Prepared for a Sinful World
Resting Secure in God’s Promise
Remembered in Trials
DBF 3/10/02
Boy, when you live in a small community like Dillingham or Bristol Bay you can’t afford to lose any friends.
What do you think you should do to keep your friends and family happy with you.
*Keep secrets about the lives of the people you know.
*Keep secrets about the illegal things friends or family might do.
*Make sure that you don’t say anything that could be taken as offensive to any of your friends and family.
*Don’t tell them the truth if you don’t think they will like it.
*Don’t give them the word or pray for them.
You know that God calls us to a higher calling as His people who are set apart, not because of anything we have ever done, but because of His grace and mercy.
Are you today resting in God’s promises for you and your family, friends, communities, and your nation.
Let’s walk with Jacob’s family and Joseph today and hopefully we will learn some things relative to the walk of Jacob and Joseph after God.
Resting Secure in God’s Promise
Genesis 37:1-8 (ESV)
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. [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.
In dramatic contrast with the expanding, powerful Esau, Jacob was dwelling in the land of the sojournings of his father… the land of Canaan.
You see Jacob was content with the promise that was given unto him as Abraham was. We are the heirs also of this wonderful promise. Genesis 15 tells us, “After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”
Do you claim this reward? Do you understand that the God that promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is our gracious God this day and to the end of time. The promise that was fulfilled in the birth, life, ministry, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Unlike Esau, Jacob had no “chiefs” or kings (35:11) yet, no lands to govern, and no full tribes. He was a sojourner. Delitzsch pertinently remarked that secular, worldly greatness comes swifter than spiritual greatness (A New Commentary on Genesis, 2:238). If this is what you seek you need to reinterpret the true goals and purposes of your life.
A promised spiritual blessing demands patience and faith. Waiting while others prosper is a test of one’s faithfulness and perseverance. After all what does it matter if you gain the world and lose your life.
Abram believed ( “believed in”) the LORD and He credited… to him … righteousness. This foundational truth is repeated three times in the New Testament (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23) to show that righteousness is reckoned in return for faith.
Romans 4:3, For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."
Galatians 3:6, Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"?
After the heading introduces this section as the last tÔoòledÔoòtÔ, the account of Jacob,
the story of Joseph begins. Joseph is introduced as an obedient 17-year-old son who
brought back a bad report about his half brothers (he did not bring a bad report about
his full brother Benjamin).
This didn’t make Joseph the most popular brother, we know from our reading that Jacob favored this son, which alone probably caused some animosity among his brothers.
The substance of this report is not given. Though doing this has never been popular, it shows that Joseph was faithful as a servant.
Maybe you have done your job in a manner that has caused co-workers to complain. I remember when I worked for the Post Office in Anchorage my co-workers said that I needed to slow down because I was making less than them because I worked to fast. I told them that the work I did was unto the Lord and not to compete with any of them, yet they were unhappy with me anyway. I just gave it to God, He was really the only one that could deal with it.
Joseph’s brother naturally… hated him for this.
The fact that Joseph was honored by Jacob, who gave him a richly ornamented robe, probably a multicolored tunic. This seems to signify that Jacob favored him above the rest with the intent of granting him all or a larger portion of the inheritance. For Joseph was the firstborn of Rachel, Jacob’s loved wife (30:22-24). Yet Jacob should have remembered what parental favoritism did to his family early one. It had separated him from his family and his loving mother (27:1-28:5), and it would prove to separate Joseph from father Jacob and step-brothers.
God confirmed Jacob’s choice of his faithful son by two dreams. God’s revelation was given in different forms in the Old Testament. He used dreams when His people were leaving or outside the land, that is, in the lands of pagans. In a dream God had announced to Abraham the Egyptian bondage in the first place (15:13); in a dream God promised protection and prosperity for Jacob in his sojourn with Laban (28:12, 15); and by two dreams God predicted that Joseph would rule over his family.
The brothers… hated Joseph all the more (37:5, 8) and were jealous of him, but Jacob pondered the matter (v. 11). He knew how God works; he was well aware that God could select the younger to rule over the elder, and that God could declare His choice in advance by an oracle or a dream.
God’s confirmation in a dream to Joseph that he would be the to be the chosen branch of Israel certainly did not help things.
The scene of the first dream was agricultural (v. 7). There may be some hint here of the manner in which Joseph’s authority over his brothers would be achieved (cf. 42:1-3). His sheaf of grain was upright while their sheaves… bowed down to his. The scene of the second dream was celestial (v. 9). The sun, the moon, and 11 stars bowed down to him.
In ancient cultures these astronomical symbols represented rulers. The dream, then, symbolically anticipated the elevation of Joseph over the whole house of Jacob (Joseph’s father, the sun; his mother, the moon; his 11 brothers, the stars, v. 10), is one interpretation. I prefer seeing God as the center with different placement of Joseph and Jacob and the promise of the 12 tribes of Israel..
Sensing that Joseph was to be elevated to prominence over them, the envy and hatred of his brothers is understandable. However, their reaction in contrast with Joseph’s honesty and faithfulness demonstrated why Jacob’s choosing him was proper.
God’s sovereign choice of a leader often brings out the jealousy of those who must submit.
Oh, that it were not so in our churches, but sadly we see people who envy others who serve, others who are musically gifted, and even others who we pray far. We should see that the proper response would be to praise God in all our situations, and recognize God’s choice.
Instead, his brothers set on a course to destroy him. There actions though prompted by the belief that they should lead, shows why they should not have led. Our hearts are often betrayed by our actions. Even when people here cannot see the way you truly feel towards your brothers or sisters, God can. Remember he commands us to “Love your brother as yourself.”
