- Now who are we talking about?
- If answer is Jacob, why the story of Joseph?
- If answer is Joseph, why does it say it is an account of Jacob (or the generations of Jacob)?
- Because, it is through Joseph, that God makes Israel into a nation
- Why might there be some tension between the sons of Bilhah, the sons of Zilpah, and Joseph?
- While Joseph is 11th born, Joseph is firstborn of Rachel
- "Second class citizenry"
- Poor parenting on Jacob's part
- Continual theme in Genesis--good news is that God can use the results of poor parenting
- It doesn't mention Leah's son, but Leah was "not loved" which might suggests some animosity between her sons and the Rachel's children.
- How old is Joseph?
- 17, this is an important reference point for the purposes of our timeline
- The famine will begin in 20 years (we know the cupbearer's dream occurs two years before the end)
- This is the fourth time Jacob is referred to as Israel, not counting the "naming" events
- Probably has to do with the fact that these events are more about the nation than just Jacob
- The author is building up a story of animosity toward Joseph? What is the first point?
- He brought a bad report
- His brothers were far from perfect. Some of them might even fall into the classification of evil men -- willing to kill others
- APPLICATION: God uses imperfect beings. It's never too late for him to use you
- What is new, at least as far as Genesis is concerned?
- The use of dreams WITOUT God speaking
- "This is the first dream in the Bible in which God does not speak (cf. 20:3; 28:12-15; 31:11, 24). It forms a transition in the dominant means of God's revelation from theophany in Genesis 1—11, to dreams and visions in Genesis 12—35, and now to providence in Genesis 36—50. These three stages resemble the three parts of TaNaK (i.e., the OT). In the Torah ('Law'), God speaks to Moses in theophany; in the Nebiim ('Prophets'), he speaks in dreams and visions; and in the Ketubim ('Writings'), he works mostly through providence."(Waltke, Genesis, p. 500)
- What is the first dream and meaning, at least as others interpret it?
- Sheaves of grain
- Note the agricultural motif
- The other wheat are coming to Joseph and bowing down
- Joseph will reign and rule over the brothers
- What is the second dream and meaning?
- Sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to Joseph
- Even Mother and Father to bow down
- Incidentally, Rachel is already passed away, so these dreams may have occurred while growing up as opposed to when he was 17. The second "then" only places the one dream after the other
- Only Jacob, who resents the last dream, seem to show any spiritual discernment
- How do the stories build up the issue of animosity?
- Favoritism
- Ruling over
- Potential arrogance -- I know that we will see a very humble and wise man, but that story is still 13 years away. I think God changed Joseph. I think God used the evil to bring about good in Joseph's life. Joseph at the end of his life says something similar
- APPLICATION: Sometimes we are so involved in life, we don't notice what God is really doing. Example of time line activity
- Why might Israel be concerned?
- They are near Shechem, the site of the massacre
- There may be others who might want to take revenge
- The animosity toward Joseph is pretty great, why?
- The favoritism
- The special coat (signifies authority)
- The earlier tattling episode
- Two individuals try to save Joseph's life, who and why?
- Reuben the firstborn
- Possibly because he would be blamed
- More likely to regain his father's favor
- Judah, the fourth son, but next in line because of the other two's sin
- Apparently the majority of the brothers actually agree to the sale, i.e., the emotional moment is passed with a little bit more saneness
- APPLICATION: Making decisions when emotional is rarely a good thing
- There is some irony here …
- Jacob had used the skin of a goat to deceive Isaac, his father
- Jacob's sons use the blood of a goat to deceive Jacob, their father
- Favorite son rationale (before it was Esau, not it is Joseph)
- There is also a theme of deception
- Jacob had deceived his father
- Laban had deceived Jacob
- Joseph's brothers deceive their father
- Joseph deceives his brothers (20 years later in Egypt--but for a different reason)
- How did Jacob respond to the news?
- He believed his son was dead
- He forgot the significance of the dreams
- Note the callousness of the sons toward their father. They knowingly let him go through tremendous grief on the basis of a lie
- What is a lesson that God is communicating with verses 35 and 36?
- From Jacob's perspective all was loss. He refused to be comforted. He could see no good
- From God's perspective, He was at work, using the sons' evil to bring good
- APPLICATION:
- We really don't know what God is doing
- We can not see into the future
- We need to have faith and trust God to bring good out of what seems so evil
- Rom 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. NIV
- Gen 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. NIV
Timeline:
|
2006
|
Birth of Jacob
and Esau
|
Gen 25:26
|
0 yrs
|
|
1930
|
Jacob journeys to
Haran
|
Gen 28:2
|
76 yrs (or 1950:
56)
|
|
1916
|
End of Jacob's 14
year labor for his wives
|
Gen 29:30
|
|
|
1916
|
Birth of Joseph
|
Gen 30:23
|
|
|
1910
|
End of Jacob's
stay with Laban
|
Gen 31:41
|
31:38,41 might
suggest 2-20 year periods (Grace, W1972, Zimmerman)
|
|
1905-1899
|
Death of Rachel,
birth of Benjamin
|
Gen 35:16-22
|
|
|
1899
|
Selling of Joseph
|
Gen 37:2
|
107
|
|
1879
|
Beginning of
famine
|
Gen 41:54
|
|
|
1878
|
Brothers’ first
visit to Egypt
|
Gen 42:1-2
|
|
|
1877
|
Judah's incest
with Tamar
|
Gen 38:18
|
|
|
1877
|
Brothers’ second
visit to Egypt
|
Gen 43:1; 45:6,
11
|
|
|
1876
|
Jacob's descent
to Egypt
|
Gen 46:6; cf.
47:9
|
130
|
|
1845
|
Israel is
enslaved
|
|
|
|
1446
|
Israel leaves
Egypt after 400 years of bondage
|
Gen 15:13,16;Acts
7:6
|
|
|
1395
|
Conquest of
Caanan complete (essentially)
|
Acts 13:19,20
|
|
2 These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
Verse 4: The
meaning of the Hebrew for richly ornamented
is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, "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?" 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. 20 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." 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life." 22 And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"— that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Verse 35: Hebrew Sheol
Verse 36: Samaritan
Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 28); Masoretic Text
Medanites
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