Genesis 37 Life of Joseph, Part 1: Rejection

Rejection as a Sign of Spiritual Life

And Tim, would you open us up in a word of prayer?

Sure.

Father God, thank you so much that we keep meeting here every Wednesday for Noon Bible.

Study.

I pray for the viewers online that they would be encouraged and edified through the Word.

Today.

We pray for Pastor Jeff as he teaches us the life of Joseph, that we would all be learning from his life and your Word, so we thank you. And we ask a special blessing on those with family that might have rejected them, but they would be encouraged today by the Word.

So thank you, in Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

When Jesus went to his hometown of Nazareth in his early 30s and began his ministry there of healing, how did his hometown receive him?

Rejection.

Rejection. There's actually the word I was looking for. When Stephen went to his own people on the streets of Jerusalem and preached the Gospel, how did the people receive him?

Despised and rejected.

Despised and rejected. Now how did each of them respond to being rejected? What did Jesus say from the cross? Forgive them. Father forgive them. They know not what they do. How did Stephen respond when he was being stoned to death?

The same way. Same way. Father do not hold this sin against them.

And Jesus was rejected.

And Jesus was found. Yes, Jesus rejected in Nazareth and then fully rejected by his own brothers. When he came riding in on a donkey, it looked like it was mostly the Galileans that had welcomed him on that day.

But within a week, everybody was shouting, crucify, crucify. So is rejection a sign that God does not have favor on you?

No, not at all.

The sign of God's favor and the signs of spiritual life and of spiritual gifting are not always welcome even within a family. And what we're going to see today, we are starting a new series within a series.

So it's a sub series of the book of Genesis, 14 parts, chapters 37 to 50, the life of Joseph. And the first thing that we see in the life of Joseph, part one is rejection. The signs of spiritual life and of spiritual gifting are early displayed in Joseph's life.

With the dreams he begins to dream, which are not ordinary dreams. These are given by the Holy Spirit of God. They're prophetic of things to come and he is not welcomed by his family. So turn with me to Genesis 37.

Tim, we'll start with you and we are reading verses one to four.

Sure.

Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being 17 years old, was pastoring the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives.

And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

His own brothers. Internal hatred and external hostility are to be expected from those who feel judged by those who are not like the godly, even if the godless ones are family. How many Christians have been surprised to be rejected by their own family?

I wasn't surprised.

Were you also rejected by your family when you came to Christ?

Not necessarily rejected, but my brother accused me of, I said, it's always about Jesus. He said, you always have the answers. And I said, well, no, I don't have the answers, but I know the guy that does.

And he says, see what I mean? See what I mean? It's just a natural reflex because behind that is sin and repentance and forgiveness.

Yes.

And he's got a ways to go yet.

Yeah.

And notice in verse 2 at the end, it says, Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. He told, but was that wrong of him to tell the truth of what was happening? No, there's nothing in the text indicating that, but they now feel judged by him.

They feel exposed and they begin to rage, not against their own sin. It's not repentance. Rather, it is rage against Joseph, even from his own family. First Peter 4 verses 3 and 4 says, the time has passed that suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do.

Living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you.

Here, Joseph does not join in with whatever his brothers are doing. We're not told what the bad report is regarding. It's probably sexual in nature. It's probably drunkenness, these kind of age old sins.

And it's probably idolatrous because they're living in a pagan land. And the worship of these pagan gods also often involve temple prostitution, all manner of debauchery. And it's very likely that the brothers are somehow engaged in ungodly behavior, right?

Which is suggested by First Peter.

Yeah, First Peter 4 spells it out that nothing has changed. The world that we live in is so debased, isn't it? And we think, wow, here's something really new. But did you know that Roman culture had so many of the same practices?

And even worse, the pederasty and the things that were common in Roman society. Our culture is rapidly becoming pagan again, but it's nothing new. It's a return to Babel. It's a return to pre-Babel. It's a return to the fall of man.

There is always wickedness in the world and the godly ones and the wicked are separate. The problem is those who are in the world hate the godly because we don't plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation.

So where does this anger towards Joseph come from? Yes, nailed it. It's actually their own sin provoking anger against someone who stands like a judge. That's what was said in Hebrews about Noah, that he condemned the world.

How did Noah condemn the world? Did he go around waving a bony finger? No, he went about obeying God and he called for repentance. He begged people to come and be reconciled with God. And instead they hated him and they maligned him.

And that's what we're told will happen to us. The degree to which we don't do the things of this world are the degree to which we will be maligned by the world. And so here, Joseph is being maligned and hated by his own brothers.

