Today, we are in Genesis 37. If you remember, for 20 years Jacob went from running, to wrestling, to resolving issues with God and his brother Esau. On his journey back home to Hebron, he endured deep sorrow — the rape of his daughter, Dinah, the shame of his sons’ violent revenge, and the loss of his mother, Rachel, her maid, and his wife Rebecca, and eventually his father, Isaac. All of whom he deeply loved.
After parting ways with Esau, who moved his family to Seir, Israel (Jacob) continued on toward the Promised Land. As his story winds down, the focus shifts to his sons — especially to the one who brought him the most joy: Joseph.
Let’s read Genesis 37:12–36
12 Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are your brothers not pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “I will go.” 14 Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. 19They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer! 20 Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands by saying, “Let’s not take his life.” 22 Then Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father. 23 So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the multicolored tunic that was on him; 24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying labdanum resin, balsam, and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. So they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32 and they sent the multicolored 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.” 33 Then he examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A vicious animal has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 So Jacob tore his clothes, and put on a sackcloth undergarment over his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.
The story of Joseph’s life, as imperfect as it was, reveals three things:
? Real Family Struggles
? The Providence of God in the midst of human struggles, and
? God’s Dreams (Purposes & Plans) Don’t Die
1. Real Family Struggles
Israel sends Joseph to check on his brothers who were pasturing the flock in Shechem — about 100 kilometers away. The trip itself is dangerous, but what is implied is that despite all the heartaches that his sons had caused Israel loves his family and is concerned for their safety. The recent history of Simeon and Levi’s bloody massacre of the Shechemites, was a reasonable cause for Jacob’s concern.
This is the love of a father who sends — a love that seeks, even when the children have gone far away.
The brothers were dutiful, but distant — doing their job but they were far from their father and their brothers.
Personal note:
How often do we live the same way spiritually — doing our Christian duty but staying far from our heavenly Father and brother and sisters in Christ? Oftentimes we start thinking the worst about God’s plans and heart towards us when all He wants is the best for us.
Even after our rebellion, God still sent His Son to seek us. And after we become believers, and are in Christ, God’s covenant love is without conditions and without limits.
We see in vv. 16-18, that the brothers are nowhere to be found in Shechem. Joseph could have turned back and just brought the report to his dad, but he kept searching. By God’s providence, he meets some random man who happened to hear his brothers’ conversation and directs him to Dothan, about 20 kms further north.
We see how God’s providence is quietly guiding the search.
When his brothers saw him coming from a distance, however, they began to plot his death.
“Here comes this dreamer,” they sneered. “Let’s kill him and see what becomes of his dreams.”
Way before Joseph got there they had already put their malicious plan into action. How different the outcome might have been if they would have allowed him to come near and hear why he traveled for five days searching for them - to hear of their father’s love and concern for them. How different the outcome might have been if they had only taken time to let him come close and listen.
Reflection:
How often have I made decisions far from God — out of fear, anxiety, or what I thought was blissful ignorance — when all I needed was to open my heart to hear what my heavenly Father had to say to me by His spirit and through His word?
If only people truly understood the reason why Jesus came to the earth - to bring life and to save them and not to judge or condemn, maybe there wouldn’t be so much hatred, jealousy, and aggression to get what God intends to freely give us.
The brothers thought they could silence Joseph’s dream. But it wasn’t Joseph’s dream — it was God’s.
And so in vv. 23–25, we see that when Joseph arrives, his brothers strip him of his robe — the symbol of his father’s favor — and throw him into an empty pit.
That must have been a painful fall, both physically and emotionally. This was a real test for Joseph. Would he work through his despair, would he continue to walk with God through his suffering?
Then — shockingly — his brothers just sat down to eat. No remorse. No compassion. No conscience even as they heard their brother’s cries. Years after the event they confessed:
“We saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen” (Gen 42:21).
They actually never forgot the pleadings of their brother. Nothing alleviated the heaviness of their guilt, it haunted them for the decades that followed.
Reflection:
Do we ignore the Holy Spirit’s voice — when He convicts, warns, or calls us to repent? We may go on with our outward duties, our work, our calling, but inwardly we can grow cold and distant.
