Genesis 37 Joseph?
In Genesis 37, we observe how the actions of others impact our lives. From all appearances, it may seem like Joseph’s life was significantly affected by the actions of others. It looks like Joseph went from the mountain top to the deepest darkest valley in just several breaths. The evil actions of others decimated Joseph’s life. How can that be? How can one’s life be turned upside down so quickly and completely? Perhaps we may wonder why God doesn’t intervene in situations like Joseph’s, and perhaps in difficulties like ours? How can it be?
Who is Joseph? What can we learn from his experiences? יוֹסֵף Yoh Sayf – Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob. Let’s unravel his life a little to better understand some of the uniqueness of Joseph’s relatives. Before Joseph’s birth, there were some pre-existing issues incubating – simmering between his father, Jacob, his mother, Rachel, his father’s wife, and his mother’s older sister, Leah, i.e., his aunt and stepmother and her six sons, i.e., Joseph’s half-brothers who were also his cousins. Bilhah and her sister Zilpah were Jacob’s maidservant wives. They were also half-sisters to Rachel and Leah. They were stepmothers to each other’s children as well as aunts. Their children were brothers and half-brothers to each other as well as cousins. Each was a son of Jacob. CONFUSED?? Jacob had four firstborn sons. How? Joseph is the firstborn of Rachel, Ruben of Leah, Dan of Bilhah, and Gad of Zilpah. That is the family Joseph was born with. Perhaps we should stop to think about all this.
Jacob loved Rachel more than his other three wives, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah. Jacob loved Joseph more than his ten sons from Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah. Jacob gave Rachel and Joseph preferential treatment, which did not sit well with his other wives and children. Let’s review what The Holy Scriptures say.
Genesis 29.16 – 18
Laban had two daughters; the elder’s name was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was beautiful and well-favored. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.
How does The Holy Scripture describe Jacob’s love for Rachel?
Genesis 29.20
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him, but a few days, because of the love he had for her.
Jacob was in a pickle of a situation because his intentions originally were to marry Rachel, but things got all twisted around. He had little to do with that. He got more than He bargained for. Jacob wanted to express his love for his true sweetheart, Rachel. However, that got him in trouble with his other wives. Their feelings were hurt! Both sides of the coin are understandable. What do you think? Should Jacob have the freedom to express his love for Rachel above and beyond his other wives, or should he be caught up in a political marital quagmire? Regardless of what we think or how we feel, Jacob was caught up trying to please each of his four wives.
How does Holy Scripture describe Jacob’s love for Joseph?
Genesis 30.3-4
Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat with long sleeves. And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
Jacob couldn’t live an everyday life with just one wife and one son. Joseph couldn’t live an ordinary life with his ten half brothers / cousins and three stepmothers / aunts. Unfortunately, Joseph was drawn into all these family complications.
Genesis 37.2
Being seventeen years old, Joseph was feeding the flock with his brothers; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought an evil report to his father [about his half brothers].
The Lord revealed a prophetic dream to Joseph that he shared with his father and half brothers. It’s sent them essentially through the roof! Was it wise for Joseph to share his prophetic dream? Perhaps it was, and maybe it wasn’t. What is the purpose of a prophetic dream if one doesn’t share it? After sharing his prophetic dreams, his brothers were furious! Their hatred for Joseph grew. They hated him more than in the past. Then Joseph shares a second dream in which Jacob rebuked him. Still, Jacob kept these prophetic dreams in the back of his mind. He thought about them and considered them.
Over time, Jacob sends Joseph to check on his half brothers in Shechem, feeding Jacob’s flocks. Joseph’s presence allowed his half-brothers to act on their anger towards Joseph. They could take their much-awaited revenge against Joseph! They seized Joseph and placed him in a deep well with vipers. Later his half-brothers drew him out and sold him to merchants traveling to Egypt. Little did his half-brothers know that all this was the plan of God based on human reaction.
Genesis 39.1 – 5
Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hands of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
Genesis 39.20 – 23
And Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in prison, and whatever was done there, and he was the doer of it. The prison keeper looked not to anything under Joseph’s charge; because the Lord was with Joseph, and that which Joseph did, the Lord made it prosper.
Dear Ones The Lord had his eye on Joseph. The Lord was monitoring all the events in Joseph’s life just as The Lord monitors the events in our lives.
Psalms 33.18
Behold, עֵין יְהֹוָה the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him, upon those who hope in His loving kindness.
Isaiah 59.1
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor is His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
Dear Ones The Lord monitors every trial, every struggle, every difficulty, and every challenging situation in each of our lives. Nothing alludes to His watchful eye. Through Kabbalah and Gematria, we can see the mystical connection in the Words’ Eye of The Lord’ and the name ‘Joseph.’ The Gematria for ‘Eye of The Lord’ and the name ‘Joseph’ are each 156. Their unique relationship reveals to us how the Lord is always watching us.
Ain HaShem – The eye of the Lord
עֵין יְהֹוָה
ע70 י10 ן50 י10 ה5 ו6 ה5 = 156
Yoh Sayf – Joseph
יוֹסֵף
י10 ו6 ס60 ף80 = 156
Genesis 50.15 – 21
And when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, perhaps Joseph will hate us and will certainly pay us back for all the evil we did to him. And they sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father did command before he died, saying, So shall you say to Joseph, Forgive, I beg you now, the trespass of your brothers, and their sin; for they did to you evil; and now, we beg you, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father. And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. And his brothers also went and fell before his face, and they said, Behold, we are your servants. And Joseph said to them, ‘Fear not; for am I in place of God? But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it to be good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now, therefore, do not fear; I will nourish you and your little ones. And Joseph comforted them and spoke kindly to them.’
May we each receive Torah and insights, strength, and encouragement on how God uses life challenges to work out well for us in the larger picture of life.
May The Lord Bless us in our daily walk, and may we stay within Torah’s guidelines. May we bring peace and healing to our world. May this coming Sabbath and every Sabbath be a blessed Day.
Good Sabbath!
Dr. Akiva George Belk
