Do you remember your first day of school? Sometimes an anxious child will ask, “What if the other kids don’t like me?” A parent might answer reassuringly, “Just be nice to them, sweetheart, and they’ll be nice to you.”
Well intended though it may be, such counsel is not always true. Being kind to others does not always bring kindness in return. Most Christians who are committed to practicing Christian virtues in social settings have experienced at least occasional rejection in response to their overtures of kindness.
God wants His people to practice righteous and truthful behavior, even when doing so results in hatred and rejection. This study will help you discover ways to live out your faith even under hostile social conditions.
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Why did Jacob favor Joseph? (37:3)
2. In addition to Jacob’s partiality to him, why else did Joseph’s brothers hate him? (37:7-8)
3. What allowed Joseph’s brothers’ time to conspire against him? (37:18)
BACKGROUND PASSAGE OVERVIEW
Joseph was a son of Jacob from Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel. While working as a shepherd with his brothers, Joseph reported their evil behavior to their father. Jacob gave Joseph a distinctive coat. Because of Joseph’s favored status with Jacob, al of his brothers hated him. Their hostility toward him increased when Joseph related a dream he had in which his brothers bowed to him. A subsequent dream went further in that the entire household bowed down to him, including Jacob. Though he rebuked his son over the matter, Jacob pondered the incident in his mind.
Jacob sent Joseph to Shechem, where they pastured their flocks, to check up on his brothers. Joseph’s brothers took his distinctive coat and threw him into a pit. After intervention from Judah (and Reuben earlier), they decided not to kill him but to sell him as a slave. After pocketing the money, they returned home and told Jacob that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Jacob grieved deeply over the loss of his son.
Judah moved away to Adullam. Two of Judah’s sons were put to death by the Lord because of their evil actions. Judah promised his widowed daughter-in-law Tamar that she could marry his remaining son; however, he never intended to fulfill his promise. Tamar tricked Judah into having sexual relations with her and became pregnant. Judah admitted his guilt in the matter, which resulted in the birth of twins, Perez and Zerah.
SEEK TO DO RIGHT (GEN. 37:2-4)
VERSE 2 :
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
VERSE 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 colors.
VERSE 4 :
And when his brethren saw that their father love him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
VERSE 2
As a YOUNG MAN, Jacob’s son Joseph demonstrated an admirable character. Even though he appeared to be commissioned by his father in some type of supervisory capacity, he still worked and TENDED SHEEP. As his later years would reveal, he possessed remarkable leadership abilities.
Joseph was also courageous and truthful, unafraid to bring A BAD REPORT to Jacob about the behavior of his brothers. The exact nature of their offense is not specified; perhaps their actions threatened the safety of the flocks or the family’s relationship with the local citizens. To speculate about Joseph “tattling” goes beyond the Scripture. He was willing to do what was right in spite of potential consequences.
VERSE 3
Favoritism within Jacob’s family was unwise, unwarranted, and destructive. Isaac had favored Esau, while Rebekah had favored Jacob. Jacob favored Joseph because he was BORN TO HIM IN HIS OLD AGE. Rachel, Joseph’s mother, had been barren for years; and Jacob’s favoritism likely stemmed from his partiality to Rachel.
As a display of this favoritism, Jacob obtained A ROBE OF MANY COLORS for Joseph. While the distinctiveness of the robe could possibly have been due to its long sleeves, the garment nevertheless highlighted Joseph’s favored status. Jacob’s unwise actions are hard to justify in this regard. Because of it, the BROTHERS SAW THAT THEIR FATHER LOVED HIM MORE.
VERSE 4
The result was that Joseph’s brothers hated him and refused to SPEAK PEACEABLY to him. Jacob was wrong in his actions and so were the brothers, though we might be prone to sympathize with them. In the midst of a dysfunctional situation, Joseph maintained his integrity and did what was right. We cannot control how others respond to or perceive us, but we can choose our own actions toward them.
SEEK TO COMMUNICATE WISELY (GEN. 37:5-11)
VERSE 5 :
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
VERSE 6 :
And he saith unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
VERSE 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 to my sheaf.
VERSE 8 :
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? Or shat thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 10 :
And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
VERSE 11 :
And his brethren envied him: but his father observed the saying.
VERSE 5
Joseph’s name meant “add” or “more,” expressing Rachel’s belief that God would give her an additional son. However, in verse 5, the young man associated with abundance was only receiving EVEN MORE hatred from his brothers because their father loved Joseph more.