Rick, would you read verses 5 to 8?

Now Joseph had a dream and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, hear this dream that I have dreamed. Behold, there were binding sheaves in the field and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright.

And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf. His brothers said to him, are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

If you as a Christian do not plunge into the same flood of debauchery as those around you, you will be hated by the world and even your own family. But there's something that will provoke even more. Make the world and even your family hate you even more.

And what is that? Speaking the word of God.

Prophetic words.

Words that are taught by the Spirit. Now if you're perfectly silent in your house and you go about your business, people will look down on you and your family, but they'll generally leave you alone. As soon as you go to that wedding, and at the wedding reception, you're sitting around the table and you begin to talk about Jesus Christ?

And you begin to call for repentance and faith? Now the rift, just as you demonstrated, goes from this to this. Notice in verse 5, Joseph had a dream and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

It was the telling of the dream. Now, should he have kept that dream to himself? Was this immaturity in Joseph that he even told it? I've heard that often said. I agree with you.

Why not?

Well, it's instinctive in the Christian to talk about what's instinctive in all of us, to talk about the people we love.

Very good.

And Christ is the epitome of love with regard to the gift he gave us.

Very good.

And the brother's charge would be that he's acting holier than thou.

Yes.

Now, who gave this dream to Joseph? And we know, in hindsight, that it comes true. The brothers do bow down to him to get food and to try to be saved from the famine. So we know the dream came from God.

Are we really going to argue that God did not want the dream shared, but that it was only a private matter? No, it was meant to be spoken. It was a word of the Lord. They didn't know it at the time. They were raging against the word of God.

So he wasn't wrong to speak it. Now, it does come across as a little bit arrogant on his part, and I'm sure that's how they perceived him. He's telling his spiritual dreams, and he's interpreting them.

Well, he's not even interpreting it. He's saying what they are. It says at the end of verse 8, they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. You speak the word of God, the degree to which you tell the truth is the degree that some will regard you as an enemy.

What does Paul say to the Galatians? Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? This speech, prophetic speech even in this case, where Joseph is prophetically declaring what God has given him to say, deepens the rift.

So this is very anti-prosperity gospel. The health wealth gospel would tell you if you just do the will of God, everything will go swimmingly in your life. Everybody will love you. You'll bless them.

They'll bless you. You can put a big golden smile like Joel Osteen and never talk about sin, never say anything, and live in a giant mansion, and you'll never get sick. Kenneth Copeland recently proclaimed that he knows his death day.

Good for him.

And it's when he's 120 years old, on his birthday. That's what he has declared will be his death day. Do you think the Lord will honor that?

No.

He'll be standing before the Lord before one, you know, age 120.

Why am I here?

It's early. Like, wait a minute.

You owed me 120.

It's early.

Yeah, these demands made upon God. So the bottom line here is that the signs of spiritual gifting, listen, when you want to do the will of God, to step out in faith and do as God tells you to do, don't expect all sunshine and roses.

That's not the path of the Christian life. Ask Paul. The more he stepped out in faith, the more he spoke, the more he was hated. Ask Stephen, stone to death, the first Christian martyr. Ask any of the apostles except John.

He was not martyred, although he was thrown into a boiling vat of fish oil before being exiled to Patmos. His rejection, rejection for doing righteousness. That's the first part.

He had given a bad report.

That his brothers were doing badly and he himself was not participating in that. But even more so when you're a truth teller, the degree to which you speak the truth is the degree to which the rift will deepen and it will intensify hatred of the one speaking for God.

The Dream That Deepens the Rift

Genesis 37, 9 to 11, Bob.

In my job as a supervisor for Campbell's Soup, I did my job. I was accused, surprisingly, of talking about nothing but Jesus all the time. And I really didn't feel that way.

No.

It was just apparently there.

Yeah.

Well, it's that one cafeteria conversation where you share Jesus with the co-worker and that's all they remember because they've been harboring bitterness against you for doing that. They felt convicted and then when they got together to talk about it, that's all you do is talk.

That's the word I was looking for is convicted because that's... You just, you know, you can't bring that up to a brother or a friend without that guilt and conviction because it's true. I'm sorry.

Yeah.

9 through 11. Sometimes no one will fully understand.

A prophetic word.

But the righteous will keep the saying in mind.

Okay.

Then he had another dream and he told it to his brothers. He does talk a lot, doesn't he? Listen, he said, I had another dream and this time the sun and moon and 11 stars were bowing down to me. When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, What is this dream you had?

Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you? His brothers were jealous of him but his father kept the matter in his mind.

Now notice the initial reaction of the father. Is Jacob a righteous man who loves God?

Yeah.

Absolutely.

He is.

But it says here he rebuked his son. Was his son's dream of God or not?

Well, sure.

It was. And was the reporting of this prophetic dream meant by God to be written and recorded and spoken?

Well, it's here.

Sure.

It was his intention in order that God would be glorified when it comes to pass. That's why it's a prophetic word.

Right?

So Joseph actually did not do wrong. But even a godly father rebukes him.

But,.

Notice that conjunction in verse 11. His brothers, they're basically nothing but jealous.

Right?

They have vitriol.

They hate him.

And the hatred runs even deeper the more he talks.

But,.

His father kept the saying in mind. What does that indicate about Jacob? He can't dismiss it.

Yes.

Because he is a man of God. Sheep have ears for the voice of the shepherd. It may not always sound like his voice at first and it might rub the wrong way to hear the voice of the shepherd. But they keep it in mind.

And time and truth walk hand in hand. In time, will Jacob recognize the legitimacy of this prophetic word?

You better believe it. You better believe it.

But at the moment, he was not able to receive it. He did, in time, receive that word. He kept the saying in mind. So Sue, if you would read verses 12 to 17.

Shechem.

Okay,.

What a fateful trip this is. It says in verse 12, His brothers went to pasture their flocks near where?

Shechem.

Shechem,.

The place of the slaughter. Where the first boy,.

Well,.

The second and third born, Simeon and Levi had slaughtered the people of Shechem. Now that's just an empty pasture land. It appears a lot of good grass for grazing. And there they are kind of in a picture of the sin of the sons.

They're in their, their mess. But they move on from there. And what is Joseph doing? He is obeying. He is obeying. Israel said to Joseph, verse 13, Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem?

Come,.

I will send you to them. Now mark this reaction. And he said to him, here I am. That is the posture of obedience. Isaiah couldn't even say that when he first encountered the glory of God. But once the, the fiery coal from the furnace touched his lips, he was able to say,.

Here I am,.

Send me.

Isaiah was made obedient, having been purified.

Here,.

Joseph is in, is in an obedient place. His father giving the direction, that's the rightful authority structure. And he obeys.

Now, the,.

The great irony here is in a path of obedience, he's heading like a sheep to the slaughter. The brothers are the very ones who hate him. And he's seeking them for their good because the father is sending to check on them to see if it is well with your brothers.

And with the flock.

And bring me word. Does he have any hatred towards his brothers?

No,.

He's desiring to bless them. He is desiring to bless them. He's sent to bless them.

And what happens?

He's walking in the path of obedience right into danger.

I have a note that says favoritism leads to violence.

Yeah.

That was the paragraph there that struck me.

I think too, the here I am is a motif throughout the scriptures which suggests one's availability.

To do what God wants them to do.

Here I am.

That's it.

That's a motif for obedience.

Yeah,.

Very good. So here he's in the path of obedience and it's going to lead directly into suffering.

Church,.

Again,.

The prosperity gospel is a lie. The path of obedience includes suffering. It's not all suffering. Very often it's joyful exuberance in the good gifts of God. How many of you woke up this morning and saw the sun and got outside a little bit and delighted in what a beautiful day it was?

I was praising God.

And the good manifold gifts.

Are everywhere all the time. That's why we have joy. But suffering is also part of the plan. It's not the whole plan. It's a part of the plan. It's the valley of the shadow of death. Do you live in the valley?

You come through.

Yea,.

Though I walk through the valley.

Of the shadow of death. Here he's going to have to go through a path of suffering and it's not different than the path of obedience. It is the path of obedience. Is it easier to sometimes disobey? Is it easier on the flesh to sometimes disobey or to constantly obey?

Say that again.

Is it easier to not follow?

Correct.

It is very often easier in life.

To,.

To shade the edges, to cut corners, to take a path that makes your life easier. Whether it be,.

You know,.

Like fudging your taxes. You might have a little extra spending money.

Who told?

Oh,.

You might be telling on yourself here.

In life,.

There are ways to please the flesh that actually reduce the, the outward sense of suffering. Especially true with truth telling.

Had.

Joseph not spoken the truth, how would his relationship with his brothers be?

A lot smoother.

A lot smoother. Strained because they're jealous of his coat of many colors. You're right about the favoritism. It was clear in the story that Jacob wasn't helping Joseph out because of the favoritism.

