Joseph and His Bad Brothers

Joseph's Bad Brothers
Jacob had twelve sons, but his favourite son was Joseph. The book of Genesis devotes 14 chapters to the life of Joseph. He is an especially important person in the history of Israel. When Joseph was 17 years old he was out in the fields working with his brothers feeding the flocks. They led the sheep about in the open countryside to find good grass to eat. They herded them to keep them together and they protected them from the wild beasts, such as lions and bears.
Joseph was very young for this work. He had to keep up with his big brothers to keep them happy, for they were bullies. They laughed at sinful things. They loved to talk up their own greatness, for they were not humble. Joseph was not like them. He was offended at the things his brothers did and talked about. We know that for when he returned home he told his father, Jacob, about the evil things his brothers were doing while looking after the sheep.
Joseph felt free to tell his father these things because Jacob loved him so much. Joseph was a good, loving boy. He made Jacob happy in his old age. So much so that Jacob just couldn’t hide his fondness for Joseph. He even made him a coat of many colours. Joseph looked like a prince In that bright impressive coat. He could have been mistaken for a young king possessing special authority.
When his bad brothers saw the princely-looking Joseph they felt a torrent of jealousy rise up within them. They couldn’t look at Joseph with joy. They felt snubbed and became angry with him. They spoke to Joseph as if he were a leper or a jokester. The thing that enraged them so much was that Jacob showed his love for Joseph so publicly by giving him such a colourful coat. It was like waving a red rag to enrage them. It filled them with bitterness. They wanted to smash this special love their father had for Joseph.
Then one day Joseph announced to his brothers that he had dreamed an amazing dream. He told them that in his dream he saw them working in a field at harvest time tying stalks of corn into bundles, or sheaves. He told them that his sheaf stood upright while the brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his.
Now, the brothers were not dumb. Right away they grasped the meaning of Joseph’s dream. They said, No way. You are not going to reign over us, we won’t allow it. They said We won’t bow down to you. Who do you think you are? You are just a daddy’s boy in your ridiculous coat of pretty colours. In their fury they insisted, We are not going to serve you, we will serve ourselves.
Joseph’s dream had been like throwing gas on a fire. The brothers raged all the more. To the brothers, Joseph was odious, his name and the sight of him stank. They wanted to be rid of him.
Then, as if things were not already bad enough, Joseph dreamed again. For better or worse, he told them that he dreamed of the sun, the moon, and the stars bowing down to him, that is to honour Joseph. Again, the brothers were not dumb. They complained to Joseph saying, Shall our mother and father and all 11 of us bow down to you, Joseph. This caused the brothers to say, Enough of this dreamy talk from our little brother Joseph, who does he think he is?
So, Joseph was hated and his father was perplexed and wondered what all this really meant. Jacob didn’t know, Joseph didn’t know and the brothers didn’t even want to know. It was so strange to them that they would one day bow down to their little brother, who was just a little rat in their eyes.
 
Boys and girls, do you want to know what Joseph’s dreams meant? When you get to the end of the story in the book of Genesis you will find that when the famine came to the land of Israel Joseph’s brothers had to go down to Egypt to buy corn. By that time Joseph was Pharaoh’s chief ruler. Nothing was bought or sold in Egypt without Joseph’s permission. So, the brothers had to bow down on their knees before Joseph to honour him and to beg for corn.
Joseph had a wonderful life. His life was very like the life of the Lord Jesus.
Joseph was loved by his father, Jacob; Jesus was loved by his heavenly Father.
Joseph was hated by his brothers; Jesus dwelt among men who hated him and plotted to kill him.
Joseph became supreme ruler in all of Egypt; Jesus was exalted to great power and authority at God’s right hand in heaven.
Each of the brothers bowed down to Joseph to honour him; To Jesus, every knee shall bow when He comes again in power and glory.
So, the story of Joseph is a gospel story. People in this world hate and despise the Lord Jesus. They use his holy name as a swear word. The more they learn of his importance to God the Father, the more wickedly they hate Him.
People don’t like it that Jesus is God’s Son. People don’t like it that Jesus holds such power and authority in heaven. But we know that one day all men, women, boys, and girls will bow down on their knees to acknowledge the Lord Jesus as their judge.
The more we learn of Joseph the more we will understand how the Lord Jesus is to be honoured and loved.
The good news is that just as God had a plan to use Joseph to save His people from dying of famine, God has a plan to use the Lord Jesus to save sinners from dying in sin. Through Jesus death on the cross your sins can be fully pardoned and through the resurrection of Christ you can be raised up from the power of death to live with God in heaven. Do you want to be saved? Do you know that your heart, is like the bad brothers’ hearts and needs to be changed.?
Joseph did forgive his brothers when they confessed their wrongdoing. While they greatly feared that when found out by Joseph, he would hate them forever and punish them even with death. But Joseph was merciful to his brothers.
Joseph gave the brothers corn to feed them during the famine, and he gave them wagons to bring their wives and children along with their father down to Egypt where, at that time, there was plenty of everything they could need. The Lord Jesus invites you to live in the fulness of His pardon and in the power of His saving grace.
You need the Lord’s mercy today to cover over your sins. You need to give up your unbelief. Doubt turns people to hate the Lord. Faith will enable you to bow the knee and trust in His full salvation. What a good and great Saviour our Lord Jesus is. Do not harden your heart against Him, but believe in His invitation to live and dwell with him in heaven.

Posted on March 18 2021 - by Pastor Ian Goligher for the boys and girls of Cloverdale FPC

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