Introduction
Jacob’s favouritism causes problems for his son Joseph.
Questions
1. What was the problem in Jacob's relations with his children and what was the result?
v 3 and 4 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, ... His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.
2. What was Reuben's reaction to the suggestion that they should kill Joseph?
v 21 and 22 Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.” Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
3. What did Judah suggest doing to Joseph?
v 26 and 27 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” ...
Summary Points
- v 1 to 4 Joseph is Jacob’s favourite son. Jacob gives him a multi-coloured tunic, making his brothers jealous
- v 5 to 11 His brothers' jealousy of Joseph increases when he dreams of ruling over the family
- v 12 to 17 Jacob sends Joseph to Shechem to see how his brothers are. He eventually finds them at Dothan
- v 18 to 28 When he arrives his brothers plan to kill him, but then decide to sell him to some Midianite merchants who take him to Egypt
- v 29 to 36 They dip Joseph's tunic in blood and persuade Jacob that Joseph has been killed. Joseph is sold in Egypt by the Midianites to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh