Genesis 37 The Dreamer
We shift focus from Jacob to Joseph now. Joseph is the dreamer of prophetic dreams and will also be an interpreter of such dreams; one day.
Before we jump into Joseph’s story, I want to take a moment and acknowledge that I skipped right over the chapter with Esau’s descendants. This is NOT to say that Esau and his family were not important. But I have NO IDEA how to make his list of descendants into a story. I got lost when they brought in “sons of Seir the Horite.” I was intent on following Esau’s line, but never made it past two generations. We do know though that the land of Edom was well established before the land of Israel came into being. I was wondering if the list of leaders brings Edom’s story to the place of the Exodus. Maybe I will find out later. For now, I moved on.
Our look at Joseph begins when he is about 17 years old. I don’t know how far we would have to back up to see when his dreams were told to his family, but I would expect some time to pass between all the events we read about. I’m sure it took some time for his brothers to come to the point of wanting him dead too. Let’s rejoin the family as the focus gets ready to shift.
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Jacob and Joseph have returned to the family company. They are both glad to be home. The first thing Jacob does is check in on Benjamin. He sends one of the servants to fetch the wetnurse and his son.
Joseph is no longer needed as a messenger between his Abba and their camp. While waiting for Benjamin to arrive, Jacob sends Joseph out to join Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher as they tended the flocks. Joseph was glad to be of help to his Abba in any way he could.
When the wetnurse arrives, Jacob takes Benjamin from her arms. Jacob looks into Benjamin’s eyes and drinks in his round, healthy, face. “Hello my son. Have you been a good boy while your Abba was gone?”
Benjamin squirms a little and throws his hands about. He is not startled by his Abba’s face, even though he has not seen it in some time.
“He feels much heavier” comments Jacob to the wetnurse.
“He eats quite well my lord.”
“That is good to hear. You are doing a fine job with him. Is there anything you need?”
“He is a joy to care for. We have all we need for now. I promise to let you know if anything changes.”
“I would like to see him more often. I am sorry I was gone so long, but my own Abba’s health required it.”
“I will bring him as often as you like my lord. But I do have my own children to attend to as well.”
“Have you already weaned your child? Is my son the only one who is at your breast?”
“Yes, my lord. My youngest is weaned.”
“I will have one of the servants begin teaching him as I taught my sons once they were weaned. Skills they will need as the grow and become men.” Jacob pauses. “That is assuming that the child is male.”
“He is my lord and that would be greatly appreciated, as he has no Abba to teach him any longer.”
Jacob knows the last part of her statement was meant as recrimination against Simeon and Levi for robbing her child of his Abba. Jacob nods and then hands Benjamin back to the wetnurse. “Bring him each Sabbath to see me for now. We will decide from there what is best for him after a while of these visits.”
For the first time, Jacob wishes that Leah could help him. She was a good Ima to their sons when they were young. She still is a good Ima, only she no longer has the ability to sustain a nursing infant.
Jacob’s next order of business is an odious one, but it cannot be put off any longer. He has to address Reuben’s sin with Zilpah. Jacob knows that this sin lays at Reuben’s feet, as Zilpah had no standing to refuse. Yet, he prays that she did.
Jacob sends one of the servants to bring Reuben in from the field, knowing that it may take more than a day for him to return. Jacob almost put this task off until Reuben came back in on his own, but then his brothers would be with him and there would be no addressing Reuben in private.
Joseph joins his brothers in the field. When he arrives, he sees all of them lying down under the shade of a tree. No one is watching over the flock; alert for predators. They are laughing and joking among themselves. He holds back a bit to see if maybe they are simply finishing their meal and instead of eating in shifts, they ate all together.
Joseph looks out over the sheep. They are scattered quite a bit, but not so far that you don’t see clumps of them grazing together. Still Joseph waits.
An hour passes before Dan stands up and stretches. He twists his upper body from side to side, loosening the stiffness from sitting so long. He gazes out over the sheep before turning to go find a place to relieve himself. As he turns, he sees Joseph standing a little way off.
“Guys, we have company” Dan quietly says to his brothers. To Joseph he raises his hand in greeting and gives him a big smile. “Come to join us little brother?”
Joseph comes forward, not telling his brothers how long he had been watching. The other brothers rise from the ground. “We were just taking a short break” Naphtali offers.
Joseph says nothing to Naphtali’s comment. He looks out over the sheep again. “How many do we have today” he asks in an innocent voice.
“Two hundred and fifty” Asher answers.
