The sermon today is Genesis chapter 36 and 37. We will not have a New Testament reading today as is our custom, again because the sermon text is so long. Instead of reading all of Genesis chapter 36 we will only read the first eight verses, but we will read all of Genesis chapter 37 and that is where most of our attention will go in the sermon today, Genesis chapter 37. Hear now the reading of God's most Holy Word, Genesis 36, starting in verse 1. These are the generations of Esau, that is, Edom. Esau took his wives from the Canaanites, Adah the daughter of Elan the Hittite, Olabamah the daughter of Anna the daughter of Zebian the Hittite, and Basemath Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Neboiath. And Adah bore Esau, Zilpaz, It's live fat. What am I? Eliphaz, Basemath bore Reuel, and Olibamah bore Jeush, Jelum, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock and his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob, for their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir." Esau is Edom. Genesis 37 verse 1, Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being 17 years old, was pastoring 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. 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. 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. Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, Hear this dream that I have dreamed. Behold, we were binding sheafs in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheafs gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf. His brothers said to him, Are you indeed to reign over us, or are you indeed to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 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. 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? And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them. And he said to him, Here I am. So he said to him, Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word. So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a man found him wandering in the fields, and the man asked him, What are you seeking? He said, I am seeking my brothers. He said, Tell me, please, where are they pasturing the flock? And the man said, They have gone away, for I have heard them say, Let us go up to Dothan. So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, Here 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. But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, Let us not take his life. And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood, throw 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. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore, and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty, there was no water in it. 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. Then Judah said to his brothers, What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 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. The Midianite traders passed by and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes and returned to his brothers and said, �The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?� Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, ìThis we have found. Please identify whether it is your sonís robe or not.î And he identified it and said, ìIt is my sonís robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.î Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and his daughters rose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and said, No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him. Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard." So far the reading of God's most holy word. May the Lord add blessing to the preached word this morning. Before we get to the beloved story of Joseph which begins in Genesis 37-2, I'd like to say just a few words about Genesis chapter 36 of which we read only a small portion. In Genesis 36 we find the generations of Esau. So this is the ninth of the ten main sections of the book of Genesis. In verse 1 we encounter that familiar phrase, these are the generations of, that tells us that a new section is beginning. This functions, this phrase functions as a heading over the 10 sections of Genesis as you know by now. And whose descendants are listed here in Genesis 36? We are told that these are the generations of Esau, that is to say Edom. As you know Esau was the older of the twin boys who were born to Isaac and Rebekah, but he was not the elect one. Contrary to the custom of the day, the younger son Jacob was elect of the Lord. And according to the revealed word of God, he would be the one to receive the birthright and the blessing. He would be the one to inherit the promises of God made to his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. You have to remember that Paul, when teaching on the doctrine of unconditional election, he used these two historical individuals to illustrate his point, saying, �When Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing good or evil, In order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, she was told, ìThe older will serve the younger. As it is written, ìJacob I loved, but Esau I hated.