Remembered in Trials
12-36
[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. 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; cast 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 cast 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 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.
I truly like the manner and forthrightness of mind and will in Joseph. When Jacob Israel asked him to go and check on his brothers, Joseph’s response was “Here am I.” This is reminiscent of the great men and women of God who have answered the calls to many a mission field turning from this present world to a life devoted solely to the purposes of our God and King. Abraham answered God in such a positive way, Isaiah answered God in such a positive way…Are you willing to answer God in such a positive way this morning.
In following through with the answer Joseph will be placed in many situations to the glory of God. And in the end Joseph will be able to tell his brothers with a heart dedicated to God “What you meant for bad, God has made good.”
If we can only learn this secret, what a blessing. Even when things go bad, whether we are in a prison of service in a foreign land, or in service to another culture, or in prison for standing for Christ, we can thus say, “What the world meant for bad, God has made good, for His righteousness sake.
Instead of seeking Gods righteousness, the brothers devised a plot to kill that dreamer in order to prevent his dreams from being fulfilled. Before, they plotted to kill many Shechemites in revenge for their sister (34:24-29); now, by contrast, they plotted to kill their own brother! How easily our hearts can become hardened and content with things we know to be blatant sin. We must continually be aware and die to ourselves daily, seeking the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit of God in our every action, to keep from becoming like Joseph’s brothers.
Reuben, trying to gain an opportunity to restore Joseph to Jacob, persuaded his brothers not to commit such a crime. Reuben suggested they throw Joseph alive into a cistern. Then Reuben thought he could go rescue him later. So the brothers… stripped the lad of his tunic and threw him into a dry cistern to die.
This is certainly not “Phileo” love of the brethren is it. It is not “Agape” or unconditional love of God is it. We see the lusts of man, the desire to be recognized for what “I” am in the action of Joseph’s brothers. My, My, all is not well in this family under God.
We next see Judah prompting his brothers to sell Joseph to the passing Ishmaelites on their way from Gilead… to Egypt. Family selling family, the Ishmaelites were descendants of Abraham by Hagar (16:15) and the Midianites (37:28) descended from Abraham by his concubine Keturah (25:2). The term Ishmaelites became a general designation for desert tribes, so that Midianite traders were also known as Ishmaelites. Joseph was treated harshly by his brothers; but being sold for 20 shekels (8 ounces of silver) and taken to Egypt, he was preserved alive and God’s promise guaranteed. The ways of man or not the ways of God--Amen. We can be thankful for this today as it was in the days of our Patriarchs.
The sins of a father will be to the third and the fourth generations. We have discussed this theme in the past as I stated we would see again and again. The deception bred and started with Abraham continue to be a common theme. That theme of deception again surfaced in the family; here Jacob was deceived once again—this time by his own sons! The sons dipped Joseph’s tunic in goat’s blood to deceive the patriarch into thinking that Joseph was dead, devoured by a ferocious animal. Jacob mourned greatly over the loss of his beloved son (tearing one’s clothes and wearing sackcloth [coarse animal skins] were signs of grief and mourning; cf. 44:13; Job 1:20; 16:15) and refused to be comforted. Thus everyone shared in suffering for this treachery.
Praise be to God that even with this disturbing trend in the lives of Abraham and his descendents, God’s promise was kept.
Why? Because it was not based on our righteousness but on the righteousness of God. The same as my salvation today is based on as the hymn goes” my faith is based on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness”. We are talking about the righteousness of our great and glorious Heavenly Father.
God is there when I am lonely…in prisons of my own making…in prisons of others makings…hurting…crying…living…dying…in every situation in our lives He is there seeking to be with us…seeing to our every needs. Claim that today and remember that as we walk with Joseph for the next few weeks in our service.
The sad scene in Hebron (cf. v. 14) contrasts with a note that Joseph was sold to Potiphar… Pharaoh’s… captain of the guard.
The story we share this week is of hatred and deception. Joseph’s brothers tried to improve their lot with their father by wicked means.
Can a Christian ever allow themselves to do so? God Forbid. In the words of Paul, all that we do must bring glory and honor to God.
Jacob himself had attempted something similar with his father. The brothers would have to learn, however, as did Jacob, that God does not continue to give His blessings to those who do such things. Their use of goat’s blood is ironic, for the skins of a goat were used by Jacob to deceive his father (27:16). Jacob’s sin of years before had come back to haunt him.
Our sins also will come back to haunt us if we do not choose Jesus and walk in the newness of life He alone can offer. All things of darkness will be made manifest in the light. You do not have a grand or great secret that is not known by our God and Father.
Joseph’s brothers’ attitude would also have to be changed by God, or there would be no nation. Our attitudes can only be changed by God, but to do so you must start by accepting the Lamb of God. If you have never publicly accepted him we ask that you come and start to walk in newness of life. Jesus is able to turn your every darkness into life if you will only let Him. He asks “You who are heavy laden, cast your burdens upon me (Jesus).”
If you are ready for this change please let us know, we would be glad to help you in starting this daily walk with Christ.
So, here then is the beginning of the suffering of Joseph, the obedient servant. God would test and build his character through the things he suffered, so that he could then be exalted. We will continue our study and our walk with our Patriarch’s, hopefully continuing to build and cling to the Promise of God to raise up for Himself a mighty nation.
If you have any prayers which you would like us to lift you up in or know of any family with dispair, hopelessness, or needs of any kind please let us know, we would love to pray for them.
Closing Prayer.