Joseph doesn’t believe they are all within view. “Are some in another field? Who is with them?”
“No. They are all here” Asher says, sweeping his hand across the field.
“I know I’m the youngest, and have the least experience, but it truly looks like some are missing. This can’t be all 250, could it.”
The brothers turn and begin surveying the sheep. They too can clearly see that a large portion are missing. “Maybe we should go have a look” offers Dan. It took all day to find the sheep who had wandered off. There were even two sheep who had been killed and dragged away by predators. Remnants of their bodies were located.
All the brothers were heartsick over what had happened. Joseph wondered how many more would have gone missing if he hadn’t come upon his brothers.
On the way home, Dan and Gad begged Joseph not to say anything.
“We found them all” pleaded Dan.
“All but the two who were torn apart” Joseph reminded them.
“That could have happened anyway”, said Naphtali.
“It could have, but not necessarily. I won’t lie of Abba asks me. But neither will I volunteer if he doesn’t.”
Joseph wrestled with his decision all the way home. He was sure to hurt someone no matter which way this went. His Abba, by not letting him know of his brother’s carelessness; or his brothers, by telling their Abba of their actions.
When they got the sheep put away for the night, the decision was taken out of Joseph’s hands. Jacob asked why they were so late getting in.
“Some of the sheep wandered off a little farther” Joseph answers when none of his brothers spoke up.
“How did that happen? Weren’t you watching them?”
“We.. I mean…” started Dan.
“Speak up!” demanded Jacob.
“We turned away for just a minute” offered Gad.
“It takes more than a minute for sheep to wander. What really happened?” Jacob turned to Joseph who had never lied to him before. “Tell me what you found when you went to your brothers.”
The other brothers knew Joseph would tell all. There was nothing they could do but watch as their Abba’s ‘favorite son’ once again pushed them farther from their Abba’s love.
“I don’t know what happened before I arrived, but I watched as my brothers rested together under the shade of a tree.”
“And how long did they rest” asked Jacob.
“I watched for an hour. Dan was the first to rise and he greeted me.”
“And what did your other brothers do when they saw you?”
Joseph knows that his words are turning the knife deeper into his brothers’ hearts with every answer, but he cannot lie. “They stood to welcome me too.”
“When was it noticed, and by whom, that part of the flock was missing” continues Jacob.
“I noticed first. Then Asher said that we should go looking.”
“Were all of them found, alive?”
“Two were torn by predators” Joseph says in answer to his Abba.
Even a blind person could see Jacob’s anger building. With each question his voice got sharpers. When he learned that two sheep had been killed, he hit the end of his patience. “Do you realize how irresponsible you were. This is something I could see children doing; NOT grown men! You could have lost the whole flock, or even have been killed yourselves. I can’t trust you together. I… I don’t know what I’m going to do right now. I’m too angry and disappointed in all of you at this moment to even think straight.”
With that Jacob turned and stormed off. The brothers all looked daggers at Joseph. “I told you that I wouldn’t lie if asked” Joseph answered to his brother’s accusing stares. He hated being in this position, but it wasn’t is doing; the error or the reporting of it.
Jacob split the brothers up in the morning and sent them out with servants to watch over the flocks. It would be a while before he trusted them again; especially when they were together.
Reuben returned home the morning after the incident with his brothers. He still didn’t believe that he had been observed in his actions with Zilpah, so he had no idea that this was the topic Jacob would soon address with him.
Jacob was already in a foul mood to begin with, as he was just finishing up dealing with his four sons over their deplorable behavior the day before. Reuben approaches him as the last of the new teams leaves to tend the sheep.
“You sent for me Abba.”
Jacob looks over at Reuben. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply. He cannot take the anger of his brothers’ actions out on Reuben. He carries enough disappointment in Reuben already.
“I did. We need to talk; in private.” He will not humiliate himself or his son any further than necessary to deal with this abominable sin.
Jacob takes Reuben into the field where they are away from everyone else.
“While I was away, a very disturbing report came to me. It concerns you.”
Reuben’s mind, not for the first time, jumps back to the events that he is certain that his Abba is speaking of. His face turns crimson with shame before Jacob even utters another word. This alone is enough for Jacob to KNOW that the report was correct.
“You have defiled my bed by sleeping with Zilpah. Before you even ask, you were observed coming out of her tent in the morning. There is no other explanation as to why, other than what we both know to be true.”
“Abba, I was drunk…”
“No ‘explanation’ is good enough to excuse what you have done. This is an affront to me and to God.”