VERSE 6
For whatever reason, Joseph shared his dream. His words, LISTEN TO THIS DREAM I HAD, indicate to readers that the dream was essentially a divine announcement, although he may not have seen it as such. The dream’s fulfillment many years later in Egypt confirms that God was its source.
While some suspect that Joseph acted in a cocky manner by telling these dreams to his family, the Scripture itself doesn’t indicate that. Some wonder whether God called Joseph to actually tell the dream to other people or whether Joseph was simply being immature. We can speculate as to whether he demonstrated wisdom in sharing his dream, but that does not give us permission to take issue with his motives.
VERSES 7-8
The use of REALLY indicates the force with which Joseph’s brothers rejected his message. They hated him because they hated the message—a declaration that they would not RULE or REIGN but instead would bow down to and serve him. The brother’s hatred of Joseph was caused by more than just Jacob’s favoritism. They hated him because the dream’s content was so offensive to them.
VERSE 9
Joseph’s involvement with dreams, both their reception and interpretation, came in pairs. Later, on two different occasions, he would interpret a pair of dreams. Perhaps one dream might be dismissed as a “fluke,” but a repeat would merit close attention. The second dream essentially repeated the coming exaltation of Joseph but emphasized the involvement of his whole family in recognizing greatness.
VERSES 10-11
Jacob challenged Joseph for sharing this dream and cast doubt on its authenticity and fulfillment. Yet there was something about Joseph’s words that lodged in Jacob’s mind. As believers, God has called us to communicate the gospel message. We are to be obedient to Him and to share the truth. Even when our message is apparently rejected, it may quietly take up residence in a person’s heart and mind. The ultimate impact of a message may take years to unfold.
Scripture reminds us, however, to use common sense in sharing spiritual truth and to speak the truth in love. Those who do not know Christ typically reject the gospel when it is shared in a hateful manner. When we share Christ with the unsaved, we should do so in a winsome manner.
SEEK TO PERFORM DUTIES (GEN. 37:17-20, 28)
VERSE 17 :
And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan, And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
VERSE 18 :
And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
VERSE 19 :
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
VERSE 20 :
Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what wil become of his dreams…….
VERSE 28 :
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeedites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph to Egypt.
VERSE 17
Jacob sent Joseph to check up on his brothers, who were thought to be shepherding the flocks at Shechem. On investigation Joseph learned that his brothers had moved on from there. He went to Dothan and found them near that city, which was close to a major trade route. Evidence from Egyptian history indicates that Dothan’s slave trade was very active during this time.
VERSE 18
Joseph brothers spotted him from a DISTANCE. Perhaps because of the distinctive coat he wore. This development allowed them enough time to shape a conspiracy, and THEY PLOTTED TO KILL HIM.
VERSE 19
An onlooker could have heard the sarcasm in their voice when Joseph’s brother sneered in his direction and said, “HERE COMES THAT DREAMER!” (Literally, the Hebrew word is translated “the lord of dreams.”) Of course, the dream Joseph recounted and prediction of their inferior status was the impetus for their murderous scheme. However, we too tend to accept or reject God’s message (and messenger) based on the light in which we are portrayed.
VERSE 20
A mob mentality took hold as Joseph approached his brothers. Individually, they would not have behaved in this way. As a mob, they could KILL HIM and blame his death on A VICIOUS ANIMAL.
When Joseph set out for Shechem, he did not know what waited for him. To his honor, he faithfully performed the task requested of him by his father. Doing our duty will not exempt us from suffering and hardship. Faithfulness can even result in death. Nevertheless, the practice of faith demands that we seek to do our duty even in the face of danger.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
One of the classic breakup lines in dating relationship history is “It’s not you, it’s me.” Of course, this is often used as an excuse; but at times it communicates truth. As a believer I will be hated at times, not necessarily because there is something deficient in me or my actions but because of other people’s reactions to me. Perhaps my faith threatens them in that it is somehow offensive to the philosophy they live by. In any event, it is important for me to understand why I will at times experience hatred and rejection as a believer.
The key is to not base my actions on the response or receptivity of others. I must continue to practice my faith, even when doing so may bring adversity. How can I do that? On a separate sheet of paper, list several ways of doing so that God brings to your mind. And don’t forget that God may lead you to discover other ways to practice your faith in the face of rejection because this is part of His purpose and plan for your life.
ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Jacob favored Joseph because Joseph was born to him in his old age and Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, was his mother.
2. He told them about his dreams which offended them.
3. Joseph’s brothers saw this distinctive coat from a distance, allowing them time to devise a plan to get rid of him.
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©April,10-2007
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