Genesis 37:2-36 Joseph’s Dream
Genesis 37:2 announces, “These are the records of the generations of Jacob” (37:2). The next verse immediately begins with the account of Joseph, the main figure in this last major section of the book.
Immediately we learn two important points. Joseph had returned from the fields and given his father a bad report about his brothers. Second, Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved the other boys. As a result, the other brothers hated Jacob.
One day Joseph tells his brothers about a dream he had. In the dream the brothers’ sheaves were bowing down to Joseph’s sheave. The brothers knew that this dream meant that Joseph would be ruling over them one day.
Joseph told them a second dream. The sun, moon and stars were bowing down to him. This dream even brought a rebuke from his father, and the brothers continued to hate him.
One day the brothers plotted to kill Joseph and cover it up by telling their father that a wild beast killed him.
At this point, we come face to face with human depravity. To think that jealousy would lead us to kill a brother. We wonder how anyone could do that, yet the daily news regularly bombards us with acts of similar jealousy and hatred.
The Bible has one word for that type of behavior “sin.” Jesus came into the world to deal with this precise problem. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin so that we could have eternal life merely by placing our trust in him.
The brothers strip Joseph of his tunic, throw him into a pit and sit down to eat a meal. They act as if nothing has happened.
This kind of behavior is repeated today. Perhaps you have heard accounts of killers who sit down to eat after murdering someone. The murder victim may be in a pool of blood in the very same room, and the murderers nonchalantly eat dinner.
As the brothers eat, they notice a caravan on its way to Egypt. The brothers sell Jacob to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.
When Reuben returns, the brothers tell him that a wild animal has killed Joseph. They show him the torn clothing which he takes to Jacob in evidence of the death. Jacob grieves greatly.
In the meantime, Joseph arrives in Egypt, and becomes a slave of Potipher, Pharaoh’s officer in charge of the bodyguard.
Sin always has consequences. Primarily it is an affront to God. When we sin we sin against a holy God. Second, when we sin we hurt others. Think of the grief that Jacob suffered as a result of the brothers’ actions.
Finally, even in the midst of sinful situations our heavenly Father is at work. He is able to bring good out of evil circumstances. When Joseph arrives in Egypt God is at work. It is no accident that Joseph lands in the house of one of Pharaoh’s officers.
God knows what He is doing in our lives too. If you are facing difficulty today, know that God is at work. He has not forgotten you. He may be preparing you for something wonderful that you cannot see as you consider your circumstances. Be encouraged in the Lord today.
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.” - Psalm 139:8-10
2 comments:
Thanks for leaving a comment. The numbered items are quotes from the article. My comments follow each quote. Tere are five (1-5) comments here; five additional comments (6-10) appear just below this entry:
1. Jewish law establishes the death penalty for kidnappers of Jews. The forefathers accepted the yoke of the Law before it was given to all Jews.
The text does not indicate that the forefathers accepted the yoke of the Law before it was given to the Jews.
2. It is commonly believed that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery—but they were not punished. It pays to read the Torah closely.
It is indeed good advice to read the Torah closely, and I appreciate the blogger's desire to do so.
The brothers were not punished under the provisions of the Law, because the Law was not in effect at that time. In addition, they lied about the event, so nobody knew that it had happened. By the time Joseph and his father finally learned the truth, they realized that God had used the situation for good, even though the brothers meant it for evil. In a very unusual way, their attempt to get rid of the dreamer, indirectly led to the fulfillment of the dreams.
There is very little indication that all of the penalties of the Law were widely followed anyway. Therefore, even if the Law were in effect, the absence of punishment would not have meant that their act was an innocent one.
3. Judah, don’t forget, is a virtuous man: he offered himself into slavery in place of his brother Binyamin, who had allegedly stolen a silver cup (Genesis 44:33). In Genesis 37:26, Judah expresses satisfaction that they did not cause Joseph’s death.
Judah did not act virtuously at the time of this account pertaining to the sale of Joseph. He was apparently among the brothers who said, "Now then, come and let us kill him, and through him into one of the pits; and we will say, 'A wild beast devoured him.' Then let us see what will become of his dreams!" (37:20).
Judah also said, "What profit is it for us to kill our borther and cover up his blood? Come let us sell him…" (37:26-27). He also went along with the brothers' deception of their father regarding Joseph's disappearance (37:31ff).
Judah had a change of heart from the time Joseph was sold into slavery and the time they visited Joseph in Egypt, but prior to that point, Judah was not acting righteously.
4. The brutal practical joke on Joseph turns into tragedy.
Putting Joseph in the pit was hardly a practical joke. The text says three times that they hated him (37:4,5,8). In the last instance, it says they hated him "even more."
First, they consider killing him even though they knew Joseph was "our brother" (37:26). and "our flesh" (37:27).
They had planned to destroy him and then tell their father that a wild beast had devoured (akal) him (37:20). Later, they sat down to eat (le'ekol) (37:25). These words suggest that the brothers rather than the wild beast were the ones devouring.
After he was in the pit, Judah said, "What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? (37:26). Those words do not signify that the brothers were joking.
In fact, the brothers had already killed plotted to kill Shechemites to avenge the death of their sister (34:24-29). Now they were considering killing their own brother.
5. Instead of revealing to Jacob that their behavior indirectly caused Joseph’s death, the brothers made his death appear to have been caused by a wild animal. Joseph’s brothers neither sold him into slavery nor tried to kill him.
They certainly sold him into slavery. That's what the text means when it states that they sold him.
6. Midianites and Ishmaelites are the same people.
That is correct.
7. This passage conflicts with Reuven’s surprise upon seeing the empty pit. It seems to be an editorial that explains Judah’s “what profit is it if we slay our brother?”
The argument in favor of an editorial is not convincing. Even if it were an editorial, it is still an accurate account of the events that took place.
8. The twenty shekels the brothers received for Joseph is a greatly exaggerated sum. Only about a thousand years later did slaves become that expensive (Hosea 3:2). Thirty shekels for one’s ox goring a slave is a steep fine, not a cost.
Men and women were not worth the same in those economies. Moses wrote this account, and we must assume that he knew the facts and communicated them accurately. Further, the marketplaces differed.
9. The brothers decided against killing Joseph much earlier (in Genesis 37:21-23), on Reuven’s suggestion, so Judah’s argument against killing Joseph in 37:27 is superfluous.
The account does not say that the brothers decided against killing Joseph, only that they didn't kill him at that earlier time. Judah's statements indicate that they were still talking about killing him. In fact, he repeats the idea twice; hardly an indication of superfluity (37:26, 27).
10. Also, there’s a stylistic difference between 37:27 and the surrounding verses, suggesting an editorial.
The verses after 37:27 show some connection to the earlier verses. Jacob had "sent" Joseph to learn the welfare of his brothers (37:14). Now, the brothers "sent" the tunic to Jacob to report the supposed welfare of Joseph (37:32).
At the same time, there is a change in the way the brothers speak of Joseph. Prior to selling him, they referred to him as their brother and their own flesh and blood. Following verse 27, they refer to him as "your son." That stylistic change is an indicator of the hardness of the brothers who had sold their own flesh and blood, lied about it and then may have used language to distance themselves from their own brother.
In any case, whether or not this section is an editorial comment is not particularly germane to the larger issue of whether the brothers were merely engaged in a practical joke that got out of hand.
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