Bible Study Lessons — Genesis 37:1-11
The Book of Genesis produces many lessons for study. We can apply these to our daily lives. When Joseph has a dream an amazing chain of events begins. I love reading about Joseph and I’m sure you will be enlightened by his story.
Also, we’ll read about the famous story about the coat of many colors.
Joseph’s dream of greatness infuriated his brothers and drove them to drastic measures to either kill or get rid of him.
The root of the problem may be that Joseph was a “favorite son” of Jacob.
Joseph Has a Dream at 17
Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. These are the records of the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives.
And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had; for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?”
So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?”
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. – Genesis 37:1-11 NASB
Joseph – The Favorite Son
If you are a parent, or a sibling, you know what it’s like for a father to play favorites.
Joseph was treated special by his father, and his brothers resented it.
About the Coat of Many Colors
I’m almost certain that this envy and hatred did not all come about because of Jacob giving Joseph a “coat of many colors”.
There were most likely many other situations where Jacob ( now called Israel ) showed love to Joseph that he did not evenly share with his other children.
The Dreams of Joseph
Joseph dreamed of greatness which infuriated his brothers and even brought on the attention of his father.
Was Joseph just boasting as teenagers do?
When we move further into Genesis we’ll find just how true these dreams are.
Do You Have a Favorite Child?
In time, the jealousy and resentment of the brothers festered to the point of downright hatred for Joseph.
Favoritism is certainly not new, as this passage clearly states. But, it is just as prevalent today as it was during the time of Jacob and Joseph.
If you have a favorite child, you may not be able to change your feelings toward that son or daughter, but you can change your actions toward the other children.
[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”160″ identifier=”1414359810″ locale=”US” src=”https://makingchristknown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/41r4WCbUeL.SL160.jpg” tag=”bobpardphot-20″ width=”105″]Just try to think it through and adjust your distribution of love and gifts so that the other children won’t feel slighted and neglected.
In Matthew 10:8 Jesus says to his disciples; “Freely you received, freely give.” and this should apply to our children, all of them.
God gives His love evenly to the doctor, the lawyer, and the desolate person living at the far side of the earth. So should we.
Love in Christ
– Bob
If you would like to learn how to receive the love and life-changing experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to go here fort more information.