Joseph was given the opportunity to break the circle of deceit. Joseph will go from everything to nothing, from security to insecurity.

1 – The context is unambiguous (vs. 12-17)

The confrontation with his brothers is delayed. Joseph is vulnerable. He is isolated from Jacob. As he gets closer to his brothers he gets further away from his father. We might think that if we obey God that things are going to get better. There is a loyalist feud. They see Joseph from a distance (His robe gave him away) and we can eavesdrop on their conversation. They plotted together against Joseph.

2 – The hatred is unrelenting (vs. 18-33)

The hatred is being expressed. The resentment is about to come out in the open. What goes on in the heart is what matters. Joseph will feel the full force of their hatred. The brothers blamed Joseph for it all but Jacob had played his part. Joseph becomes “the fall guy”. They will prove his dreams to be false. They want to kill him by throwing him in a pit and pretending that some wild animal had killed him.

3 – An individual in the crowd (vs. 34)

Reuben is the eldest and asks for restraint. They strip Joseph and dump him in a pit. God made a way of escape from the brothers. Why did Reuben interfere? He stood out from the crowd and made a difference. We need to stand up as a Christian and not follow the world. The crowd are often doing something wrong.

4 – What about Joseph and Jacob? (vs. 34-36)

The butler forgot about Joseph. See Psalm 37:5-9. When you don’t understand – wait. God is never late or early. God is always on time.

5 – Don’t let your dreams dissolve (Genesis 41:37)

Notice two things:-

• Jacob’s deep sorrow and mourning (vs. 34-36). He was Rachel’s boy. There is great intensity in his grief. He refuses to stop. He has invested everything in Joseph. Jacob was reaping what he had sowed.
• Joseph’s despair and separation. Joseph is in a pit alone. His dreams are shattered. He is away from his father, separated from his brothers and sold into slavery. Joseph is a great picture of Jesus. He was rich and now was poor. He was despised and rejected. The pit was like Calgary and was part of God’s plan for him.

Categories: Genesis