February 16, 2023

Jealous hearts

Genesis 37

Beau Jacobson
Thursday's Devo

February 16, 2023

Thursday's Devo

February 16, 2023

Thursday's Devo

February 16, 2023

Thursday's Devo

February 16, 2023

Big Idea

We can trust God when we don't know how things will turn out.

Key Verse | Genesis 37:3-4

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Genesis 37

Joseph's Dreams

1 Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

2 These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 1 37:3 See Septuagint, Vulgate; or (with Syriac) a robe with long sleeves. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; also verses 23, 32 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. 2 37:20 Or cisterns; also verses 22, 24 Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels 3 37:28 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son's robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son's robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Footnotes

[1] 37:3 See Septuagint, Vulgate; or (with Syriac) a robe with long sleeves. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; also verses 23, 32
[2] 37:20 Or cisterns; also verses 22, 24
[3] 37:28 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

S2:034 Genesis 37

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Dive Deeper | Genesis 37

 Joseph's story is full of symbolic imagery. He is later thrown into a pit by his brothers. Yet, that pit is what leads him to God's promise. However, the very thing that led him to the pit is something we can all relate to: jealousy.

We are still in the first book of the Bible, but sibling rivalries are nothing new. Imagine being one of Joseph's brothers!

Joseph's brothers were caught in the trap of viewing the world by what they didn't possess. We do this all the time. Too often, we define ourselves by what we have, what we do, or how others view us. We buy into the lies of jealousy and can begin to hate those around us. Sometimes this can happen to the extent of speaking poorly of them or of not speaking with them at all.

Jealousy is fueled by a lack of gospel identity and is exposed through comparison.

Gospel identity is confidence in who God is and whom He says we are. The very insecurity that fuels jealousy comes from looking to ourselves. The confidence we need comes from looking up to God. When our foundation is set on sinking sand, we will often look in (pride) or look out (comparison); but when our foundation is set on solid rock, we look up—to God.

Without being filled with truth, our eyes come down from the prize and gaze at the darkness of a broken world. We can focus, like Joseph's brothers, on the "favor" or the "coat" we do not have. But when rooted in the Truth, we can say, "You might have the coat, but I have faith in the One who says my life is in His hands."

I still struggle with jealousy regularly, but instead of it becoming a slippery slope to hatred, I now let it serve as a reminder that I am in need of a Savior. The best news is that we have a Savior who loves us and gave Himself for us. Let us build our identities on the gospel truth!

This month's memory verse

9  Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

– Proverbs 10:9

Discussion Questions

1. Can you relate to Joseph's brothers and the jealousy they felt? If so, have you identified what leads to these moments?

2. When faced with these moments of jealousy, are you allowing them to lead to hate or to turn you to God's truth through prayer and Scripture?

3. What are some ways you can strengthen your gospel identity and live differently? Will this allow you to keep your eyes up (to God) instead of in (pride) or out (comparison)?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

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Hugh Stephenson

GM Beau. Love this devo. Some very thought-provoking points. My favorite is “…viewing the world by what they did not possess.” Q1. Two possible reactions- 1. I deserve that too...or me instead of them. 2. Sadness- as I know I don’t have whatever they have that got them that thing. What a trap. Q2. At some point the quests for sanity leads me to stop coveting and focus on what Jesus has done for me. This gets easier over time but there is still a residual. Q3. Here is where I insert my daily dose of Hebrews 12, specifically Hebrews 12:1-3. If I keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, then it’s going to be hard top look at that new truck or cool house.
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Hugh Stephenson

I’m intrigued by the role of dreams and visions in terms of how they can interrelate to God’s providence. It’s easy, but maybe a stretch, to link these to the work of the Holy Spirit post John 14…but maybe not. Open to edification. What helps is this piece from Constable’s notes- "This is the first dream in the Bible in which God does not speak (cf. 20:3; 28:12-15; 31:11, 24). It forms a transition in the dominant means of God's revelation from -theophany in Genesis 1—11, - -to dreams and visions in Genesis 12—35, -and now to providence in Genesis 36—50. These three stages resemble the three parts of TaNaK (i.e., the OT). -In the Torah ('Law'), God speaks to Moses in theophany; -in the Nebiim('Prophets'), he speaks in dreams and visions; and -in the Ketuvim ('Writings'), he works mostly through providence."
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Hugh Stephenson