îî That is Romans 9, 10-13. When we read that God hated Esau, we should not think that God hated him with a human kind of hatred which is imperfect and impure. The meaning is that God set His love on Jacob but passed over Esau. He chose to bless Jacob and to bless the nations of the earth through him, but He determined to leave Esau in his sin and guilt. We are to remember that God would have done no wrong at all to leave both of these boys in their sin and guilt. But He chose Jacob. He chose to bless Him and to bless the nations of the earth through Him. And friends, I must say that if this is troubling to you, this teaching concerning unconditional election, if upon hearing that God loved Jacob and hated Esau you think to yourself, that is not fair, then I would suggest to you that you have not grasped what the Scriptures have to say concerning the majesty of God and the terrible magnitude of our sin. Truth be told all deserve to be as Esau, that is to say passed over by God and left in their sin. And none deserve to be as Jacob, that is to say to be chosen and pursued by God, having the love of God set upon them. This is precisely what Paul said when he anticipated the objection of unfairness or injustice. In verse 14 of Romans 9 he wrote, What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? Paul says, ìBy no means.î For he says to Moses, ìI will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.î Jacob was elect of the Lord, Esau was passed over. This is made clear in the narrative of Genesis in three ways. One, this was announced to Rebekah before the children were born, before they had done good or evil. The Lord spoke to her and said, ìTwo nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided. The one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.î And so we know that Jacob was elect of the Lord through the declaration that was made to Rebecca while the children, the twins, were still in her womb. Two, the narrative of Genesis also demonstrates that Jacob was the blessed and chosen one. The Lord reiterated His promises to him time and time again. I'm sure you remember this as Jacob journeyed up towards his uncle Laban and was there for a time and came back again. Again and again the Lord appeared to him and reiterated His promises to him. The Lord pursued Jacob and was present with Jacob to preserve him. The Lord even wrestled with Jacob and having humbled him He blessed him. And finally, after serving Laban for all those years, Jacob re-entered Canaan. And I want you to take special note of this. Jacob entered into Canaan, the land of promise, and Esau left. So think of the significance of this fact. Think of what this signifies as we imagine Jacob re-entering Canaan, the land of promise, and Esau exiting that place. At the end of the day it was Jacob who was brought safely into the land of promise while Esau abandoned that land. Look again at Genesis 36, 6. Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob, etc. So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir, Esau is Edom. So in verse 1 of chapter 37 we also read that it was Jacob who lived in the land of his father's sojournings in the land of Canaan. The narrative of Genesis emphasizes this development for it is very significant, Jacob was the chosen one, the one to whom the promises of the Lord were ultimately given. And if we're tracking along in our study of the book of Genesis, and if we're following this narrative, this is really a surprising development. were to remember that Jacob was the one who was sent away from the land as he fled for his life from his brother Esau. While Esau remained in the land, he seemed to be firmly positioned in that place, and from a human perspective it seemed as if Esau had won. It seemed as if Esau had retained the birthright and the blessing. But it was the will of the Lord that Jacob be the one to possess the land, and who can possibly resist the plans and purposes of God? If it is the will of the Lord that such and such a thing happen, it's going to happen, even if it is against all odds, humanly speaking, for who can frustrate His sovereign will? What I am saying is that not only was Jacob's election announced to Rebekah before the children were born, the stories of their lives show it to be true Jacob, though he clearly was undeserving, was chosen of the Lord. He was called, pursued, and kept by the Lord. The promises of God were given to him and he was brought safely into the land of promise while Esau was expelled, if you will. Three, the structure of the book of Genesis also shows that Jacob was the elect one whereas Esau was passed over. I want you to notice how brief this section is which tells of the generations of Esau. These are the generations of Esau, and there is one chapter, chapter 36, which describes them. And now compare it with the length of the section which will tell of the generations of Jacob. That section will begin in 37 2, and it will run all the way through to the end of Genesis, which has 50 chapters in it. The generations of Jacob occupy 13 chapters in the book of Genesis. That is more space than was devoted to the entire time from Adam to Abraham. Think of that for a moment. The entire time from Adam to Abraham, many years passed between them, took up less space than what is devoted to the generations of Jacob here from 37 to onward. Esau's generations are described in only one chapter. And this has been the pattern that we have seen in the genealogies or generations of Genesis. The non-elect lines are minimized, whereas the elect lines are emphasized and expanded in Genesis. For example, remember Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was the older son of Abraham, but he was not the son of promise. Isaac, the younger son, was. The generations of Ishmael are recorded in Genesis 25, 12-18. Only seven verses are devoted to the generations of Ishmael. Whereas the generations of Isaac occupy 25-19 through to the end of chapter 35. We've just considered that section. Ten and a half chapters are devoted to the generations of Isaac. Mind you though, it's not that Ishmael and Esau were not blessed. Both men prospered greatly and against all odds. Both men, I'm here referring to Ishmael and Esau, the non-elect line, the non-elect descendants of the patriarchs. Both men became great nations. The Israelites descended, excuse me, that is not correct. I think that is a typo there in the