Ignoring the Spirit’s conviction always carries a heavy price.
It’s here in vv. 26-28, that in spite of the family struggles, we begin to see:
2. The Providence of God
As the brothers are eating (vv. 26-28), waiting for their brother to die a natural death, a caravan providentially approaches them. Judah proposes a “better” idea — “Let’s sell him” and so they sell their brother for twenty shekels of silver — the price of a young slave.
See you later dreamer! What’s interesting is that these traders were going down to Egypt and they would be passing within a few kilometers of Hebron where Israel and his family are living.
They thought they were getting rid of the dreamer, but they were unknowingly financing God’s plan.
While they were selling him out, God was setting him up.
Reuben returns too late. Though Reuben was grieved over what happened to Joseph, instead of confessing and taking responsibility for it, he goes along with brothers’ schemes to deceive their father.
Sin always demands another sin to cover it.
We can’t imagine the horror of what was going through Israel’s mind as he pictures what happened to Joseph. His grief must have been unfathomable (vv. 31-36). The robe, once a symbol of love, now appears as proof of a brutal death. His heart breaks as he says,
“Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”
Meanwhile, Joseph is being sold to Potiphar in Egypt — and the very act of betrayal becomes the doorway to providential blessing.
In trying to destroy Joseph’s dream, the brothers became instruments in fulfilling it.
Prov 19:21 tells us, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”
No matter what people or what the devil does to thwart God’s plans, purposes, and calling don’t change. In other words, (SL 6)
3. God’s Dreams (plans purposes and calling) Don’t Die
Joseph was sent as a beloved son and then sold as a slave. Somehow Joseph kept believing in God in the midst of the family struggles. Though He had ample reason for self-pity, cynicism, mistrust, rage, revenge and anger toward God, he refused to be a victim of his brothers’ hatred and actions. He knew God had a bigger plan that would supersede his brothers’ betrayal and abuse.
If we have been betrayed or abused, we must never minimize the wounds it inflicted or act like these things don’t affect us. However, God never intended that the bad things we experience in a fallen world would define us. In Joseph’s case, he didn’t let his brothers’ bitterness bury him. In hindsight, he saw that the pit was part of God’s overall plan. Even when his dreams fell into the pit with him, they didn’t die there. Even Israel thought his son was dead, his joy was gone, hope was lost - but the truth is his son was alive and soon to be in a place to save the nations. Kind of like the disciples after the crucifixion. Death could not hold Jesus down -
What does Joseph’s life story have to do with us? What do you do…
? When those closest to you discourage you when you’re pursuing God-given dreams?
? When you are the victim of injustice, animosity, and even hatred, and your dreams have been thrown into a pit?
Just remember that life sometimes puts us in the pit but the pit is not permanent.
There’s a generation today that has little hope for the future, so tech obsessed, overloaded with information about the world — anxious about the climate, the economy, wars and rumors of wars, anxious about the future. This upcoming generation is overwhelmed by fear and starving for hope.
Today psychologists concede: this generation has its eyes fixed on the wrong things.
Joseph didn’t let bitterness bury him. His eyes were focused on the One who would fulfill His promises. He trusted that God’s hand was at work — even in the midst of betrayal, loss, and pain.
So where are you today?
Like Israel sent Joseph to his brothers because of his love and concern for his rebellious children, God sent His son Jesus out of love for a world that is lost and distant from Him because of their sin. God is concerned for both your daily and eternal welfare. He desires to connect with you.
Maybe you are a Christian - doing your Christian duty but in reality you are distant and disconnected from God. God desires to connect with you.
Maybe you’ve fallen into a pit, one you haven’t dug, one you can’t get out of — God wants us to turn to Him for help. When you trust Him in the midst of the struggles, in the midst of suffering, your pain will not be wasted. While you may think no one cares, God sees you and hears your cries. Even in the pit God is still working on your behalf. He is preparing you for the next chapter of your life. How do I know this?
Because:
God works all things together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).
God is working, His plan will prevail, and because of this, we have hope for our future. Let’s pray.
