Accept It. Session 10 GENESIS 37:5-11, God can overcome people s evil intentions, turning the effects of those intentions for His good purposes.

Transcription

1 Session 10 Accept It God can overcome people s evil intentions, turning the effects of those intentions for His good purposes. GENESIS 37:5-11,19-27 Before World War II, coal was commonly used to heat homes, which left soot stains on walls. Noah McVicker created a doughy cleaner to rub the soot off wallpaper. After the war, washable wallpaper and the use of natural gas as a heat source made this cleaner obsolete. The company faced bankruptcy; however, Noah s nephew, Joe McVicker, learned that his sister, a schoolteacher, used the material in her classroom as modeling dough. The McVickers marketed their nontoxic creation as a children s toy, Play-Doh. When have you seen something good come out of a bad situation? Date of My Bible Study: 91

2 UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT GENESIS 37:1-36 History often repeats itself, especially in family relationships. Just as Jacob s parents demonstrated favoritism between their two sons, Jacob favored Joseph, the son of his beloved wife Rachel, by giving him a beautiful coat (37:3). Such an act may seem like a small thing, but Joseph s brothers understood the meaning behind the gift their father loved him more than them (37:4). The hearts of Joseph s brothers turned against their younger brother. To make the situation worse, Jacob used Joseph as a spy. He asked him for a report on his brothers work ethic (37:2,14), pitting Joseph against his brothers. Caught in the middle, Joseph respectfully followed his father s instructions. Even at a young age, Joseph took his responsibilities seriously, fanning the flames of resentment in his brothers. Amid these boiling circumstances, God spoke with Joseph in two dreams. Excited and naïve, Joseph shared his dreams with his brothers, possibly expecting affirmation and shared excitement, but the revelation only fueled his brothers anger. The fire of bitterness turned into an uncontrollable wildfire that would shape Joseph s destiny. Whenever believers follow God, even other believers can react negatively by saying and doing unchristian things. Regardless of how others react, believers must be true to God s Word. Ultimately, only what God thinks really matters. We cannot control what others do, but we can control our faithfulness. Even in dark times, God can use all things for His glory. Although Joseph didn t understand why he was being mistreated, God delivered His people from starvation through Joseph s experience. God overcame the brothers evil intentions toward Joseph, turning the effects of those intentions for His good purposes. As you read Genesis 37, look for attitudes and actions that contributed to decisions made. How were the decisions made influenced by the attitudes of the people involved? 92 Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide

3 EXPLORE THE TEXT RULE OVER US? (GEN. 37:5-11) 5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it. 8 His brothers said to him, Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us? And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. Listen, he said, I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me. 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you? 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. VERSES 5-8 Joseph received not one dream but two dreams from the Lord. Without the benefit of the written Word, God used a variety of methods in communicating with His people in ancient times. For the patriarchs, He often used dreams. In dreams, God told Abraham about the Egyptian bondage (15:13) and He promised protection and prosperity for Jacob (28:12,15). Today, the most common way God communicates is through His Word. The Bible serves as the test for all truth, revealing God s will and way for His children. Be careful when looking for answers outside of God s Word. The Bible is the only infallible and reliable source of knowing God s truth. KEY DOCTRINE: The Scriptures The Holy Bible is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Session 10 : Accept It 93

4 In the first of two dreams, Joseph dreamed his brothers sheaves of grain bowed down to his sheaf. Living in a predominately agrarian culture, his brothers instantly recognized the interpretation of the dream Joseph would have position and power over them. They could not imagine their little brother having such status. The law of inheritance determined that possessions, property, and power went to the older sons, with the eldest receiving a double portion. Joseph was so far down on the family ladder that his dream seemed absurd. Filled with disbelief, Joseph s brothers ridiculed him. VERSES 9-11 In a second dream, Joseph dreamed the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to him. Although the Scripture doesn t indicate his father was present at the telling of the first dream, Jacob was present for this dream. Upon hearing it, Jacob rebuked Joseph for saying that his father (the sun), mother (the moon), and brothers (eleven stars) would be subordinate to him. The word translated rebuked means to chide or reprove harshly. As the chief patriarch, Jacob couldn t conceive a future without him being the head of the tribe. Since Rachel had died (Gen. 35:23), this is obviously a reference to Leah, who now had responsibility for all of Jacob s family. Whenever Joseph s brothers saw or spoke with Joseph, they no longer considered him a brother, a part of their family, but an enemy. Verse 11 reveals the root cause of their hatred. They were jealous of him. They envied their father s love and his divine dreams. Instead of being angry with their father, or excited about Joseph s blessings, or using the occasion for self-examination, they jealously hated Joseph. We must use wisdom when sharing God s truth with others, realizing that some will reject His truth. Because the text is silent, we cannot conclude that Joseph was prideful. We can establish that the timing, attitude, and tone of what we say often determine the response received. We must use wisdom when sharing God s truth with others, realizing that some will reject His truth. Only by sharing spiritual truth with discretion, speaking the truth in love, and exercising gentleness can we avoid unnecessarily upsetting others, including those in our own households. 94 Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide

5 Is jealousy avoidable? Explain. How can jealousy be minimized in relationships, especially between believers? BIBLE SKILL: Read, memorize, meditate on, and react emotionally to a Bible verse. Some Bible verses contrast different reactions to events. Sometimes they contrast right and wrong. Sometimes they contrast two types of erroneous reactions. Read Genesis 37:11 from several translations and then memorize it. Say it aloud several times. What two responses to Joseph are recorded here? What reaction does the verse generate in you? WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR DREAMS NOW? (GEN. 37:19-24) 19 Here comes that dreamer! they said to each other. 20 Come now, let s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we ll see what comes of his dreams. 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. Let s not take his life, he said. 22 Don t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don t lay a hand on him. Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe the ornate robe he was wearing 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. VERSES Following his father s instructions, Joseph left Hebron in search of his brothers in Shechem, so he could give a report on their work (vv ). A three days journey, Joseph couldn t find where his brothers were shepherding their sheep. With the help of an Session 10 : Accept It 95