It’s the providence of God that stands out to me. Consistently, these chapters show how God is directing events despite the best efforts of His chosen people and Patriarchs to divert the path their way. I like another way I have heard this, “Pray before planning.” And finally, another one, “We plan God laughs”. For prayer, I like this- When man works, man works. When man prays, God works.” it’s my ego, envy, pride, control etc that wants to be in the driver’s seat. Each time, God says “Go ahead.” Not very far down the road the car is upside down I a ditch. In Genesis 22 Abraham notes God provides, (Jehovah Jireh). Haggar notes God is also El Roi, “The God who sees”. I’m back to visualizing life as floating down stream. Not swimming aggressive against the current or with the current. Just floating and cooperating with it.
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Michael Sisson

By way of introduction to story of Joseph, it is helpful to recognize: 1) the depth to which Joseph is a type [prototypical likeness] of Messiah, 2) the degree to which Joseph’s story shapes Jewish expectations of who the Messiah would/will be, and 3) a few key details to watch for which hint at Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus). Firstly, of all the people in the Hebrew Bible (“Old Testament”) Joseph may be THE person most like Yeshua (Jesus). Joseph is a type of Messiah in that he: a) is baselessly hated [Heb “sinas chinam”] by his brothers b) becomes a suffering servant c) is exiled in Egypt d) rises to a position second only to the king e) essentially dies and is resurrected f) is hidden from and unrecognized by his brothers, only to be miraculously revealed later g) becomes the salvation of his whole family Secondly, due in large part to Joseph’s story, Judaism has long awaited TWO Messiahs: a) “Mashiach ben David” [Eng “Messiah son of David”; i.e. Christianity’s “Conquering King Messiah”] b) “Mashiach ben Yosef” [Eng “Messiah son of Joseph”; i.e. Christianity’s “Suffering Servant Messiah”] Judaism expects Messiah son of Joseph will: 1. come first 2. will suffer and die on behalf of Israel 3. will be resurrected [with the help of Messiah ben David] Whereas, Messiah son of David is expected to: 1. come second 2. be a conquering king who will defeat Israel’s enemies and end any foreign occupation of the land 3. rebuild the Temple 4. will rule the world from the Throne of David 5. be G-d’s ultimate fulfillment of His promises to His “Chosen People.” >>>The triune nature of the G-dhead aside, where Traditional Judaism and Christianity differ most importantly is Traditional Judaism does not yet recognize Yeshua (Jesus) IS Messiah son of Joseph, and He WILL return to reveal Himself to his brethren as Messiah son of David. Today, Jews who call the Messiah “blessed” no more recognize Jesus, than Isaac recognized Jacob covered in goatskin; though one glorious day they will!<<< For more on “Mashiach ben Yosef,” see the following Hebrew For Christians article: https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html Thirdly, as you read the story of Joseph, watch for these details which hint at Yeshua: a) How Joseph enjoys His father’s favor. b) How Joseph’s brothers react when he reveals their misdeeds and confronts them with unvarnished truth c) the goat’s role in his brothers’ scheme (Gen 37) and Tamar’s bargain with Judah (Gen 38) d) Judah’s words to Jacob at the end of the Gen 37, and Tamar’s words to Judah at the end of Gen 38 Re: Gen 37:2 Gen 37:2 (NASB) Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And >>>Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.<<< See Jn 7:7 Re: Gen 37:3 Gen 37:3 (NASB1995) Now >>>Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons,<<< because he was the >>>son of his old age;<<< and he made him a varicolored tunic. See Mt 3:17; 1Pet 1:20 Re: Gen 37:4 Gen 37:4 (NASB) His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and >>>so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.<<< Through no fault of his own, Joseph was the object of his brothers’ baseless hatred (Heb “sinas chinam“). According to the Talmud, “baseless hatred” led to the destruction of the Second Temple; though the Talmud does not specify the object of that baseless hatred. However, Jewish tradition says once the Jewish people identify the object of their baseless hatred and repent thereof, the Temple will be rebuilt. May I suggest Yeshua (Jesus) is the object of their baseless hatred? (Isa 49:7; Jn 1:11; Lk 19:14; Jn 19:21) Once Israel collectively recognizes this and confesses, “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the L-RD!” we will see Yeshua (Jesus) return, Israel’s current Exile in Edom (Heb “Galut Edom”) will end, and the Temple will be restored. (See Mt 23:37-39) For more on this vitally important concept which recurs throughout Scripture, see this Hebrew For Christians’ article on baseless hatred’s role in the destruction of the Temple. https://hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Summer_Holidays/Tishah_B_Av/Sinat_Chinam/sinat_chinam.html Re: Gen 37:5,8 Gen 37:5 (NASB) Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, >>>they hated him even more.<<< Re: Gen 37:7 Gen 37:7 (NASB1995) for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, >>>my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”<<< Foreshadowing the famine that would bring Jacob’s sons humbly before Joseph, Viceroy of Egypt. See Gen 41:57-42:1 Gen 37:8 (NASB) Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” >>>So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.<<< While critics will fault seventeen-year-old Joseph for a lack of tact, we should remember from the previous verse his brothers baselessly hated him BEFORE he ever had his dream. Joseph’s dream only deepened their baseless hated of him. Moreover, this baseless hatred will ultimately lead to Israel’s Exile in Egypt. Joseph’s brother’s hatred is yet another link in a chain of examples throughout scripture of the far off, approaching Messiah (Num 24:17a) and His progenitors being unrecognized, mistreated, and despised. However, in this example, the object of the hatred is not someone literally in Messiah’s genealogy, but rather the namesake of the role Yeshua would play, namely Mashiach ben Yosef. Yeshua (Jesus) was no more the son of Joseph the carpenter, than He was a direct descendant of Joseph son of Jacob (Messiah MUST be a direct descendant of Judah [Gen 49:8-12]). However, Yeshua’s relationship to Joseph the carpenter does make for some tantalizing New Testament allusions which hint at Yeshua (Jesus) being “Messiah SON OF JOSEPH”: Lk 3:23; Jn 1:45; Jn 6:42. Re: Gen 37:10 Gen 37:10 (NASB1995) He related it to his father and to his brothers; and >>>his father rebuked him<<< and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I >>>and your mother<<< and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” Initially, Jacob is incredulous as to the prophetic nature of Joseph’s dream. Furthermore, to whom is Jacob referring? Isn’t Rachel, mother of Joseph, already dead? Re: Gen 37:18,26-27 While it's not evident in the plotting going on in these verses, there's something to be said of the potential for righteousness G-d sees in Judah even while he's in the midst of his sin. For the chronology of the narrative would suggest the Seed that would become Messiah had already passed from Judah to Tamar (Gen 38) before Judah's change of heart towards Joseph, and before Jacob prophesies the Messiah would come through Judah. (Gen 49:8-12) Re: Gen 37:31 Genesis 37:31 (NASB) So they took Joseph's tunic, and >>>slaughtered a male goat<<< and >>>dipped the tunic in the blood;<<< While readers may be familiar with a lamb being a type of the Messiah (Jn 1:29), most do not realize a goat is likewise a type of the Messiah (Ex 12:5, 1Cor 5:7). As a lamb is a type of the Messiah anticipated and welcomed, >>>conversely a goat is a type of that same Messiah unrecognized and despised. (the “Despised Messiah”; Isa 49:7; Isa 53:3)<<< Here, a type of the Despised Messiah, namely a goat, is used to fake Joseph’s death. See Rev 19:13. Re: Gen 37:32 Gen 37:32 (NASB) and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please >>>examine it to see whether it is your son's tunic or not.”<<< The Hebrew phrase here literally translates "recognize and identify.” That Hebrew phrase only occurs one other place in the Torah…the next chapter. (see Gen 38:25) There, in essence, G-d repays Judah in his own coin.
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Chris Landry

