Joseph: The Beginning

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-11

“Genesis 37:1   Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. Genesis 37:2 These are the records of the generations of Jacob. 

Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. Genesis 37:4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

Genesis 37:5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. Genesis 37:6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had; Genesis 37:7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” Genesis 37:8 Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Genesis 37:9 Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” Genesis 37:10 He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” Genesis 37:11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.” (Genesis 37:1–11 NAS95)