“I know Abba. I am deeply ashamed of my actions. How can I make this up to you? How can I set things right?”
“I don’t know if that is possible. You have broken something very sacred and precious. Not only have you defiled my bed but you have broken my trust by hiding this sin from me.”
Reuben stands speechless. His heart is cleaved in two. And he KNOWS that it was his own doing. No one made him do this. Tears begin to fall and before he can staunch them Reuben breaks down is great sobs. He falls to the ground at his Abba’s feet.
“Please forgive me Abba” Reuben cries into the dust.
Jacob turns and walks away; leaving Reuben sobbing on the ground. Once Reuben’s sobs abate, he rises and follows his Abba.
“What do you want me to do now Abba.”
Not turning to face Reuben, Jacob says, “Go back to your tasks. I don’t want to see your face for now.”
Reuben walks away without another word. Tomorrow is Joseph’s 17th birthday. All the flocks and herds were brought in at Jacob’s request so all could celebrate as a family. It would be a very difficult day for Reuben.
Joseph is excited to finally be counted as a man. He is 17 years old. Old enough to be trusted with any job in his Abba’s camp. There is a celebration planned for that evening. He can hardly wait!
Everyone is present for Joseph’s celebration. Reuben, Dan, Gad, Naphtali, and Asher are all less than overjoyed. There is discord in the air. And the fact that Joseph’s celebration is ten times what any of them received does not make matters any easier. Leah can feel the waves of rivalry from her seat. She knew this would become worse as time went on. “Jacob doesn’t even seem to care, or notice, how his sons are fracturing” thinks Leah.
Then, something that put all Jacob’s sons on the other side of Joseph takes place. Jacob calls the gathering to attention.
“Please give me your attention. I have a special gift I made for Joseph while I was away tending to my Abba. I saved it for this special occasion.”
Jacob opens a folded bundle and removes from it the most elegant robe anyone has ever seen. Oohs and aahs go up around the clearing. Jacob calls Josesph over to stand before him. Then he places the robe on Joseph. Joseph runs his hands over the intricate patterns and colorful weaves.
“O Abba! It’s BEAUTIFUL!”
“Wear it with pride my son.”
“Thank you, Abba” Joseph gushes as he hugs his Abba. Joseph wears his robe the rest of the night and every day afterwards.
A week later, Joseph was excited to tell his brothers about a dream he had the night before. He felt the dream was important and should be shared. While they were gathered together eating breakfast, Joseph launched into his story.
“I had a dream last night that has me thinking!”
His brothers were still angry with him for telling their Abba about the sheep, so none of them answered him. He took it as an invitation to go on.
“Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf” (verses 6-7).
Reuben rolled his eyes. Simeon looked at Joseph and in the snidest voice imaginable, said what all the brothers were thinking. “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” (verse 8). Dan and Asher snicker behind their hands.
Things in camp have gotten worse between Joseph and his brothers. He tries his best to appease them but they won’t even speak to him with a civil tongue. Nothing he does is good enough for them. He seeks refuge with his Abba more and more. At least he shows Joseph that he is loved.
A month later, Joseph comes to breakfast after having another dream that he MUST share. It burns in his heart to the point that, he feels he will burst if he stays quiet. He knows that it might not go down any better than the last dream, but that doesn’t matter in the long run. He feels that this dream is from the Lord and it has to be shared.
“Behold, I have dreamed another dream…”
Reuben shakes his head in disgust. Gad starts to rise but a look from Jacob stops him in his place.
“…Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me” (verse 9).
This is NOT what Jacob was expecting to come from his son’s mouth. His response to Joseph’s dream is instant and harsh. “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” (verse 10).
Joseph dropped his head and walked away. His brothers’ eyes bore holes in his back and contained nothing but venom and jealousy.
After Joseph left, Jacob thought on the dream a little longer. He had no idea if this dream would actually come to pass, but something about it gave it a foothold in his mind. One that he would revisit over the rest of his lifetime.
Jacob is enjoying his weekly visits with Benjamin. He smiles at his Abba regularly and is beginning to babble. No words, but definitely trying to communicate. It’s during one of these visits that Jacob has a burning desire to know how all his sons are doing. Their relationship hasn’t been the best as of late. “It’s time to do some ‘fence mending’” thinks Jacob. Jacob sends a servant out to get Joseph. When Joseph came to his Abba, Jacob gave him a task.
“Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them” (verse 13a).
“I’m ready, ‘Here I am’ (verse 13b).”
“Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word” (verse 14a).
