Year 1, Day 36: Genesis 37

Moving Ahead

Here in Genesis 37 we really have a story of growing pains and God’s divine authority.  As far as the growing pains go, most of what happens to Joseph here can be traced back to errors made by a well-meaning father.  No, I’m not going to go on about Jacob’s sinfulness.  In fact, did you notice that Jacob is specifically called Israel in this passage?  The mistakes that Jacob make in this passage are not mistakes of sin, just simple errors in human judgment.

You see, Joseph is loved by Jacob because he is the firstborn son of his beloved wife.  Joseph also has natural gifts for leadership that Jacob can recognize – which is why at a young age Joseph received a coat of authority (as an overseer).  Jacob pulls him out of the mundane duty of being a shepherd (a shepherd under his brothers, even!) and elevates him to the potential that Jacob sees in his son.

Inherently, this is not a bad thing.  Joseph is clearly gifted.  The dreams that Joseph has indicates that God also thinks that he is very gifted as well.  Jacob is not wrong in identifying Joseph’s talent. 

However, Jacob also promotes Joseph before he is proven.  Joseph isn’t allowed to “earn his way up” through the ranks of the brothers.  Instead, Joseph is shown preferential treatment.  And this is bound to cause a little tension – especially when the dreams start coming.  Here is where we see a normal human flaw begin to affect the life of Israel.

As a human, I find that I struggle with this dynamic in the story as well.  Leadership and potential are rare in these days; when I see it I often try and promote it before its time.  I’ve made these same mistakes that I see here in Jacob.  I’ve lifted talent up through the ranks before it had time to grow, and it usually ends up bringing about a few problems along the way – problems which can usually be overcome with truth and honesty.  But there is a lesson that we can learn from Jacob.  We should have patience.

Joseph’s Dreams

As for the dreams, those of us who know the story of Joseph do know these dreams are fulfilled in God’s time.  Unfortunately for Joseph, I think that his immaturity shows in that he goes on about telling the dreams in the wrong crowd.  Rather than speak of these things to his brothers, he might have done better seeking only the counsel of his father.  The fact that he tells his brothers the dreams shows that his potential for leadership is still a little immature. 

That’s okay, too.  We all make mistakes in leadership – even in growing up as a leader.  Perhaps the lesson we can learn in Joseph is that we should try to keep those things that may challenge others to ourselves until we can find a safe venue to make them known.  I believe that we should take consideration with respect to whom we share what God is saying to us.  We need to share with those that God has prepared to hear about it, not with everyone who could possibly listen.  Again, it seems that this story may have a lot to do with patience.

Joseph’s Brothers

I do find it interesting that the brothers go back into the region of Shechem.  It was there that they had gotten into trouble before by using God’s covenant of circumcision to slaughter innocent people.  Here the brothers find themselves back in their old haunts and acting according to their old ways.  They plan to do away with Joseph – and fortunately God is capable to out-plan the brothers!  We should not miss the lesson that the brothers can teach us, either.  When we return to the places of sin in our past, we should expect the results to be no better in the future.

Furthermore, notice that as the sons return to Shechem they also specifically return to the pattern that they learned from their father – deception.  Not only do they sell Joseph into slavery, but they also kill an animal in order that they might deceive their father.  Compare this action to what we read in Genesis 27:1-29.  There Jacob deceived his father Isaac by killing an animal and bringing the evidence to his father in order to steal Esau’s blessing.  Granted, the brothers do not do away with Joseph to gain their father’s blessing – in fact he mourns for many years on account of the deception! 

The reality is that we have not gone too far into Jacob’s true change into Israel before we see the return of the old ways into the family line.  Sin is hard to give up and hard to master.  Just when we think we have sin in check we find ourselves caught in its snare again.  That is just the reality of being human.

Focus on God

In all of this, though, remember that God is at work.  We can talk about growth and backsliding from human perspectives.  We can talk about leadership and hard work.  But ultimately the true lesson is that God is in charge and God will make His ways true. 

In spite of the sin of the sons and the premature elevation of Joseph by Jacob, God is in charge and God is looking down the road to provide for His people.  For me, that is the ultimate point of this story.  I’m sure Joseph didn’t enjoy his brothers’ treachery.  But that doesn’t change the fact that God is still sovereign in spite of their deception. 

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