Wayfinding Bible - Flipbook - Page 63
PG
76
PG
60
Genesis 37
57
PG 58
OBSERVATION POINT
What exactly made Joseph’s robe so beautiful is
uncertain. Traditionally it is called “a coat of many
colors,” but it may have been more ornate, not just
colorful. It probably had long, loose sleeves. The
fabric may have been very colorful, embroidered with
colored threads or adorned with jewels. Whatever it
looked like, it was a very special piece of clothing that
indicated Joseph was his father’s favorite.
to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.
3
Jacob* loved Joseph more than any of his
other children because Joseph had been born
to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had
a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful
robe.* 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because
their father loved him more than the rest of
them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.
5
One night Joseph had a dream, and when
he told his brothers about it, they hated him
more than ever. 6 “Listen to this dream,” he
said. 7 “We were out in the field, tying up
bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood
up, and your bundles all gathered around and
bowed low before mine!”
8
His brothers responded, “So you think you
will be our king, do you? Do you actually think
you will reign over us?” And they hated him all
the more because of his dreams and the way he
talked about them.
9
Soon Joseph had another dream, and again
he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have
had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon,
and eleven stars bowed low before me!”
10
This time he told the dream to his father as
well as to his brothers, but his father scolded
him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked.
“Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?”
11
But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph,
his father wondered what the dreams meant.
12
Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went
to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem.
13
When they had been gone for some time,
Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I
will send you to them.”
EXPLORATION POINT
Showing favoritism is never constructive, especially
in a family. This story shows how bad it can get. Young
and naïve, Joseph made matters worse by recounting
his dreams to his brothers. Their pent-up anger and
jealousy eventually led to violence and attempted
murder. Only Reuben wanted to save Joseph, but he
was too late. The sins of this family caused great
suffering. Extreme love was tarnished by favoritism,
jealousy, and resentment. But God used all these
sins in his plan for their ultimate good. Joseph, the
object of his brothers’ hatred, would become a hero
in another time and place.
“I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.
14
“Go and see how your brothers and the
flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then
come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob
sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled
to Shechem from their home in the valley of
Hebron.
15
When he arrived there, a man from the area
noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked.
16
“I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing
their sheep?”
17
“Yes,” the man told him. “They have
moved on from here, but I heard them say,
‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed
his brothers to Dothan and found them there.
JOSEPH SOLD INTO SLAVERY
When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming,
they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 19 “Here
comes the dreamer!” they said. 20 “Come on,
let’s kill him and throw him into one of these
cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal
has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes
of his dreams!”
21
But when Reuben heard of their scheme,
he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill
him,” he said. 22 “Why should we shed any
blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty
cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die
without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben
was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and
return him to his father.
18
37:3a Hebrew Israel; also in 37:13. See note on 35:21.
37:3b Traditionally rendered a coat of many colors. The exact
meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