text. The Ishmaelites descended from Ishmael and the Edomites descended from Esau. So clearly these men were blessed, they were blessed in the things of this world. But notice this, they were pools of God's blessing, and they were not rivers. They were cul-de-sacs of God's blessing, they were not thoroughfares. They were recipients of God's earthly blessings, but they were not the conduits through whom the blessings of God's salvation would come to the world. That is the difference. They became a great people. Kings came from them. They were wealthy and prosperous. They became nations. But the blessings that rested upon them as the children of Abraham and as the children of Isaac, those blessings were earthly only. They were not to be the conduits through whom the Christ would come into the world and bless all the peoples of the earth. The Christ would not be born from Lot, from Ishmael or Esau. Instead, the Christ would come into the world through Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. And in Him, that is to say in the Christ, all the nations of the earth would be blessed." And so here in Genesis 36 we see that Esau was clearly blessed. But notice that he was blessed only in an earthly way. He had many offspring. A nation in kings descended from him. Esau would become Edom, we are told, twice. This is really incredible to think of. Especially when we consider how little Esau was, he would become a great nation. But he was not the chosen one. Jacob, his younger twin brother, was blessed of the Lord spiritually. Jacob knew the Lord, and though Jacob and his offspring, and through them all the nations of the earth would be reconciled to God through faith in the Christ that would descend from him in the fullness of time. So having now briefly considered the generations of Esau, I want to turn our attention to the tenth and last section of the book of Genesis. It begins in 37-2 with these words, ìThese are the generations of Jacob.î The rest of Genesis will tell the story of Jacob's offspring. And it is Joseph who was the first born to Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife, who will be the central figure and the hero of this story. The story of Joseph, which is I think one of the most loved stories in all the Bible, begins on a very sad note. It actually begins with a description of the hatred that his brothers had for him. By the way, and I've emphasized this over and over again but will continue to do so, anyone who thinks that Israel was chosen and blessed of the Lord because of some inherent goodness or worthiness within them has not read the story of Scripture very carefully. Would you agree with that by now? Time and again Genesis highlights the sins of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. And the very same thing is true here. The children of Israel, that is to say the children of Jacob, were clearly plagued by sin. They were wicked men. The things that they did to Joseph were terrible things. And so clearly any grace shown to Israel was by God's grace alone. Any favor bestowed upon them was unmerited. Three reasons are given for the hatred of Joseph in this text. One, in verse 2 we learn that Joseph brought a bad report to his father Jacob concerning his sons born to Bilhah and Zilpah. We read that Joseph being 17 years old was pastoring a flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wife, and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. It is unclear in the text whether the report that Joseph brought to Jacob concerning his half-brothers was true. Some commentators actually suggest that Joseph either lied or exaggerated when he brought this bad report to his father, and that is why his half-brothers hated him so much. He was spreading rumors about them that were untrue. Suppose it is possible. I don't think Joseph needs to be completely above reproach in our minds. It may be that he also wasn't the best person, especially early on in his life. It could be that Joseph, desiring to have the first place in his father's house, slandered his brothers before his father. But the narrative of Genesis leads me to think otherwise. I believe it is more natural to see that Jacob's half-brothers were indeed bad men. Consider what has been said about them previously, and consider what will be said about them in just a moment. These were not good people, they were bad men. They hated Jacob, I think, not because his report was untrue, but because he dared to tell Jacob of their bad behavior, whatever form it took. If Joseph erred in some way, perhaps he erred in telling his father. But even that is questionable. Sometimes we are wise to keep our mouths shut and to refrain from sticking our noses into the business of others. That is true. But sometimes the only right thing to do is to tell. This is especially the case when some evil thing is being done that will bring harm to others. Then we must tell. Jacob told on his brothers and they hated him for it. This scenario reminds me of what Peter says in 1 Peter 4, 2-5. There Peter speaks to the Christian. And He exhorts them to live for the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. This is how you are to live in the world, Christian. Don't be driven by your human passions, which are sinful, but live for the will of God. Be driven by a passion, if you will, to do God's will. For the time that is past, he says, suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. That's how the world lives. And those days are over for you, Christian. You're to no longer live that way. You're to live instead in obedience to the will of God. And then he makes this important observation. He says, with respect to this, They are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you. But they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." So