Have you ever felt betrayed by your own family? Have you ever faced jealousy, hatred, or violence from your siblings? If you have, you are not alone. The Bible tells us the story of Joseph, a young man who experienced all these things from his brothers.
The Dreamer
Joseph was the son of Jacob, who had twelve sons from four different women. Joseph was the favorite son of his father, because he was born to him in his old age. Jacob loved Joseph so much that he made him a special robe of many colors. This made Joseph’s brothers hate him and they could not speak a kind word to him.
Joseph also had dreams that made his brothers even more jealous. He dreamed that he and his brothers were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and his sheaf rose and stood upright, while his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his sheaf. He told this dream to his brothers, and they said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said.
He had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. He said, “Listen, I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
The Plot
One day, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem. Jacob said to Joseph, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.
When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?” “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a ferocious animal devoured him, and we will see what comes of his dreams.”
The Rescue
When Reuben, the oldest brother, heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”
Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.” He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.
The Lesson
What can we learn from this tragic story of family betrayal? How can we apply it to our own lives today? Here are some points to consider:
God has a plan for our lives, even when we face trials and troubles. Joseph’s dreams were not just his imagination, but God’s revelation of his future. God had a purpose for Joseph, to save many lives in a time of famine. God also has a plan for us, to give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
God is with us, even when we feel abandoned and alone. Joseph was rejected by his brothers, sold as a slave, and taken to a foreign land. He must have felt lonely and hopeless. But the Bible says that the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness and gave him favor in the sight of Potiphar. (Genesis 39:2-4) God is also with us, and he will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
God can use our suffering for our good and his glory. Joseph endured many hardships and injustices in Egypt. He was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, thrown into prison, and forgotten by the cupbearer. But God used all these things to prepare him for his destiny, to become the second in command of Egypt and to save his family from starvation. God can also work all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
The Challenge
As we reflect on Joseph’s story, let us ask ourselves these questions:
Do we trust God’s plan for our lives, even when we don’t understand it?
Do we rely on God’s presence in our lives, even when we feel lonely?
Do we surrender to God’s purpose in our lives, even when we suffer?
May God help us to follow Joseph’s example of faith, courage, and integrity, and to experience his grace, mercy, and power in our lives. Amen.
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