But that doesn't mean that Joseph was wrong to take a gift from his father and to wear it proudly. He didn't do wrong by that. It just provoked.

Okay?

So that,.

That was probably error.

In the father.

Because favoritism is forbidden in the book of James.

Right?

The path of obedience often leads directly into suffering. 2nd Timothy 3 .12.

Indeed,.

All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

This is.

Part of Christianity.

Okay? Barbara,.

Are you up here? Genesis 37 .18 -24 Verses 18 -24.

The Plot to Kill Joseph

But they saw him in the distance and before he reached them they plotted to kill him. He comes, here comes the dreamer they said to each other. Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him.

Then we'll see what comes of his dreams. When Reuben heard this he tried to rescue him from their hands. Let's not take his life, he said. Don't shed any blood. Throw him into the cistern here in the desert but don't lay a hand on him.

Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers they stripped him of his robe and richly ornamented the robe he was wearing and they took him and threw him in the cistern.

Now the cistern was empty and there was no water in it.

Alright,.

Was the original plan to sell Joseph into slavery?

No. No.

Guys,.

The plots.

Of the wicked against the church the things that people have had in mind.

To do.

To the church of Jesus Christ whether it's a Muslim terrorist who has intended to blow up all churches in this country whether it's activists BLM activists or Antifa. The designs of the enemy the shooters.

That have.

At times come into churches the number of plots.

Against.

The church of Jesus Christ are far greater.

Than we know but.

The restraint.

That God has.

Put upon the wickedness.

Of men.

Is also.

Greater than.

We know.

Alright,.

Do you.

Know.

How many times people have.

Designed.

Evil for you?

You don't know.

But you can know from this.

Example.

That it's more.

Than you know. You see,.

Joseph here doesn't know what his brothers.

Are plotting.

He's happily.

Doing his father's.

Will.

He's going to check on them probably has some provisions.

Maybe some.

You know peanut butter.

And jelly sandwiches. He's coming with blessing in his heart and they.

Are literally.

Talking about slaying him.

Right there but one.

Brother speaks.

Up.

How powerful is the voice.

Of truth?

Reuben.

Now,.

He probably isn't fully there in his own.

Mind.

It just doesn't ring true to him.

We're not.

Going to kill.

Our brother.

And so he he says Reuben heard it and he rescued him out of their hands saying.

Let us not.

Take his life.

We don't.

Have to go.

That far.

We don't have.

To go that far. And now evidently.

He's not going.

To be in the picture when.

They go to.

Sell him.

But it seems in his heart.

He's trying.

To buy time like whoa.

We got to.

Calm this.

Thing down. He's trying.

To talk.

Them down.

And he has some level of common.

Sense.

Some you know modicum of.

Decency.

He was the firstborn probably the wiser of.

Maybe a little.

More maturity.

Yeah.

Yeah. Being the.

Firstborn.

Yeah. Now,.

If you remember what he did a couple.

Chapters earlier he slept.

With his.

Father's.

Concubine.

Yeah. So,.

We're talking.

About a pretty unlikely help to come to his rescue,.

Right?

Here is not a righteous and godly man and yet God causes him to think.

Rightly and.

To at least restrain the.

Evil.

This is also.

True in our.

Lives.

How many.

Times has God sent a guardian angel to rescue you from being.

Destroyed?

You don't know.

Yeah.

But are not.

All angels ministering spirits.

Sent to.

Serve those who.

Will inherit.

Eternal life?

No.

They are. They're around.

Us all the time.

All angels.

Well,.

There's other.

Kinds of angels.

Yeah.

But in.

Hebrews 114 I was quoting. Angels are by definition given to man to serve. They're flames.

Of fire. They're also.

Cherubim and seraphim that worship night and.

Day.

But as far as the ones given to us,.

They guard us.

They protect.

Us.

They serve us, which is why.

Later we'll judge.

How they did.

As part of.

God's judgment. First Corinthians.

Six.

Yeah.

In this chapter, it's very interesting. Verse four, but when his brother saw and verse 10, but when he told it to his father and his.

Brothers.

Verse 11, but his father kept the saying in mind.

Yes.

And here in verse 21, but when Ruben.

Heard it.

So there's always a but God.

Yes.

You see the wickedness, but God is going.

To.

I underline that in my scripture.

Everywhere I see.

A but God.

Yeah.

Nails me who's.

In control.

Yeah.

I don't know if.

I don't want to.

See your thunder.

If you're going.

To touch on this, but also in verse 22, it says that like shed no.

Blood,.