brothers and sisters, do not be surprised if those who are worldly hate you when you refuse to live as they do. Do not be surprised by that. Just the simple fact that you are unwilling to run with them in their sinful ways will oftentimes cause them to hate you. It may even be that you keep your mouth shut, you don't criticize or condemn them, you don't say a word. But just given the fact that you refuse to speak as they speak and do as they do will cause the worldly person to hate you. Because if you run with them, you'll validate them, you see. If you run with them, you'll make them feel better about themselves and the way that they're living. But by not running with them, by refusing to use their foul language, by refusing to tell their dirty jokes, by refusing to drink to drunkenness, et cetera, et cetera, even if you don't say a word to them, a word of condemnation, you by your way of life are actually condemning them and they don't like that. And so do not be surprised if, as you live in this world as a Christian should, if evildoers do not malign you. Peter says that they will. This means that they will speak evil of you. It is quite natural to want others to like you, isn't it? I would much prefer people to like me than to hate me. I think everyone is that way. Maybe some sick and twisted people enjoy being disliked by others. the controversy that it brings. It might give them a kind of high or something. But those people are rare, I think. Most people want to be well-liked by others. That is a natural desire. It's not a bad desire. But as Christ-followers, as Christ-followers, we need to be willing to be hated by the world. if we are hated simply because we are doing what is good and right. We cannot be driven by this desire to be well-liked. Sometimes doing what is right and refusing to do what is evil will mean that those who do evil will hate you. And I think the Christian must come to terms with this. This must be a burden that the Christian is willing to bear as we walk in this world. Not only did Joseph refuse to run with his half-brothers in their evil ways, which probably irritated them in and of itself, he even opposed them by informing his father of their bad behavior, and so it is not surprising to learn that they hated him for it. Two, Joseph's brothers hated him because their father Jacob showed favoritism to him. This provoked them to jealousy. Verse three, now Israel, that is to say Jacob, 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. You've heard of this robe before I'm sure, you can picture it maybe in your imagination. 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. One lesson that we can definitely learn from the life of Jacob is that we should not show favoritism to anyone. Jacob showed favoritism to Rachel over his other wives and this contributed to the division within his family. It created problems. He should not have had other wives in the first place, mind you. But the favoritism was a problem. It magnified the jealousy within his family. And now we learn that Jacob showed favoritism to Joseph over his other sons and they resented him for it. They resented Jacob and they hated Joseph. There would have been nothing wrong for Joseph to have a special place in Jacob's heart. You understand that? After all, he was the son of his old age, one of the sons born to Rachel, whom he loved. It is evident that Joseph was a good boy, especially when compared to the others. But it was very foolish for Jacob to show favoritism to Joseph. Clearly he showed favoritism, that is obvious. He showed it in a way that was out there and in their face, they could see it. They knew that Joseph was the favored one and this multiple colored coat was just a declaration of the favoritism shown. to Joseph by Jacob. He made to him this beautiful and lavish coat, actually the text in the Hebrew suggests that he made it for him over and over again as one would wear out he would make him another. It was a costly coat of many colors. And so that Joseph was the favored one was far from hidden, in fact Jacob he put it on full display. So brothers and sisters we should be careful to not show favoritism to any of our children, nor to anyone for that matter. When I think of my four kids, I give thanks to God for each one of them. Each one holds a special place in my heart in one way or another. And this is how it should be. And it is only right that each of them receive the same treatment from their father and mother. Each should be loved, each should be instructed, each should be disciplined equally. Time should be invested into each one. They should know for sure that they are loved. Without a doubt they will grow aware of the fact that they themselves have strengths and weaknesses as we all do. They will probably be able to guess that mom and dad love this thing or that thing about them. They probably don't like this thing or that thing so much. That's all fine and natural. But they should know that none of that will change our love for them for they are our children. I think there is also a lesson to be learned just in regard to favoritism in general. Favoritism even within the church. It may be that you have a more natural affection for some within this congregation, there's a friendship there, there's a common bond because of some shared interest or because of a similar personality, etc. That is all fine and that is all natural, but we must not show favoritism within the Church of God. Doesn't matter who walks through this door and desires to profess faith in Christ and to join themselves to us. We are to love that brother or sister in Christ equally, whether they are rich or poor, whether they are educated or uneducated, no matter what their personality is like. If they are a Christian, if they have