Genesis 37:12-36
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.”
So he said to him, “Here I am.”
14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.
15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”
16 So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.”
17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?”
31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”
33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.
36 Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
Joseph’s brothers were so full of jealousy over his dreams from God that they ignored what the LORD might be saying and plotted instead to get rid of their younger sibling and his preferential treatment by their father. Wrath is cruel and anger an overflowing of hate, but who can stand before such jealousy (Proverbs 27:4)? Israel had sent Joseph to his brothers who were out in the fields to check on the heath of his flocks and bring back word to him. When Joseph tracked them down, they saw him coming and spitefully sneered at the dreamer who dared consider him above them and immediately conspired to murder him in their jealous rage that they had been feeding since they heard the two dreams that seemed to demean them. They planned to kill him, throw him in a pit, and blame a wild animal attack on his disappearance to their father. Such a burning wrath stokes jealousy into weaponized spite as a tool to wound and kill to eliminate the competition! Only one brother, Rueben, cooled their collective rage by redirecting their intent to leave Joseph alive and just throw him into the pit. He secretly planned to then take his little brother out and return him home, but the other brothers tore off his coat of many colors gifted by Israel to him and then took the opportunity to sell him off into slavery to a passing band of businessmen headed towards Egypt. Judah came up with that idea to spare his life. When Reuben returned, he saw his brother gone and they collectively made it look like wild animals attacked and killed Joseph by tearing the coat of many colors and putting blood on it for effect. All they had to do is show it to their father; he assumed on his own that it was death by animals as they planned it to look like. Their jealousy led to rage and then to murderous intent and deception to rid them of their competition to their father’s love and attention. It backfired and Israel fell into a deep sad and depression over the loss and they did not get what they wanted. Mean, the Midianites had sold Joseph to an officer of Pharaoh and captain of his guard. They intended this for evil in their jealousy and hatred, but God’s sovereignty had another plan to deliver them all (Genesis 50:19-20). He sometimes uses even our sinful nature to work righteousness.
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