6 unidentified person, Joseph traveled another day s journey to Dothan. Seeing Joseph in the distance, his brothers set in motion a plan that would forever change all of their destinies. The brothers spotted Joseph while he was still a long way off. One of the brothers shouted, here comes that dreamer, or literally translated, here comes that lord of dreams. That was what galled them the most his dreams. Setting off a chain reaction of uncontrolled anger and resentment, the sight of Joseph unprotected from his father in this faraway land united his brothers in their hatred of him. Not knowing for sure if little brother s dreams were from God, they would make certain that they would never bow before him, even if God s plan called for Joseph to become a person of power. These same brothers who plotted against the Shechemites in revenge for their sister (34:24-29) now plotted the destruction of their own flesh and blood. To cover their tracks, they would tell their father that a ferocious animal devoured him. Feeding off each other s hatred, their jealousy only grew more brazen as they acted out their devious plan. Sin, always loving company, turned the brothers into a ruthless mob. VERSES As Jacob s oldest child, Reuben shouldered the responsibility of the firstborn. Speaking with authority only second to Jacob, he could have stopped the madness. Instead, he offered a deceptive compromise rather than immediately rescuing Joseph. He wanted no part in Joseph s death. Reuben convinced his brothers that throwing Joseph into a deep cistern, where he would die of supposedly natural causes, was a better alternative and would free them from a more grievous guilt. Little did his brothers know, Reuben planned to rescue and return Joseph to his father later. Was Reuben motivated by love? Probably not. If he had been, he would have intervened earlier. Maybe he reasoned that if he brought Joseph safely home his actions would serve as restitution for his encounter with Bilhah, restoring him in the eyes of his father. Evidently, more was said between these brothers than what is recorded here. Years later, when unknowingly standing before Joseph in Egypt and being called spies, Reuben reminded his brothers about the penalty of killing their brother (42:22). Although they did not know it at the time, what they intended for evil, God used for good (45:5). 96 Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide

7 VERSES As soon as Joseph arrived, they sprang on him, stripping him of the hated robe. Taking away his robe served three purposes. First, it would provide evidence that a wild animal killed Joseph. Second, it pictured his father s favor; therefore, desecrating the robe was symbolic of removing both the one their father favored and his favoritism. Third, it signaled that they would never bow in deference, making Joseph s dreams null and void. In an act of defiance, they threw Joseph into a dry cistern to die. Cisterns, or water wells, were deep with narrow openings, making it impossible for a prisoner to climb out unless someone threw down a rope. Joseph could not wrestle away from his stronger brothers, as they turned a deaf ear without mercy. He fought for his life, but in losing the life he had known, Joseph would find an even greater life a life in the will of God. What makes the potential success of others so difficult to accept? WHAT DO WE GAIN? (GEN. 37:25-27) 25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood. His brothers agreed. VERSE 25 What Joseph s brothers did next defies imagination. They calmly sat down to eat their meal while their brother suffered and begged for his freedom. Poisoned by thoughts of jealousy, they acted as if nothing had happened. Just as things looked their worst for Joseph, a company of merchants arrived from Gilead, an area northeast of the Dead Sea. Session 10 : Accept It 97

8 Headed for Egypt, they carried spices, balm and myrrh used by the Egyptians for embalming and medicine. Caring for very little except profits, they were interested in a bargain, especially cheap slave labor. While called Ishmaelites in verses 25 and 27, Reuben called them Midianite merchants in verse 28. Considered one and the same, Ishmaelites were descendants of Abraham by Hagar (16:15) and the Midianites were descendants of Abraham by his concubine Keturah (25:2). The name Ishmaelites became the designation for desert tribes. VERSES Judah would develop some fine qualities later (43:9; 44:33), but his motivation in selling Joseph as a slave was purely selfish. From his perspective, there would be no monetary gain in letting Joseph die in the pit. They might as well line their pockets at Joseph s expense by selling him as a slave for twenty pieces of silver (37:28), the price for a common slave. Leaving Joseph in the pit, they would be guilty of murder as if they killed him outright. In a twisted way, selling Joseph would free them of guilt. While his brothers were moved by jealousy and hate, God delivered Joseph for a greater purpose. Jacob inherited the covenant blessings, and that made him and his descendants special people in the eyes of God, including Joseph. His brothers thought they would never see him again, but God was in control of Joseph s life and had other plans. The dreamer and his dreams would live on just as God had designed. God can overcome people s evil intentions, turning the effects of those intentions for His good purposes. In the face of adversity, endure hardships with joy, knowing that God s plans will ultimately be accomplished. How does knowing God is in control give a person endurance to face opposition and jealousy from others? 98 Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide

9 IN MY CONTEXT Believers must use wisdom when sharing God s truth with others, realizing that some will reject His truth. Believers must guard themselves from jealousy when God uses others in His service. Believers can be thankful that God s plans will ultimately be accomplished in spite of the efforts of some to thwart His plans. Identify principles for relating with others seen in this passage. How can you apply those principles in you relationships with other family members, friends, and Christ followers? Focus on Genesis 35:11, reflecting on the difference in how the brothers responded and how Jacob responded. Reflect on times you were jealous of others God was using. What steps do you need to take to guard yourself against that jealousy in the future? Discuss with the Bible study group ways of encouraging each other to remember that God is in control. How does keeping God s plans in mind change the way the group prays for each other? Record insights gained from the group. Prayer Needs Session 10 : Accept It 99