Joseph 1

^{Joseph 1}

    Jacob had 12 sons, but his son Joseph was his FAVORITE. Jacob even gave Joseph a special coat! Because Joseph was daddy’s favorite, his brothers hated him; they couldn’t say a kind word to him!

    Joseph had a dream. He dreamt that they were making bundles of grain. Then suddenly Joseph’s bundle stood up, and all his brothers bundles bowed down before his bundle.

    Not only is Joseph his father’s favorite and not only does he have a coat that reminds his brothers every day that Joseph is the favorite, but now he is also running around telling them that he has dreams that they will all bow down to him. Joseph’s brothers hated him even more! Then he has yet another dream - this time the sun, moon, and 11 stars all bow down to him. The sun, moon, and 11 stars represent Joseph’s mother, father and 11 brothers. Woah! His brother’s hatred and jealousy grew!

     Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went out to feed the animals. Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers. When the brothers saw him coming, they decided to kill him. His oldest brother Reuben suggests that they don’t kill him but instead throw him into a pit and leave him there.  

    So, they tore his coat off and threw him in the pit. Joseph’s brothers then sit down for a meal and see a group of traveling traders on their way to Egypt. Judah suggests that they make some money off Joseph and sell him to this group of traders. The brothers agreed, and they sold him for 20 pieces of silver, and the traders took him to Egypt.

    Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s coat into its blood. They sent the beautiful coat to their father Jacob with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this coat belong to your son?” Jacob recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “It is my son’s coat. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” He was so unconsolably sad he couldn’t stop crying.

    What a terrible thing Joseph’s brothers did - because they were jealous of their brother. Joseph’s brothers not only sold their brother into slavery, but they broke their father’s heart!

    I hope that we will never be like Joseph’s brothers and let jealousy grow.

Jealousy Opens the Gate To Hate

^{Read, Pray, Share!}