Genesis 37

But, as in Joseph’s case, the path to the “good” often leads through suffering. His brothers saw an opportunity to seize Joseph, throw him into a dry water cistern and leave him there to die. “Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams, they said” (verse 20).

21–22 Reuben, the eldest brother, tried to protect Joseph and return him to his father. Though Reuben had lost his leadership after sleeping with his father’s concubine-wife (Genesis 35:22), he still felt responsible for Joseph’s welfare. He agreed to throw Joseph unharmed into the cistern, but his plan was to return alone and rescue him (verse 22).

23–28 After Joseph was thrown into the cistern, a caravan of Ishmaelites¹¹⁷ passed by on their way to Egypt (verse 25). It was then Judah who took the leadership and convinced his brothers not to let Joseph die but to sell him as a slave to the Ishmaelites (Midianites). After the fall from grace of Jacob’s three oldest sons, the fourth son Judah was now beginning to demonstrate his preeminence among his brothers (see Genesis 35:21–22 and comment). Judah’s plan was not very praiseworthy, of course; he was selling his brother into slavery and getting a good price for him at that!

29–30 Meanwhile, Reuben had been away during the transaction with the Ishmaelites, and when he returned he discovered his brother was gone. He tore his clothes—a common way of expressing grief in biblical times.

31–32 The brothers realized they needed to give their father some explanation to account for Joseph’s failure to return. So they dipped Joseph’s robe in the blood of a goat and gave it to Jacob as “proof” that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Just as Jacob himself had deceived his father Isaac with a goat (Genesis 27:9–10,16), so now his sons were deceiving him with a goat—another example of divine justice. In one way or another, our sins always come back to haunt us.

33–35 Jacob believed the false story of his sons. He too tore his clothes and put on sackcloth.¹¹⁸ He could not be consoled. He determined to mourn for Joseph until he rejoined him in the grave¹¹⁹ (verse 35).

For twenty-two years Jacob was to mourn for Joseph. Think how many times during those years he must have seen in his imagination the son he most loved being torn apart by a wild beast!

36 Joseph was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, an important official in Egypt. We shall encounter Potiphar again in Chapter 39.