Genesis Chapter 37
The account of Joseph being sold into slavery by his own brothers has been made into movies, books, and children’s books. While it is a very familiar story to many, it is such an important foundational event in the history of the Israelite people that we need to read it with eyes to learn and not just be entertained. The coat that Jacob (Israel) made for his son Joseph is only a small portion of the reason that his brother’s hated him. We must first think about the family dynamics in that these were half-brothers. That situation in itself can cause a lot of strife in a family if not handled properly.
We also can understand how Israel felt about his son Joseph since his mother was Rachel and she wasn’t able to bare children until later in life. Joseph had been born to Israel in his old age. There may have been favoritism of Joseph, or it may be that it was simply an older parent giving attention to his youngest child. We often see older, more mature parents spending more time with their younger children than they did with their older children. Whatever the case was, it was true that his older half-brothers were jealous of the attention that he got.
Let's Reflect
1. Joseph didn’t help his situation out. What do we find him doing in verse 2?
2. How did his brothers feel about the dreams that he said that he had?
3. These dreams did not make sense to anyone in the family. It is likely that they thought he was making up stories. What did his own father think of the dreams?
4. In both dreams what is happening to Joseph?
5. There came a day when Israel felt his son was old enough to travel on his own and so he sent him to go check on his brothers. Approximately how old was Joseph? I am just guessing, but this may have been another reason for the contention in the family. Joseph was old enough to be out working like his brothers, yet he had been kept at home until this point.
6. The brothers were not where their father thought they were. It took Joseph a bit to find them. What did his brothers say when they saw him coming towards them in the distance?
7. Israel’s oldest son Reuben did not want to go along with their plan, so he devised another plan to throw him in a pit. What did Reuben plan to do?
8. What did the brothers do while their brother Joseph was in the pit?
9. Joseph then had the distinct privilege of hearing what his brothers were willing to pay to sell him off to the Ishmaelite traders. What did they pay to get rid of him? Can you imagine the pleading of Joseph as he was being dragged away?
10. What cold story did they tell their father about the disappearance of Joseph?
11. Where did the Ishmaelite traders take Joseph?