professed faith in Christ, have been baptized upon profession, we are to love them as a brother or sister. Within the church, within the family, creates chaos. So Jacob may be criticized for showing favoritism to Joseph, but that does not excuse the bad behavior of his sons, does it? I hope you would agree with me in that. For at the end of the day, they were responsible before the Lord for their own actions. In our day and age, I think it is common for people to blame their bad behavior on their parents. If only mom or dad were better parents, then I would be a better person, they say. Or, I am this way because of my father. And while I do not deny that our parents have a very powerful impact upon us, this other thing also needs to be said. You are your own person. The choices that you are making are your choices. You yourself will stand before God someday to give an account and on that day it will not do to blame mom or dad for your sins and shortcomings. At some point we must come to this realization and take responsibility for our own actions. The Scriptures do indeed teach that the decisions that mothers and fathers, especially I think, make will have an impact upon their children. We see that principle here in the story of Jacob and his sons. His favoritism shown to Jacob and his favoritism shown to Rebecca created problems within the family. That is clear. We also see that principle in the Ten Commandments where we read, �You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.� And this is added, �For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.� And so we see this principle is communicated here. This is how things work, especially in a national setting. The sins of the fathers have an effect upon the children. You can read the book of Exodus and you will see that many children wandered for a very long time in the wilderness, but it was not for their lack of faith, but it was because of the lack of faith that their fathers had. You can read Kings and Chronicles and see that children would often suffer the consequences for the sins of their fathers. Many were born to Israel while in Babylonian captivity, brothers and sisters. There were children of Israel, descendants from Abraham, but they were born in Babylon. And why were they born there? Why did they suffer there? They were born there not for their own sins, but for the sins of the previous generation. So clearly this is how things work in a national context. Our children will pay for our debts in this country, friends. Decisions being made today by us and by our leaders will have an effect upon future generations. But as it pertains to the individual, Each one stands before God alone. This is especially true under the New Covenant, now that that national dynamic of Old Covenant Israel has been abolished. Jeremiah, speaking of the days of the New Covenant, said, �In those days,� in other words, when the Old Covenant is no more and this New Covenant is here, �In those days they shall no longer say, �The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.� But, �Everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.� And so I wonder, have you ever eaten sour grapes before? And have you felt that sensation that Jeremiah is talking about? I can imagine it. You eat sour grapes and your teeth, they kind of feel funny, right? They're set on edge. There's a strange sort of tingling sensation there. And in Jeremiah's day, as he lived in Israel under the Old Covenant, there was a saying that the fathers eat sour grapes, but it is the children who experience the sensation of their teeth being set on edge. How could that be? In other words, our fathers were idolaters, etc. They are the ones who sinned, but now we are paying for it. We are reaping what they have sown. And Jeremiah is saying that that will not be so under the New Covenant. That generational principle that is alluded to there in the Ten Commandments itself is gone. For the new covenant people of God, for one, are not a nation. They are not a mixed multitude, as old covenant Israel was. To the contrary, Jeremiah says that under the new covenant, no longer shall each one teach his neighbor, and each one his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more." He's saying this new covenant is substantially different from the old. The old covenant was made with a people, a nation. It was a mixed multitude where some knew Christ and others did not, speaking in that way. Under the new covenant, all who are a part of this covenant will know the Lord. They will all have their sins forgiven. He will remember their sins no more. And so parents do have a huge impact on their children, I do not deny that. But if you are in Christ, hear me now brothers and sisters, if you are in Christ, you are a new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come, 2 Corinthians 5.17. And so you cannot blame your current bad behavior on others. But you must take responsibility for yourself and look to Christ for the help that you need to progress now in your sanctification. Jacob showed favoritism to Joseph, that's the point. And in this he was wrong, but this does not excuse the sin of his other sons who hated Joseph because they allowed their jealousy to consume them. That was their problem. Joseph's decisions, the telling of the dreams later on and the telling on the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, that contributed to their jealousy, that provoked it, did it not? Jacob's favoritism provoked their jealousy, but they themselves allowed their jealousy to consume them and to drive them to do horrible things. Three, Joseph's brothers hated him because of the dreams he dreamed concerning his superiority over the rest of the family. And when Joseph shared these dreams with his family, he provoked them