Jacob has no idea of the conflict brewing between his sons. He has been too busy to notice. He thinks nothing of sending Joseph to check on his brothers. And Joseph won’t tell him. Joseph has a long journey ahead of him, and plenty of time to think along the way. “Somehow, I will make things right with my brothers” he vows to himself.
Joseph finally arrives in the area where his brothers should be with the flocks but he can’t find them. He wanders around for some time before he encounters anyone else. The man, trying to be helpful to this young lad approaches him.
“What are you seeking?” (verse 15b).
“I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me please, where they are pasturing the flock” (verse 16).
The man is pretty sure he knows who Joseph is talking about. There was a large group of brothers with flocks here not too many days ago. “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” (verse 17a).
“Thank you” called Joseph as he quickly set off for Dothan. It took Joseph all day to catch up with his brothers. He could see their sheep and goats as he got closer. He was excited to finally have found them. Now, to make things better between them.
Joseph hadn’t taken his robe off since the day his Abba gave it to him. He had no idea how just seeing him in it every day galled them. And his robe was so distinctive that he stood out wherever he went; especially on a hillside.
Levi groaned as he caught sight of him. “You are not going to believe this” he said to his Issachar and Zebulun. “Her he comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams” (verses 19-20).
Reuben heard what his brothers said. Immediately, a plan popped into his mind as to how to repair his relationship with his Abba. “If I can rescue him, then Abba may finally forgive me” thinks Reuben. Now he had to convince his brothers to change their plans so it would be possible.
“Let us not take his life… Shed no blood; throw him into a pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him” (verses 21-22a).
The brothers quickly agreed to this. They pretended all was well when Joseph entered their presence.
“What brings you all the way out here” asked Gad.
“Abba sent me to see how you were doing and how the flocks were doing.”
“Anxious to bring him another bad report” taunts Naphtali.
“No. I only ever bring him the truth; as he asked me to do.”
“Of COURSE you do” goaded Naphtali.
Joseph was feeling very uncomfortable with his brothers now in a circle about him. Before he could do anything to escape their press, Simeon grabbed his arms and held him fast. Dan and Gad rushed in and tore the robe Jacob had lovingly created for Joseph from his body. It ripped in their hands and they laughed as Joseph called out for them to stop.
Then, Judah and Levi grabbed Joseph legs. Together, they lifted him in the air and carried him over to an open pit. It was designed to catch rainwater in the wet season. It was currently empty though. They heaved Joseph into the pit and left him there. It was too deep for Joseph to climb out on his own. Before departing from the mouth of the pit, each of his brothers spit down at him.
Joseph didn’t know what to think. Was this a joke? It certainly didn’t feel like one. Were they going to abandon him here to die? How would he escape? What if he couldn’t escape? Another thought ripped through his heart; what would his Abba do and how would his brothers explain his absence? Joseph didn’t know if it would be worse for him if he called out to them or better. Would his pleas move their hearts? Or would they anger his brothers even more? “It can’t get much worse than this” Joseph decided, so he began to call out. “Let me out please! Don’t leave me here. Think of Abba. I promise, I won’t say a thing if you let me out!”
The brothers could hear Joseph’s muffled cries and it pleased them. They sat down to eat lunch. Reuben had watch over the sheep while his brothers ate; and laughed at Joseph’s cries.
While they were still eating, Judah saw a caravan approaching. He had an even better idea.
“What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let nor our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh” (verses 26b-27).
“That’s a GREAT idea” agreed Dan.
The brothers all scrambled up and ran over to the pit. When Joseph saw them at the opening of the pit, he didn’t know what to think.
“Have they come to let me out? Or are they going to hurl stones at me?” wonders Joseph.
Gad and Simeon lay on their stomachs and reached down to clasp Joseph’s hands. Joseph gladly reached up to his brothers. They hauled him from the pit and stood him on the ground.
While Gad and Simeon were bringing Joseph out, Judah had stopped the caravan.
“We have a slave boy to sell. He has become too much trouble for us. He needs to learn a lesson.”
“I want to see him first. I don’t buy inferior merchandise” said the caravan leader.
Judah motioned for his brothers to bring Joseph over to him. “This is the lad.”
The caravan leader looked Joseph over carefully while his brothers held him fast. “I’ll give you 20 shekels for him. Not a shekel more.”
“He is yours!”
Joseph mouth dropped open as he watched his brother take money for his life. “Bind him fast. I won’t have my merchandise running off on me” called the leader to Joseph’s brothers.
