Luke 6:35 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Genesis 37:3-8 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. 5 Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.
Genesis 37:17b-22 So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”– that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father.
Genesis 37:26-34 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed. 28 When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. 30 He returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone; and I, where can I turn?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They had the long robe with sleeves taken to their father, and they said, “This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Genesis 50:15-21 15 Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” 16 So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, 17 ‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. 21 So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.
God Works Through Joseph
Last week we covered God’s covenant with Abraham. This morning we have moved forward past Abraham’s son, Isaac and Isaac’s son, Jacob and we come to the story of Joseph. Joseph’s father is Jacob. We need to remember that earlier in Genesis Jacob wrestled with God and was renamed Israel. Our scripture today doesn’t start at the beginning of the story. First we are told that Joseph is seventeen years old and helped to shepherd the flocks with his older brothers. Verse two ends with, “and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.” Joseph is a tattle-tale. I’m sure his older brothers didn’t like that.
Listen to verses three and four. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
Sibling rivalry. Wasn’t that the problem with Cain and Abel? Joseph was his father’s favorite. Jacob, now named Israel loved him more than any of his other children and Jacob let everyone know this when he had a special robe made for him. Now you know this is going to cause trouble. We all know favoring one child will cause the others to be jealous.
Verse 4 says, “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.” Rampant sibling rivalry. I think Jacob would have benefitted from some of the parenting books we have nowadays.
Let’s face it, Joseph was a brat. He was the favored son and he knew it. Our scripture continues. “Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.”
I don’t think we can really blame the brothers for hating him. It’s easy to see the symbolism in the dream which suggests that they will become subservient to him. Not something you want to hear from your youngest brother. Joseph has another dream, this time about the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. This time he told it to his brothers and his father. His father rebuked him saying, “What kind of dream is this that you have had? Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers, and bow to the ground before you?” Joseph’s dream where others bow down to him isn’t popular with any of his family.
Joseph’s brothers were grazing the flocks near Shechem and his father sends Joseph to check on his brothers and the flock. We pick up at verse 17. “So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”– that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father.”
His brothers strip him of his special robe and throw him into a pit. Then the brothers calmly proceed to sit down and eat lunch. They see a caravan coming towards them. We pick up again at verse 26. “26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed. 28 When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. 30 He returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone; and I, where can I turn?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They had the long robe with sleeves taken to their father, and they said, “This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.”
At least Reuben wanted to rescue his brother and bring him back to his father. When he realizes that he is too late, that his brother is gone from the pit, his vision of himself as triumphant deliverer of his brother (who has not imagined themselves the savior in a crisis?) vaporizes. Note the way, when he discovered Joseph gone, that Reuben’s language reveals his focus on himself instead of on the fate of Joseph: “the boy is gone; and I, where can I go?” Instead of confessing all to his father, Reuben goes along with the lie the brothers tell their father, that Joseph has been killed by wild animals.
Now that’s just cold. They sell off their brother and then convince their father that he is dead. We are told in verse 39 that all Jacob’s sons and daughters tried to comfort him but he refused to be comforted. Sometimes our grief can be so all-consuming that we can let it control our life. Note that Jacob made a deliberate decision not to be comforted. He wanted to hold on to his grief. His children must have been hurt when he wouldn’t allow them to comfort him. He was rejecting all his children because of the one he had lost.
Yes, Joseph was a brat but he certainly didn’t deserve what happened to him. Our scripture verses skip over quite a bit of Joseph’s story. Sold into slavery Joseph served in the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian. Joseph did such a good job he was eventually put in charge of the house. Everything went well until Potiphar’s wife developed a wandering eye and decided she wanted Joseph in her bed. Joseph refused to betray Potiphar so the wife claimed Joseph raped her to get revenge for his refusal. Potiphar believed his wife instead of Joseph and had him thrown in prison. In prison Joseph again found favor and was put in charge of the other prisoners. He languished there for several years until he was called up to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, the one with the seven fat cows and seven lean cows. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph that he made him second in command in Egypt. Joseph wisely stored up grain during the seven good years so there would still be grain when the famine came. In all Egypt he ruled second only to Pharaoh, a position of great power.
Circumstances were against Joseph again and again. Thrown in a well, sold to Potipher he became head of his household. Thrown in jail, he is put in charge of the prisoners. Brought before Pharaoh he becomes second in all Egypt. Each time circumstances are against Joseph we are told “the Lord was with Joseph.” God never changed his circumstances but God allowed him to prosper despite his circumstances. God can always bring good out of evil.
Meanwhile, back in Canaan many years have passed also. There is a famine. Jacob sent his sons to buy grain in Egypt. Eventually Joseph is reunited with his father and his brothers. They all come to Egypt and are given land to settle on. Life is good for Jacob and his family in Egypt. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years before he died.
Our last reading from Genesis jumps ahead to the fiftieth chapter. “15 Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” 16 So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, 17 ‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. 21 So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.”
Jacob has died seventeen years after the reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. Yet what do we find? Joseph’s brothers are worried he will bear a grudge against them. After all, they sold him into slavery. They seem to think that Joseph has only been kind to them because of their father, Jacob. They don’t understand forgiveness. They haven’t been at peace the last seventeen years; they have lived in fear, waiting to be punished for what they did. They still don’t trust their brother Joseph. Perhaps partly because they know that they are untrustworthy. They went to Joseph still lying. They make up an instruction from their father. How often do we remain un-forgiven because we are afraid to ask or because we believe our sin is too great for God to forgive? There is no sin too large for God to forgive. God does not want us to live in fear of punishment. God wants us to know His love.
The brothers come to Joseph begging for forgiveness. And what does Joseph do? The brother who they sold into slavery, what does he say? “Do not be afraid!” Joseph has been at peace the last seventeen years, he has forgiven his brothers. He never held on to hatred for his brothers, their reconciliation was real for Joseph. He lived long before Christ yet he embraced much of Jesus’ teaching. Remember our verse from Luke? “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” Joseph never sought revenge, he loved his enemies, his brothers who threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery. Joseph brought them to Egypt; he saved them from the famine and used his power in Egypt to provide for his brothers.
Joseph continues, “Even though you intended harm to me, God intended it for good.” In our troubled times these are words to hold on to. There is evil in our world and we are affected by it. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The spirit of God is always at work in a world that is shaped by human actions. God brings good out of evil, time and time again. When we are assailed by the brokenness of our world, when our circumstances overwhelm us, remember Joseph’s words. “God intended it for good.” Out of our sorrow, our pain our distress God will bring good. We just need to be patient as Joseph was patient languishing in prison. We just need to trust in the goodness of God and the ability of God to turn any situation to good.