to jealousy even more so. He dreamed two dreams. I will not read them again. The first one had to do with sheafs in the field. You understand, we do not live in agrarian culture or society. You'd harvest the grain and you'd bind up the grain into sheaves before threshing it and so on and so forth. And Joseph had this dream where one of those sheaves stood upright and rose above all the others and the others bowed down to it. He told the dream to his brothers and they said, what are you saying? Are you claiming that you will be greater than us? That you will rule over us? That was the clear message being sent in this dream. We know that this dream was from the Lord for it came true. If you know the Joseph story you know this. Not only would Joseph's brothers eventually bow down to him, but they would do so because they were seeking grain in a time of famine. And so the vision of sheafs is appropriate here. Not only did the dream communicate that Joseph would be superior, it also hinted at the circumstances that would bring about his superiority. It would have something to do with harvesting grain. I think we can criticize Joseph just a bit here. It was probably foolish for him to share this dream with his brothers. He knew what it meant. It probably would have been wise for Him to keep these things to Himself, especially given the jealousy that already was an issue amongst them. It is wrong to be jealous, brothers and sisters, but it is also wrong to provoke others to jealousy. Friends, I might make this small point of application here. If the Lord has blessed you in some way, don't flaunt it. Don't flaunt it. Walk humbly before God and man. Don't put a stumbling block in front of others. Jacob's second dream is found in verses 9 through 11. He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers, and this one had to do with the stars and the celestial bodies, the sun, the moon, and the 11 stars were bowing down to Joseph. This time Joseph told the dream to his father Jacob, and Jacob thought the same thing that I have just said. Why don't you keep your mouth shut, Joseph? You don't need to share this with everyone. You think it will really be, and Jacob gives the proper interpretation, will it really be that your mother and I bow down before you and your 11 brothers?" Joseph's mother, biologically speaking, was already dead by this point in time. Maybe Jacob was thinking in the resurrection or perhaps this is simply a reference to his his father's wife Leah who remained. But should we really come and bow down before you? Is that going to happen? But notice Jacob is more mature, he doesn't hate Joseph, he's not consumed by jealousy. Instead he kept the saying in mind, we read at the end of verse 11. And so clearly the sun symbolized Jacob, the moon probably Leah, and the 11 stars symbolized his brothers. And this imagery of the sun, moon, and stars has a national significance to it. The rest of Scripture will draw upon this imagery, the book of Revelation, so on and so forth. Here it is Israel as a nation considered, but the meaning is the same. In due time his family, including his parents, would bow down before him. And we know that this would come true in the process of time. Jacob kept the saying in mind. He was open to it. three reasons that Joseph was hated. I've just given them to you. In the second part of this chapter we learn that Joseph's brothers hated him so much that they conspired to do him harm. And notice that just as three reasons were given for the hatred of him there are three stages to their plan to harm them. First they simply conspired to kill him. And you know the story. The brothers were a long way from home out of their father's sight and supervision, tending the flocks. Jacob thought they were at Shechem. I think the mention of this place, Shechem, should remind the reader of the awful thing that the sons of Jacob did there when they slaughtered the people of that land, being enraged concerning what was done to their sister. Do you remember that story? What was Jacob thinking? Did he know of the jealousy that existed between his boys? Did he not understand that he had showed favoritism to Joseph? Did he not remember the awful thing that his sons did at Shechem not long ago, that they were violent men? And he sends Joseph off all alone to go visit these scoundrels? Well, he did. He sent him away, obviously oblivious to the threat that was looming. These were violent men, were to remember that. Joseph was sent to check on the brothers and to bring them supplies. And as Joseph journeyed towards them, verse 18, they saw him from afar. They knew it was him, of course, because they could see his coat of many colors. And before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. And so immediately we are to remember the sin of Cain, who, being driven by jealousy, rose up and killed his own brother, Abel. Just as Adam's sons were divided, so too Jacob's. They said to one another, here 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. These are very wicked men. They desired to kill their very own brother and they were willing to deceive their own father concerning the death of his beloved son. That they thought that they could pull this off and keep it a secret amongst themselves shows how wicked they were. They were willing to go to this great length to take vengeance upon the one of whom they were jealous. Reuben, the oldest of the brothers, determined to rescue Joseph by suggesting that they not shed his blood, but throw him into one of the pits instead and leave him for dead. The other brothers agreed, thinking that it would be more appropriate to kill him this way. And so Reuben's intention was to go away and then to return later to save him. This is the second stage of their plan. What it was that motivated Reuben to do this good thing is hard to say. He's not really portrayed as a good man in the Genesis narrative. Perhaps this was simply too much for him, the thought of actually shedding the blood of his own brother. Or perhaps he felt some special responsibility for the well-being of the family, given that he was the oldest. Later in the Joseph story, this does seem to be the case. Reuben felt a degree of responsibility for the family. In verse 23 we read, ìSo when Joseph came to his brothers,î think of this and envision it, ìthey stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore, and they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty, there was no water in it, and they sat down to eat.