Gad’s smiled from ear to ear as he bound Joseph’s hands and hobbled his feet with ropes.
As soon as the transaction was complete, the caravan moved on; Joseph in tow. The brothers returned to their meal with a little extra money and one less headache to deal with.
“Did you see the look in his eyes!”
“Yes. Like he couldn’t believe what was happening to him. He is clueless” replied Issachar.
By the time Reuban came back from checking on the sheep the caravan was out of sight. He needed to check on Joseph, to make sure he was safe. He couldn’t bring him out yet, but soon. Reuben walked over to the pit and looked down. He fell to his knees when he saw Joseph was not in it. He screamed and tore his clothes in anguish.
“Where is he? Did he get away? ‘The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” (verse 30b).
Judah looked up at the sound of Reuben’s distress and rushed over to him. “What’s the matter?”
“Where is he” Reuben cried, pointing into the pit. “Did you kill him?”
“No. He is alive and on his way to a life as a slave; FAR away from us.”
“What will we tell Abba? How will we explain it to him?”
“Just like we planned to do in the beginning” Judah says while holding his hand out with Joseph’s robe. “We will kill a goat and smear its blood on the robe. We WON’T say anything except to ask Abba to ‘identify’ the robe. We will let him come to his own conclusions.”
“That could work” agreed Reuben. But there went his chance to make up to his Abba for his great sin. “We better get going then. I think we have been here long enough.”
The brothers killed a goat and smeared the torn robe with its blood. Then they headed home. All but Reuben were laughing about what awaited Joseph.
“Dear slave master, I had a dream…” mocked Zebulun. “Let’s see how that goes over in Egypt!”
A day from Hebron the brothers sat and talked about how they would act and present the ‘evidence’ to their Abba.
“We have to be visibly shaken. Make sure to show remorse when you hold out the robe for Abba to identify. Remember. NO lying. We say NOTHING about what happened to him. Only that we ‘found’ the robe and let Abba come to his own conclusions.”
They went straight to Jacob when they came back into camp. They left the flock in the care of the servants to put away. They needed to look distraught and taking time to deal with the sheep wouldn’t convey that message.
Jacob saw them coming; almost running towards him. The first thing he notices is the absence of Joseph among them. Before he can ask them about it, Judah brings out the robe.
“This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not” (verse 32b).
Jacob’s knees go weak. Gad and Issachar quickly move to support him and move him to a stool. “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces” (verse 33) Jacob cried as he tore his clothes in anguish.
Simeon and Levi helped him to his tent. Fained looks of sorrow plastered on their faces. Jacob collapsed on his pallet and wept great wracking sobs. When he finally rose, he went and got sackcloth and wrapped his loins in it. Then he returned to his tent in mourning.
After seeing their Abba’s reaction, the brothers were moved to true sorrow. They were ashamed of their actions, but there was nothing they could do now to put right what they had done. All they could do was try and offer their Abba their support.
Everyone tried to raise Jacob’s spirits but no one could. He walked around as if he had been hollowed out and was only a shell of the man he once was. Jacob was ready to die and follow Joseph into the grave. The only thing that brought any lifting of his spirits was when Benjamin was brought to him. Jacob began to cling to Benjamin after a few visits. Reuben had the tent of the wetnurse moved beside his Abba’s so that he could be near Benjamin all the time.
The brothers knew that Benjamin was now the favored son. Their guilt drove them to treat him like gold also. They could not restore Joseph to their Abba but they would die before they deprived him of Rachel’s only remaining child. The wife of his heart.
(to be continued)
Favoritism hurts. And it is easy for the one who is favored not even to see it. When I was growing up, I honestly thought I was adopted. I was so different from my brothers and sisters. I believed my parents favored my older sister and oldest brother. I actually felt like they favored everyone BUT me. I said something about it once and my mom said that she actually ‘favored’ me because I was just like she was when she was a child. And because of her favor I was allowed to do things she wasn’t when she was growing up. Talk about clueless!
I was also pushed to overcome instead of give in to limits imposed by my vision deficit. My dad tried to help me by making excuses and asking for understanding. My mom wouldn’t have it. And I’m VERY grateful for her pushing me on! I would not be who I am today without her challenging me to ‘find another way’.
Father God, I have NO problem giving Jesus ‘favored Son’ status. I am not the least bit jealous. I’m more than happy to be one of the many that You love. And I KNOW I AM LOVED. Not because of anything I did, but because You called me to be Your own. Thank You Abba.
Thank You for helping me grow into the woman You created me to be. Warts and all!
