly visible in the household, for this terrible evil tends to dry up the very springs of love, and its influence weakens the most sacred ties. 

The jealousy of the several mothers had often soured the family relationships, the children had grown up fighting among themselves and impatient of control, and the father's life was darkened with anxiety and grief.

There was one child, however, of a widely different character - the elder son of Rachel, Joseph, whose rare personal beauty seemed to reflect an inward beauty of mind and heart.  Pure, active, and joyous, the lad gave evidence also of moral earnestness and firmness, if not wisdom (he was a tell-tale!).

However, he listened to his father's instructions, and loved to obey God from an early age.  The qualities that afterward distinguished him in Egypt - gentleness, faithfulness, and truthfulness - were already showing in his daily life.  His mother being dead, his affections clung the more closely to his father, and Jacob's heart was bound up in this child of his old age.  He “loved Joseph more than all his children.” 

But this preference was to become a cause of trouble and sorrow.  Jacob unwisely showed his partiality for Joseph, and this excited the jealousy of his other sons.  Then, as Joseph witnessed the evil conduct of his brothers, he was greatly troubled.  At first he ventured gently to remonstrate with them, which only aroused still further their hatred and resentment. 

But he could not endure to see them sinning against God, and he unwisely laid the matter before his father, hoping that he might be able to lead them to reform.  Although parents have great God-given authority in the lives of their young children, these brothers were of an age where they were now responsible directly to God, and Joseph’s correct course should have been to ask God where he could, or even if he should, help them.  Because he did not follow that course, he aroused the anger of his brothers instead of getting them to repent, just as Abel did to Cain. 

Jacob, however, carefully avoided exciting his sons’ anger by harshness or severity.  With deep emotion he expressed his concern for his children, and implored them to have respect for his grey hairs, and not to bring reproach upon his name like Simeon and Levi, and above all not to dishonour God by such disregard of His precepts. 

Ashamed that their wickedness was known, the young men seemed to be repentant, but they only concealed their real feelings, which were rendered more bitter by this exposure.

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Genesis 37:

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.  4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. 

5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.  6 And he said to them, “Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance [bowed down] to my sheaf.”

8 And his brethren said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us?  Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.  9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to you to the earth?”

11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying [for the mother had been dead many years].

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The father's ill-advised gift to Joseph of a costly coat, or tunic, such as was usually worn by persons of distinction, seemed to the brothers another evidence of his favouritism, and aroused a suspicion that he intended to pass by his elder children, to bestow the birthright upon the son of Rachel.  They hadn’t forgotten the family history!

Their malice was still further increased as the boy one day told them of a dream that he had had.  “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” exclaimed his brothers in envious anger. 

Soon he had another dream, of similar meaning, which he also related, this time to his father as well.  The parent did not miss the significance of the doubling of the dream.  (See Genesis 41:32).  Notwithstanding the apparent severity of his words, Jacob believed that the LORD was revealing the future to Joseph and wondered how it would come about, especially the sheaf representing the mother. 

As the lad stood before his brothers, his beautiful countenance lighted up with the Spirit of inspiration, they also could not withhold their admiration; but they did not choose to renounce their evil ways, and they hated the purity that reproved their sins.  The same spirit that actuated Cain, and the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, was kindling in their hearts. 

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Genesis 37:

12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.  13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Do not your brethren feed the flock in Shechem?  Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here am I.” 14 And he said to him, “Go, I pray you, see whether it be well with your brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again.”

So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 

15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, “What seek you?” 16 And he said, “I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray you, where they feed their flocks.” 17 And the man said, “They are departed from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan’.”

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The brothers were obliged to move from place to place to secure pasturage for their flocks, and frequently they were absent from home for months together.  After the relating of the dreams, they went to the place which their father had bought at Shechem.  Some time passed, bringing no tidings from them, and the father began to fear for their safety, on account of their former cruelty toward the Shechemites because of the treatment of Dinah their sister.  He therefore sent Joseph to find them, and bring him word as to their welfare. 

Had Jacob known the real feeling of his sons toward Joseph, he would not have trusted him alone with them; but this they had carefully concealed.  With a joyful heart, Joseph parted from his father, neither the aged man nor the youth dreaming of what would happen before they should meet again. 

When, after his long and solitary journey, Joseph arrived at Shechem, his brothers and their flocks were not to be found.  In answer to his prayer to God for directions to find the flocks (he couldn’t ask the locals for fear of arousing their anger against his brothers) an angel in human form came to advise him. That’s why he is called “a certain man”.  Angel messengers often came in those times (and still do) in human form as “helps” for Christians.  See Daniel 10:5-21 for another very interesting visit.

Joseph had already travelled more than fifty miles, and now an additional distance of fifteen lay before him, but he hastened on, forgetting his weariness in the thought of relieving the anxiety of his father, and meeting the brothers, whom, despite their unkindness, he still loved.

We’ll see how he got on next week.

Ron

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