Commentary from the Jesus Storybook Bible - yes. It exists. :) have toddlers and you learn to have “faith like a child….” — didn’t have time to ponder my own thoughts this morning. But these are great ones to read. —— The story of Joseph stretches from chapter 37 through 50 of the book of Genesis. One of the main points of the story is that no one can by sin or disobedience thwart God’s saving purposes. Even the enemies of God can only help establish his plans. This was the case with Jesus: when world rulers, religious rulers, and Satan sought to destroy him, they only lifted him up. This was the case with Joseph. If he hadn’t been betrayed, his family would not have been saved physically (from famine) or spiritually (from their besetting sins). Jacob’s family was to be the bearer of the true faith and the messianic seed. But, spiritually speaking, it was heading toward shipwreck because of sin. Jacob’s emotional rejection of Leah and idolization of Rachel had sown terrible discord in the lives of their children. Jacob built his life around Rachel’s child—Joseph—and was cold and uncaring to his other children. As a result, Joseph was on his way to becoming cruel, shallow, and arrogant, while his brothers were embittered and hateful. But God intervened. God used the brothers’ own venomous intentions in order to have Joseph sold into slavery in Egypt and, ultimately, for Joseph to become the instrument of his brothers’ physical and spiritual regeneration. Joseph becomes the savior of those who rejected him. Joseph says to his brothers in Genesis 45:4–7 : “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. . . . God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” Notice how Joseph twice says “you sold me” and twice says “God sent me.” He sets these against one another. Which is it? Is Joseph in Egypt because they sold him or because God sent him? The answer is in Genesis 50:20 where Joseph says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” This is a very rich and sophisticated view of how God relates to historical events. On the one hand, Joseph does not say, “You didn’t do anything wrong; you couldn’t help it; God made you do it.” If that were the case, and they had only been God’s puppets, then they would not have actually sinned and could not be held accountable for their evil deeds. On the other hand, Joseph does not say, “You did it; God only allowed it; then he had to fix things.” If that were the case, and God had been only a bystander, he would not be the sovereign Lord who ordains, plans, and controls all things. Instead, Joseph says that the brothers most definitely chose to betray him, and they are responsible for that action. Yet, God all along arranged to work through their sin to further his good purposes. Joseph’s understanding of human history is remarkably like that of Peter’s in Acts 2:23 and Acts 4:27-28. In the former Peter says, “[Jesus] was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” Notice that the betrayal of Jesus (like the betrayal of Joseph) was completely, actively planned and accomplished by God. It had to happen — it was set. Yet the people who betrayed Jesus were nonetheless “wicked.” This is neither “fatalism,” where God determines all things in spite of our choices; nor is it “humanism,” where we determine all things through our choices. It is a nuanced biblical view, which says that God determines all things through our choices. —— There you have it. Commentary from the kids Bible!
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Sue Bohlin

