If you have listened to the videos that Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I produce, you’ll notice that Rudy often has an optimistic view of humanity, while mine is more pessimistic.
I will begin today’s article on a pessimistic note and end with more optimism.
Reasons for Pessimism
Joseph was hated by his brothers. Hate is never acceptable, but reading the first verses of Genesis 37 helps us understand the sentiment of Joseph’s brothers.
- Joseph tattled on his brothers to their father, Jacob.
Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father (Genesis 37:2).
- Jacob, whose name was changed by God to Israel, favored Joseph over his brothers.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him an ornamented robe
But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him (Genesis 37:3-4).
- Joseph told his older brothers dreams that indicated his superiority over them.
Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”
His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words (Genesis 37:5-8).
- As if one dream were not enough, he told them another dream, creating jealousy among his brothers.
So his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind (Genesis 37:11).
If I were to put on my amateur psychologist hat, horrible family dynamics would be obvious.
- We should never flaunt our unique privilege to older siblings.
- Parents should not show preferential love to one child over the others.
- Offended siblings need to discover the power of forgiveness and escape the trap of damaging resentments.
- “Move up” goals are plans to excel in life. It is wise to keep these goals to ourselves, rather than to share them with close friends or family.
Reasons for Optimism
If I understand Rudy Ross correctly, he is optimistic because he sees another motive behind Joseph’s actions.
While Rudy doesn’t comment on Joseph’s tattling on his brother, he sees the way Joseph relates the dreams as a way of highlighting God’s plans through him.
- Later in Genesis, we find the ability to interpret dreams as crucial, not only for Joseph but for the entire Middle East.
- The confirmation of Joseph’s interpretation of dreams occurred because his interpretation was correct.
Jacob chastised Joseph, but Joseph was ultimately correct with the interpretation of his second dream.
He had another dream and told it to his brothers, saying, “Look, I have had another dream: 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 kind of dream is this that you have had?
Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers, and bow to the ground before you?” (Genesis 37:9-10).
Later in Joseph’s story, we see the fulfillment of this dream.
- The Lord was with Joseph.
There is a theme that runs through Joseph’s story. It is emphasized over and over again that the Lord was with Joseph and the Lord’s blessing was on him.
Reflections
We are all a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly of this story. Our circumstances will be different, but our character issues will be similar.
The good news is that because of God’s grace, He will use us for His purposes.
God’s invisible hand is at work in our lives. Sometimes we can see it plainly and at other times we have to discover it in retrospect.
The best choice we can make is to strive to be aligned with God’s purposes for our lives as we understand them.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 