î The depravity of man is truly great, isnít it? These men did this wicked thing, they treated their own brother brutally and left him to die a horrible death. And then what did they do? They sat down and they had a meal. They felt no remorse at all for what they had just done. I don't know, there's times where things are bothering me and I don't feel like I can eat, brothers and sisters. They sat down to eat. They had a feast. They probably took the delicacies that Joseph had brought them, took them from him and enjoyed them while their brother suffered in that pit. The third stage of their conspiracy came when Judah, wishing to profit from doing away with his brother, suggested that they sell him to the Midianite or Ishmaelite. They can go by either name. See Judges 8.24, by the way, to help in alleviating that tension why they are called Midianites and Ishmaelites. They can go by either name. One term is more specific than the other. You are citizens of the United States, but you are also Californians, aren't you? And so, too, these were Midianites or Ishmaelite traders. He said, let's sell him. And this they did for 20 shekels of silver." And at the end of verse 28 we read, �They took Joseph to Egypt.� The text doesn�t say anything about Joseph�s reaction to this, does it? Later in the story, when the brothers will stand before Joseph in Egypt and bow down to him, we learn in that section that Joseph did plead for his life before his brothers. He begged them to not do this horrible thing. Reuben admits to it later, I think it is him. This Joseph's going to do his harm, did he not plead for his life? And we did not listen to him. And so with that the stage is set for the rest of the story of Joseph that will follow. In the third and final section of this chapter we find a description of the deception of Jacob. We will not spend very long here. Not only did these men sell their own brother into slavery, they even lied to their father and allowed him to mourn deeply thinking that Joseph was dead. This is cruel and unusual punishment, isn't it? These sons of Jacob allowed him to suffer very much in his anguish and in his mourning. First it was Reuben who was grieved, he returned to rescue the boy but found that he was gone. Evidently he was not there when the decision was made to take him from the pit and to sell him. So Reuben mourns at the loss of the boy. Second, the brothers prepared to deceive their father by following through on the plan to dip Joseph's coat in goat blood and to present it to Jacob saying that he was killed by a fierce animal. That's the second stage of the account of the deception here. I think it is worth noticing the irony. that just as Jacob used the tunic of his brother Esau, follow along with me here, and the skin of a goat to deceive his father Isaac in his old age, now he himself is deceived by his own sons with a coat and the blood of a goat. Do you see the irony? You remember when Jacob went to deceive Isaac in his old age? He put on his brother's tunic and he covered his arms with goat skins so that he might appear to be that hairy man that he was not. And now Jacob later in his life is deceived by his sons with the use of a coat and the blood of a goat. And so some things do come back to bite you, don't they? We do not believe in karma. But there is this principle, sometimes we do reap what we sow, even in Christ Jesus. Our decisions do have an effect upon our lives. Third, notice that Jacob was left to grieve even though his sons could have easily relieved him by telling him the truth. Even a week later, or three months later, or three years later, or ten years later. I'm losing track of time here, I don't know how long this took all to unfold. But the point is this, at any given time after the decision was made to deceive Jacob, the brothers collectively, or even just one of them, could have come to Jacob and said, we've done something horrible. Joseph is not dead. We sold him into slavery. And so Father, let's go get him. Let's go take him back. Let's go purchase him out of the slavery into which we have sold him. But evidently no one ever had the courage to tell Jacob the truth. Never did his sons tell him that Joseph was alive in Egypt. To do so would have required that their sins be exposed, but they were not willing to let that happen. Why are we this way when it comes to our sins? Why are we so stubborn to confess them to God and to one another so that healing might take place? Why are we so hard-hearted towards one another? Having sinned against one another, there we entrench ourselves and plead our case but refuse to own what it is that we have done. It's pride. It's pride in the heart. It's a desire for self-preservation. That's what it is. But to just imagine this, the vicious thing that they did to their own brother and then the heartless way that they treated their own father. They allowed him to mourn. They allowed him to remain in that state where he said, my mourning, and this is a reference not just to common grief, but to public mourning and sackcloth and ashes. They