THE BOOK OF GENESIS. The life of Joseph.

RACHEL’S FIRST CHILD.

We are now moving on to the wonderful life of Joseph. Stay with me as we unfold the purposes of God for Israel through him. Learn more on how to trust God in the darkness of the pit, the prisons of life. Learn to, “humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and as Joseph .. in due time He will exalt you.”

Joseph was the first child of Rachel. After nine years of barrenness, she and Jacob had Benjamin. Sadly, during this difficult birth she died.

Joseph as a youngster knew which buttons to press to rile his brothers.
He reported everything that his brother’s did, good or bad to his father Jacob.
Now Jacob loved Joseph more than all his children (Gen 37:3) because he was the son of his old age .. now 107 yrs of age!

His brothers did not approve of Him at all, because “supposedly,” he told Jacob of Ruben’s affair with his concubine Bilah. (Jacobs secondary wife.)
They really had no proof of this, yet they hated him.

Jacob gave Joseph a magnificent coat, as a mark of honour and rank.
Some commentators believe it was a coat of coloured stripes!
Others say, it had beautiful needlework of various colours, very royal.

It is very unwise to favour one child over another.. His other sons hated Joseph and lost respect for their father (v 31-34.) This was history repeating itself, passed on from Isaac and Rebekah to Jacob!

JOSEPH’S DREAMS.

Joseph unwisely shared his dreams with his father and with his brothers. This caused more hatred and jealousy from his brothers and his father was not at all impressed. They did not in any way want to bow before him.

Read about each dream in Cpt 37:5-12.
The brothers were so angry with Joseph that they would not speak civilly to him. But his father observed the dreams and pondered over them.

His brothers plotted amongst themselves..
“What is to be done to this little dreamer?”
Behind his back they called him names, they sniggered “little king.”

THE PLOT AGAINST JOSEPH

The sons of Jacob went up to Shechem, to feed their flocks, so Jacob sent Joseph to see if all was well with them.

They had moved to Dotham and with some help, he found them there.

Joseph was so pleased to see them, he waved at them profusely .. smiling as he waved.

But there was no response!

As he drew closer he could feel, there was something not right. He could feel it in the air, yet he drew the closer to them, though feeling uneasy.

Upon his arrival he could now sense hate and revenge, he could see it in his brothers eyes and on their faces. Then he froze, as the men came upon him and knocked him to the ground.

JOSEPH THROWN INTO THE PIT.

They wanted to slay Joseph then and there, but Reuben delivered him, so they stripped the coat from him and threw Joseph into a well like pit. He felt himself falling and lost consciousness, and laid on the stoney ground, battered and bruised.

The brothers resumed eating, but Reuben sat alone planning how to save Joseph and return him to his father again.

This did not happen.

As they were eating, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites carrying their wares down to Egypt. Joseph now inside the pit awoke, and cried out for mercy.

JOSEPH SOLD AS A SLAVE.

“Please get me out of here.”
Then Judah suggested, “don’t kill him lets sell him instead, “he is our brother.” Reuben was not present. So they sold him for twenty pieces of silver!

Their plan was to deceive their father by taking Joseph’s long coat and dip it in goat’s blood, which they had just slain, and pretend it to be the blood of his beloved son Joseph. They took the blood stained coat and returned home.

The men sent the coat on ahead to jacob to determine if it belonged to Joseph.

Jacob recognised the coat at once and began to howl. “My son! My son!” He wailed, “Joseph has been devoured, by lions!” He cried, bending over with, severe grief.

“My son is surely torn to pieces.”
Jacob tore his robe and put sackcloth on himself and mourned many days, no-one could comfort him.“No,” he wept, “no, I will go down to the grave lamenting my dear son Joseph.”

And Joseph at the boyish age of 17 was transported down to Egypt.

His life would change forever!

WOULD HE SEE HIS DEAR FATHER AND BROTHER AGAIN?

More next week.

Amen.