God had promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:1-3). Although Abraham and Sarah, his wife were childless, God had promised them a son. When the boy finally arrives, he is named Isaac which plays on the idea of laughter. Isaac has twins, Esau and Jacob but although slightly younger by minutes, Jacob wrestles the birthright and blessing of firstborn from his brother before one day finding himself wrestling with God for a blessing. It is at that point that God names him Israel (the one who wrestles God). Jacob marries sisters, Leah and Rachel. Rachel was more loved but only provides his two youngest children, Joseph and Benjamin.
Read Genesis 37:1-11
Jacob lives in Canaan, notice it is described as “the land of his father’s sojournings”, suggesting that Isaac had neither truly settled nor made it his homeland (v1). New sections in Genesis are headed with “These are the generations” or “toledot”. Here, the family tree and line of succession is tellingly traced not through Jacob’s eldest son but through Joseph. Joseph is 17 and working as a shepherd with his brothers, note these are not the sons of Leah but of the concubines that Leah and Rachel had supplied to Jacob (v2).
Jacob loves Joseph more than his brothers, the reason given is that Joseph is born in Jacob’s old age but it no doubt also reflects the fact that he is Rachel’s eldest. This perhaps is why he is named as Israel, rather than Jacob here, a reminder that God works in unusual ways and sometimes chooses the younger over the older. He has a coat made specially for his son, often referred to as multi-coloured but perhaps simply one with long sleeves. The NIV chooses to refer to it as ornate and it is clearly seen as an extravagant demonstration of his love (v3). The brothers are jealous and are unable to control how they speak to their brother, they take out their anger and jealousy on him (v4).
Joseph dreams and he shares his dream with his brothers, it makes them hate him even more (v5). In his dream, he and his brothers are working in the field, binding up sheaves of wheat when his sheaf stands up erect and the brothers’ sheafs bow down to his (v6-7). The dream doesn’t need much interpretation, they get it straight away “do you think you are going to be our king and boss us about?” Their hate grows (v8).
Joseph dreams again that the cosmos, or representatively, the sun, moon and eleven of the stars bow to him. This time he tells his father too given that dad and mum are included as represented by the sun and moon. The response is similar although whilst questioning Jospeh’s expectations, Jacob holds his counsel whilst his brothers get even more angry and jealous (v9-11).
Digging Deeper
It is often presumed that Jacob and Joseph are unwise/in the wrong here. Jacob is portrayed as showing unwise favouritism whilst Jospeh is seen as arrogant and presumptuous. The follies of old age and youthfulness perhaps combined.
However, Scripture doesn’t seem to place such a moral spin on things. Indeed, the reference to Jacob as Israel when describing his love for Joseph suggests that we should see this positively. Jacob is not showing mere favouritism but identifying his heir and showing how God’s covenant promise will be kept through and in Joseph. Joseph like Isaac and Jacob himself was the son and heir of the promise.
Note too that Joseph would be vindicated. He received dreams from God. He shares them with his brothers and so it is God and his purposes they reject. Joseph is already hated and mistreated by them and their hatred seems disproportionate to mere sibling rivalries.
We should beware the temptation to learn ethical lessons before we have seen what God is doing here. First, God is acting to protect and enact his covenant. Second, Joseph acts as type, foreshadowing Jesus as the beloved son, hated by his kinsmen but their true king and saviour.
A look at ourselves
If Jesus is the beloved son of the Father, then the question for us is where we place ourselves in the story. Will we stand in hatred against him with his brothers or will we recognise the Father’s love and Jesus’ rightful status as our true king?
Faithroots 