allowed him to remain in that state saying, I'm going to go to the grave this way. And never did they bring relief to him. This story is a very sad story, isn't it? We're all depressed now. Why then is it so beloved? I have three answers and they are also brief and with this we will conclude. The story of Joseph is beloved because the people of God can relate to Joseph and his suffering. This is especially true of those who have been mistreated in this world because of their faith. The story of Joseph will encourage our hearts as we see that the Lord was with Joseph and He preserved him in his suffering. I think it's one of the greatest stories in all of the Bible illustrating this point, that even if life seems very dark, Even if it seems as if God is very distant, He is with His children. He was with Joseph always to preserve him through the darkest of times. Brought him out of that pit and eventually would free him from that bondage in Egypt, put him into a position of power. God is with His people. Even if we do not perceive Him, He is with us. Two, the story of Joseph is beloved because it answers some of our deepest questions regarding the relationship between sin and suffering and the sovereignty of God. It answers questions regarding our suffering and God's purposes. The truth that will be pressed upon us through this narrative is that God is able to use that which is evil for good. We do not understand how this works. We do not see it always. Sometimes we get a glimpse of it and we certainly get a glimpse of it in the story of Joseph. Paul says it this way as he teaches, this is a didactic portion of Scripture, and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose. This is why we are able to do what James tells us to do, that is to count it all joy when you experience trials of many kinds. That is counter to reason, but by faith we are able to do so knowing that God works in the world in this way. He causes things and uses things that are evil to work together for good. What Paul teaches us, what James exhorts us to do is based upon what we see happen here in the story of Joseph. What Paul says sounds a lot like what Joseph will say to his brothers after many years of suffering. When they finally come before him, as He is there in that position of authority in Egypt and bow before Him. They're fearful that He is going to take vengeance upon Him, but what does He say to them? The very end of the book of Genesis as a conclusion to this whole story He says, �As for you, you meant evil against Me.� But what? But God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. So Joseph, I'm not sure that he saw it all along as this unfolded in his life, he probably did not. He probably had very many dark days, confusing days, not understanding what the Lord was going to do, how would He bring about the fulfillment to these dreams that he had, etc. He probably was puzzled at times. But he came to that point in his life where he was able to look back upon it all and say, I see it now. You meant this for evil. There was no good in your heart concerning what you did to me. But God meant it for good. He had a purpose in it. And so we have this deep theological question answered in the story of Joseph. How it works out in our lives is mysterious, but we know that it is true, that God is able to use that which is evil to work for good in the lives of His people. Three, the story of Joseph is beloved because Jesus the Christ is typified in him. It is not difficult to see that In the life of Joseph the redemption that we have in Christ Jesus was foreshadowed. Joseph is a type of Christ. Just as Joseph the beloved son of Jacob was rejected by his own brothers, was mistreated even to the point of death, was delivered from the pit of death and raised up to power so that through Him many might be saved. So too Jesus the Christ our Lord was rejected by His own kinsmen, was mistreated even to the point of death, death on the cross, was raised up from the pit and was seated high above all power so that through Him, that is through faith in His name, many sons and daughters may be brought to glory. Jesus the Christ is typified in the story of Joseph. And so we will focus on Jesus the Christ and we will proclaim Him always. Brothers and sisters, trust in Christ, for in Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins, and the hope of life eternal. Let's bow together for a word of prayer. Our Father in Heaven, we confess to You that walking in this world is often difficult. but we rejoice that You are with us. Help us to walk by faith and not sight. Lord, if we walk based upon what we see, we would certainly be overwhelmed with grief and with despair. But if we walk by what we know to be true as revealed in Your Word, if we walk by faith, we have hope. Father, I pray for those in particular who are in a dark time, that they would set their eyes upon You upon Your Word, upon the Christ that You have provided, and that they would cling to Him, and that they would cling to Your promises. Give them hope Lord, I pray that even in this moment those dark clouds would begin to dissipate so that they might see the blue skies above and the sun that is shining. Father, I pray that You would bring this relief to them. For those who are in bright days, who are experiencing good times, may they rejoice in those also. And may they use these moments to grow in their understanding of You and in their knowledge of the truth in preparation for those dark days that may come. We thank You God that You are the unchanging One, You are faithful. You were the same yesterday, today and forever. And for that reason we can stand with our feet firmly set upon You as our foundation. It's in the name of Christ that we pray these things and all of God's people say, Amen.