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Joseph and His Brothers
Sibling rivalry, even in the most traditional of homes, can be bad enough. But in this mix, it turned into a festering brew, for in it were ingredients such as hatred and jealousy and favoritism and pride that led, eventually, to disaster.
For starters, the brothers of Joseph weren’t exactly the sweetest lot of young lads, were they?
Read Genesis 34. What does this book tell us about the brothers’ characters?
Then, too, there was the issue of Joseph’s dreams (Gen. 37:5–11), in which the whole family bows in obeisance toward him. If the brothers didn’t like him beforehand, these dreams would only increase their dislike. In fact, that’s exactly what Genesis 37:8 says.
But there’s more.
Read Genesis 37:2. How would this only make relations worse between Joseph and his brothers?
No one likes to be tattled on, and regardless of how bad the brothers’ conduct was, they surely didn’t appreciate Joseph telling on them to their father. Though the text doesn’t say specifically what they were doing, considering their past conduct, it most likely was something that needed to be dealt with before they brought even more shame and reproach on themselves and their family.
Finally, too, perhaps the biggest issue was that, as the Bible comes out and says, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children” (Gen. 37:3). The brothers weren’t stupid; they surely picked up on their father’s attitude, and that could have made a bad situation worse.
Hence, however inexcusable the brothers’ actions were toward Joseph, this background helps us better understand what led to them.
We all, to some degree, are trapped in our circumstances. Things happen that are beyond our control. The questions for us always must be, then, How do I respond to those circumstances? Do they dominate me to the point that I compromise principle, or do I allow my principles to guide me through my circumstances?
| MONDAY | April 18 |
Sibling rivalry, even in the most traditional of homes, can be bad enough. But in this mix, it turned into a festering brew, for in it were ingredients such as hatred and jealousy and favoritism and pride that led, eventually, to disaster.
For starters, the brothers of Joseph weren’t exactly the sweetest lot of young lads, were they?
Read Genesis 34. What does this book tell us about the brothers’ characters?
Then, too, there was the issue of Joseph’s dreams (Gen. 37:5–11), in which the whole family bows in obeisance toward him. If the brothers didn’t like him beforehand, these dreams would only increase their dislike. In fact, that’s exactly what Genesis 37:8 says.
But there’s more.
Read Genesis 37:2. How would this only make relations worse between Joseph and his brothers?
No one likes to be tattled on, and regardless of how bad the brothers’ conduct was, they surely didn’t appreciate Joseph telling on them to their father. Though the text doesn’t say specifically what they were doing, considering their past conduct, it most likely was something that needed to be dealt with before they brought even more shame and reproach on themselves and their family.
Finally, too, perhaps the biggest issue was that, as the Bible comes out and says, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children” (Gen. 37:3). The brothers weren’t stupid; they surely picked up on their father’s attitude, and that could have made a bad situation worse.
Hence, however inexcusable the brothers’ actions were toward Joseph, this background helps us better understand what led to them.
We all, to some degree, are trapped in our circumstances. Things happen that are beyond our control. The questions for us always must be, then, How do I respond to those circumstances? Do they dominate me to the point that I compromise principle, or do I allow my principles to guide me through my circumstances?
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