Part 1Genesis 37:1 "And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan."Jacob is getting old now, and we will see his sons taking their roles in the family of Israel. It is this family that the Christ, the Messiah will come through. God had promised the land of Canaan to them, through their father Abraham, and they were now there. In the prior chapter we see God had also blessed Esau to the point that he had to move out of the land, for the land would not sustain the cattle of both Esau and Jacob. Genesis 37:2 "These are THE GENERATIONS OF JACOB. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.""Joseph" is the first son of Rachel, by Rachel and Jacob. The sons of Bihah were Dan and Naphtali, and the sons of Zilpah were Gad and Asher. Joseph was with his big brothers and watched what they were doing, and then went tattling to his father of his brother's actions. They may have been a little lazy, however this does not indicate an act of a criminal nature, but disobedience to their fathers wishes. Even though Joseph was only seventeen, and his father was well over one hundred years old, Joseph was the overseer for his father. The two had grown close together, and Jacob [Israel] had come to rely upon his youngest son. You know how this goes over with older brothers, Genesis 37:3 "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours."Jacob is starting to show the other sons that Joseph is his favorite. Think about that, and now to show it outwardly, he has established this pattern through this coat that he made for his youngest son. The coat, or raiment that is worn, even to this day, marks the social rank and position of the wearer. Amongst the Bedouins, the chief and his eldest son wear a distinctive garment, and this accounts for Jacob's desire for Joseph to be marked for this official and priestly position. Back in Genesis 27 Esau sold his "Birthright", or raiment that marked as the rightful heir to Isaac's birthright, and Hebrews 12:16 rightfully called this act, "Profane".So we see that this "coat of many colors" that was made for Joseph represented much more than just a beautiful garment, it represented their father's choice of who he would select to become the head of the family, and take over the role of the firstborn son. It would be Joseph, the last born, and the first born to Rachel Jacob's first love. Joseph was a child of Jacob's old age, and some times people of old age do strange things. Genesis 37:4 "And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him."This is simply a natural thing, and the nature of all human being to seek attention. Then when they saw their own father, whom the had taken great pride in, do this thing against them, this sibling rivalry grew. Genesis 37:5 "And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more."This hatred is growing now beyond control between the brothers and Joseph.Genesis 37:6 "And he said unto them, "Here, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:"Genesis 37:7 "For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf."Notice this is just a kid telling his grown brothers, aged men, of the dream he had, and using the tasks of common labor that they were doing, to show how he would rule over them, and how they would bow down to him. Yet Joseph has been so favored that this labor task has not yet been given to him. Joseph is telling them that he is going to be over you, I am blessed more than you, and as Jacob's attitude toward Joseph bore out this dream of Josephs' it didn't help the brothers one bit. Joseph in his innocence saw this vision revealed to him by Almighty God, and so shall it be.We will see in future chapters that this is the position that Jacob gives, and God allows; that Joseph and his two sons will become the tribes, and ultimate nations that receive the blessings of God's covenant made to Abraham. Joseph will be shipped off into Egypt, and then become ruler of Egypt, because of his God given ability to interpret dreams. And during an extreme famine, these same brothers will come begging at Joseph's feet, before it is all over with.We will also see a type of Christ in Joseph This is a prophecy, and it did come to pass, but it didn't give any peace in the family. However we will see that it is Joseph that becomes the saving power for the family of Israel, during the famine crises.Genesis 37:11 "And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying."Jacob took note of what Joseph was saying.Genesis 37:12 "And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem."Remember what happened in Shechem? That is where Dinah, their sister was raped, and Jacob and the family took all the wealth and cattle of the city. The brothers are now caring for the cattle. Genesis 37:13 "And Israel said unto Joseph, "Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come and I will send thee unto them." And he said to him, "Here am I."Joseph again is ready, willing and able to to do what ever task his father has for him. Genesis 37:14 "And he said to him, "Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again." So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem."Joseph has been Jacob's eyes and ears of his old age, and once again he is sent to report what is going on with his brothers. Genesis 37:15 "And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, "What seekest thou"Genesis 37:16 "And he said, "I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks."Genesis 37:17 "And the man said, "They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan." And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.""Dothan" means "two wells", and there was more water there for the flocks. This fact made the location right on the road for the caravans to pass on their way to Egypt. Genesis 37:18 "And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him."When the brothers saw their little tattle-tale brother coming, in his shining bright coat of many colors, their hatred turned to conspiracy against Joseph to even murder him. They were sitting in the hot son for days, tending the sheep and cattle, doing the work, and here comes the little tattle-tale. This is the very shades of "Cain", the brother conspiring to kill his brother Able in the field. Genesis 37:19 "And they said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh.""Dreamer" in the Hebrew text is "Baal dreamer", or "Master dreamer". Genesis 37:20 "Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams."Their emotions have taken control of their every thought, and the bitterness toward Joseph is to the point that they are thinking of killing him. Genesis 37:21 "And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, "Let us not kill him."Reuben is Jacob's firstborn son, the eldest of the brothers. It is Reuben that saved Joseph's life here, and changed the thought from killing to some other way of disposing of Joseph.Genesis 37:22 "And Reuben said unto them, "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; (that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again).Though Reuben also hated Joseph, he knew what the murder of this favorite son would do to his father. Reuben had hurt his father already in his sexual act with his mother, Jacob's wife, and he didn't want any more hurt to come upon him. Genesis 37:23 "And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;"the first thing they did when the got their hands on Joseph was to separate Joseph from his coat, the symbol of his position.Genesis 37:24 "And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it."Genesis 37:25 "And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt."The Ishmeelites are also part of the family of Abraham, and we have two different families brought together for this act. Ishmael was the son of Abraham by Hagar.Dothan is right on the main Caravan road leading to Egypt, and the need for water caused them to stop and talk to the brothers.Genesis 37:26 "And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?"Genesis 37:27 "Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brethren were content."Judah made his story to fit the evil act, and make it soothe his conscience for the evil act that they were committing.Genesis 37:28 "Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt."The price of a slave was always thirty pieces of silver, that is what Jesus was sold for; however merchants must always make a prophet. They wanted their third off the top of the deal. Though this is a terrible act, it is the very thing that shall save the Israelites in the years to come. The Israelites are the selected people by God that the promised Messiah shall come through. God is in control, and Joseph is still strong and in tune with God; and there is nowhere recorded that Joseph ever complained for the acts committed by his brothers toward him. Joseph in his innocence trusted his brothers, even when they turned him over to the Ishmeelites, and sold him into Egypt.Genesis 37:29 "And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes."Reuben had nothing to do with the sale of Joseph into slavery. It was Judah's idea, and the only way the it could be pulled off was to be done when Reuben wasn't present.Genesis 37:30 "And he returned unto his brethren, and said, "The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?"Genesis 37:31 "And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;"This is the second time in this family that the goat has been used for deception, for it was Jacob [now called Israel] that killed the goat, and put the skin on his arms to deceive his old father Issac into giving him the blessing, instead of Esau. Genesis 37:32 "And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father ; and said "This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or not."The brothers knew very well it was Joseph's coat, for it had been the center of their very emotions. Yet they did not have the nerve to tell him what they have done.Genesis 37:33 "And he knew it, and said, "It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces."They allowed their father to assume the very worst thing that could have happened to Joseph, his favorite son.Genesis 37:34 "And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days."