Genesis 37:1-24
JACOB saw his old father, Isaac, again; and then Isaac died and Jacob and Esau buried him in that same cave where Abraham and Sarah had been put; they will all rise together at the last day; for Isaac wished to live in the country that is better than Canaan; that is, in heaven.
Esau, you know, did not live in the land of Canaan; but Jacob chose to live in Canaan, with his children and his cattle.
All the sons were grown up to be men, when Benjamin; Arm still a little baby. Joseph was next youngest to Benjamin. He was a big boy, and he was the best of all the children. The ten eldest were wicked men. They used to take care of the sheer and goats; and when Joseph was with them, they grieved him by their wicked behavior; they were also very unkind to him, and always spoke roughly to him. Jacob loved Joseph the best; and this made the others envious. They hated him, because he was the pet and the darling.
Jacob loved Joseph too much. He gave him a very pretty coat made of many colors, yellow, blue, green, pink, red, purple; and Joseph used to wear it.
It is Satan that makes people envious. We should pray to God to keep us from being envious. You will hear what wicked things these brothers did, because they were envious of dear, good Joseph.
One night Joseph had a very strange dream. He thought he was in a field of corn with all his brothers, and that they were making up large bundles of corn, called sheaves. He thought that each of his brothers made a sheaf, and that all his brothers' sheaves bowed down to his sheaf. Joseph thought this a very strange dream, and he told it to his brothers.
But when they heard it, they were very angry, and said, "We suppose you mean that we shall bow down to you, though you are the youngest." And so they hated him more than they had done before.
Soon afterward, Joseph had another strange dream. He thought he saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars in the sky, and that they bowed down to him. This dream was more strange than the other; and he told it to his father, as well as to his brothers.
His father was surprised, and said, "Does the sun mean me, and the moon your mother, and the stars your brothers, and shall we bow down to you?" Yet Jacob thought that God had sent the dream to Joseph, and would make it come true; but the brothers were more and more angry.
Now, Joseph's brethren had a great many sheep and goats to take care of; and there was not enough of grass for them all, round the tents; so they took their flocks a great way off, that they might eat fresh grass. Joseph stayed at home with his old father; and Benjamin stayed at home, because he was quite a little child.
At last Jacob wished to know how his sons were; so he said to Joseph, "Go and see your brothers, and come back and tell me how they are, and how the flocks are.”
Joseph was always ready to do what his father wished; so he set out on his way. He took no ass to ride upon, and no servant; but, putting on his pretty coat, he wished his dear father good-bye. He little thought how long it would be before he should see again that dear father's face.
Joseph went a great way, but could not find his brothers. At last a man saw him, and said, "Whom are you looking for?”
And Joseph answered, "I am looking for my brothers—can you tell me where they are feeding their flocks?" Then the man told him which way they were gone.
Joseph took a great deal of pains to find his brothers.
Now, the brothers saw Joseph coming when he was very far off. They knew that it was Joseph: and they said to each other, "Here this dreamer comes, let us kill him, and throw him into a deep hole; and tell our father that a lion or a bear has eaten him up.”
So when Joseph came up to them, they seized hold of him. He came to them full of love and kindness; but they looked fiercely upon him; and he was indeed like a gentle lamb in the midst of lions and tigers. He was like the Lord Jesus when the wicked Jews seized Him in the garden.
The brothers were going to kill him, when one of the brothers, named Reuben, said, "Do not kill him, but only throw him into a pit." This brother was a little kinder than the rest, and meant to take him out of the pit and bring him back to Jacob. The brothers agreed not to kill him. But they first took off his pretty coat.
Oh, how bitterly he cried when he saw what they were going to do to him! How he begged them to spare him, and to let him return to his father! But they would not hear; for their hearts were harder than stone.
They threw him into the deep, dark pit; and there he lay hungry and thirsty and weary, without one drop of water to quench his thirst. How it must have grieved Joseph to think that he should not return to his dear father, and that his father perhaps would think that he was dead!
The wicked brothers cared not for his groans, but they sat down and began to eat their dinner.
God saw them from His throne in heaven, and was much displeased.