Thanks, Beau! Nobody seems to know why Moses included the detail in the story of Joseph talking to some guy who directed him to find his brothers. I'm hoping there will be a line in heaven where we can queue up and ask Bible questions . . . I appreciated Dr. Constable's insight on a couple of things. First: "Had Jacob believed more strongly in God’s revelations in Joseph’s dreams he might not have jumped to the conclusion that Joseph was dead, and his sorrow might not have been as great (cf. 2 Sam. 18:33). Jacob’s fears were groundless, but he did not realize this because he chose in this instance to live by sight rather than by faith." And I also appreciated his observation of what a rock star Joseph was, with a strong faith in Yahweh (especially contrasted to his brothers). I had never considered how he became the amazing young man he was: “The Genesis account presents Joseph as a very unusual young man, possessed of a strong and sterling character, of a high morality and fidelity to God and his superiors. He was also characterized by gentleness in human relations. Remarkably, Joseph’s spiritual and moral strength does not appear to be based on or related to God’s periodic and direct revelations, as was true of Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. Presumably then Jacob must have put a lot of character building truth into the young man’s life at an early time. It does not appear that he could have obtained such information from any other source. If this is the case, Jacob did a much better job with Joseph than with his other sons." But I think there's another layer of Joseph's "amazing technicolor" character and faith, which goes back to @Michael Sisson's great observation of the parallels between Joseph and Jesus. Can you imagine being a person whose entire life is a signpost pointing to the Messiah?
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Michael Scaman

Abraham;s family in dissaray. Joseph is sold by his brothes to distance cousin Ishaelites to more distant cousin Midianites to a more distant group the sons of Ham (Didn't Noah curse Cannaan, Ham's son and Egypt is the land of Ham) , the Egyptians, a prominent Egyption official's household as a servant. Abraham's family in disarray but God is faithful. (Abraham dwelled in the land of Cannaan and now headed to the land of Ham, the least favored of Noah's descendents?) But God will be faithful in the apparent mess.
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Michael Scaman

I'm seeing double. ( actually double double double) Joseph has double dreams, annoying his brothers (and parents). The baker and cupbearer have double dreams The pharoah has double dreams Maybe at this point or when the Jo Bros visit Egypt in a famine Joseph ties it all together tying the three double dreams together seeing God at work over the long years. Perhaps Joseph sees God was working all along Time for a song from te Bible on Stage, Sight and Sound theater, the musical "Joseph" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX4xgyb1uOs I wonder if Daniel saw how God emphasized important things with repeated dreams and when he saw the handwritting on the wall repeating a word and said it was a sign God firmly fixed the desicion to judge Babylon. There is one thing repeated far more. In Isaiah 53 each point is repeated 7 times The servant pointing to Jesus with be rejected, suffer for sins, die and overcome death. Each point made at least 7 times. Even stronger than Joeph's double double double dreams or Daniels's handwriting on the wall.
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Amy Lowther

1. Yes. Yes. 2. As a child, I allowed the emotions to progress to hatred.. As I grew up, I allowed these emotions to lead me to God’s truth through prayer and scripture. 3. You could improve your gospel identity by helping people with application of the gospel in their daily lives. You could also help improve your gospel identity by helping people share faith and the value of it with other people. Yes.