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Go Back to SermonsThe Destructive Power of Envy and Betrayal
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Joseph – Gen 37 sermon
Introduction
Before God called me into vocational ministry, He shaped me by allowing me to work 11 years for a public accounting firm. God taught me a lot by my years in public accounting. I am still trying to forget GAAP and statutory regulations, tax codes, and other information and language that only CPAs understand. But God taught me a lot of valuable life lessons during my time in the corporate world – lessons I don’t want to forget. One lesson God reminded me of this week was about the destructive power of envy and betrayal.
In my company, when I was working in the corporate world, I worked 6-7 days a week for many months out of the year. I was an achiever. I wanted to be the best at my manager level. One year I had received top ratings all year long. I had high expectations for my annual review. When it was time for my annual performance review, I went into the interview with the managing partner and was shocked to learn that my annual rating was lower than my lowest quarterly review. As I questioned how this could be possible, I learned that there was an unwritten rule that only one person at each level could receive the highest ratings. I objected to the unfairness of this unwritten rule but there was nothing I could do. All of my hard work was for nothing at that point. In my mind, I could have worked much less and gotten the same ratings. Why in the world had I worked so hard? Then I considered that another one of my peers had been selected for the highest ratings because he worked on a more important client along with the same managing partner who controlled our ratings. I was envious that my peer had the best client and would receive the top ratings. My peer would receive the highest bonus and have the best opportunity for promotion. I also felt betrayed by my company. How could my annual performance review be lower than my lowest periodic review, on which it was based? How could my company tell me I was excellent all year long but when it was time for bonuses and promotions, they tell me I am just slightly better than average?
I was angry and bitter. I was not a happy person. It does not seem like a big deal now, many years later, but when you pour so many hours into your work, it is a big deal. My envy and this betrayal was eating me up inside. So I went to my counselor, Jesus. At the time when this happened, I had recently been studying the book of Genesis and the life of Joseph. I knew God was sovereign and controlled everything. But I had not applied this to my work environment yet. I knew that God had controlled all the minor details of Joseph’s life in order to fulfill His good purposes. But how did this apply to my corporate job? God reminded me that He was even in control of the ratings I received at work. God reminded me that He was in control of my promotions or demotions, of my bonuses and raises. Even though I had many non-Christian bosses, God reminded me that He controlled them and all the details I was concerned about at work. I had a choice. Let my envy and bitterness over my betrayal eat me up inside. Or let it go and trust Him. I chose to let it go and trust God. And what a relief! That was a more valuable lesson than any bonus could have bought for me.
So as we come to look at the story of the envy and betrayal of Joseph by his brothers today, I have memories of what this story taught me and can teach you. Let’s ask the Lord to bless our time in His Word. Father…..You have something to teach each one of us this morning about You and about our relationship with You. This story about Joseph has something that each one of us here today can relate to. Open our hearts and our minds this morning to hear Your voice as You speak to us through the power of Your Spirit who lives in us. Amen.
Last week we learned one of the major reasons why the family of Joseph was so dysfunctional. Their father Jacob showed incredible favoritism toward Joseph only because he was born to him in his old age. Jacob made his favoritism obvious to all by making a special garment for Joseph, his coat of many colors. Every day Joseph’s brothers could clearly see their father’s greater love for their younger brother Joseph in that colorful coat he wore. And they were envious. Joseph did not help matters by telling his brothers about his two dreams which suggested that one day he would rule over them. If your older brothers are already envious of you, it really is not a wise move to share your dreams that you will one day rule over them. But this is what Joseph did. And his older brothers became extremely envious.
I. The Root of Envy
Cf. Job 5:2; Proverbs 14:30; I Corinthians 3:1-3; 1 Peter 2:1-2; James 3:16
Envy does not seem like such a great sin. Isn’t it normal to feel a little envious of someone more successful than you? That is what envy is. Envy is being resentful of the success of another person. You are most likely to feel envious of a person who is very similar to you. You may become envious of a co-worker who receives a larger promotion or bonus at work, or of a family who has a nicer home. But envy at its core shows us that we have a major problem with our relationship with God. The root of envy is our dissatisfaction with God. If we are dissatisfied with what God has given us in life, we have rejected God! When we start looking at something and become envious that someone has a better job, a nicer home or car, or just the guy who seems to have more blessings in his life, in essence, we are telling God that we are not satisfied with what He has given us. I am rejecting God’s plan for my life. If we truly accept that God is sovereign, we must also accept that He is ultimately in control of our prosperity ….or our lack of prosperity. Listen to what God says about envy in Proverbs 14:30 “envy rots the bones.” “Envy rots the bones.” God is not referring to the other person. He is referring to you and I. When we are envious of another person, we are causing “rot to our bones” or major internal damage. Envy has a destructive power over us. If we are dissatisfied with what God has given us in life, we have rejected God. If we have rejected what God has given us, how can we ever experience the fruits of His Spirit such as joy, peace, love, and patience? Envy is resenting God’s goodness in others’ lives and ignoring God’s goodness in mine. God reminds us in Psalm 84:11 that He will not withhold any good thing from His children whose follow Him. If something is good for us, He will provide it. Our problem is that we use a different definition for “good” than God does.
Joseph’s brothers had good reason to be envious of Joseph. In the natural order of the world at this time, the eldest son would usually receive the greatest inheritance and blessing from the father. But God had already demonstrated that He did not do things the same way as the world. God had chosen their father Jacob to receive His blessing rather than Jacob’s older brother Esau. Jacob’s children were well aware that God might choose their younger brother over them. At this point, Joseph’s brothers did not know if Joseph had been chosen by God to rule over them one day. But they did know that God had spoken to both their great-grandfather Abraham and their father Jacob through dreams. There was a very strong possibility that God had chosen Joseph to rule over them one day and was speaking through his dreams. They were not going to take any chances that God had made plans that they did not agree with. These brothers were not willing to admit that their little brother could be God’s agent FOR THEIR OWN GOOD in the years ahead. So in rejecting Joseph, they at root are rejecting God. They had no idea how involved God could be in the smallest details of their lives as they plotted against Joseph.
II. God is at work in the details of life
We know God is involved in the details of our lives because the Bible tells us so and because as Christians we experience God at work in our lives. But Genesis 37 is another excellent reminder of this. Notice that God’s name does not appear even once in this chapter. But God is behind every action. Last week we saw that God gave Joseph two dreams. This week we see how God uses an unnamed stranger to accomplish His will.
Joseph’s brothers had taken their father’s flocks near Shechem to graze. Jacob asks Joseph to go check on his brothers. Joseph demonstrates obedience to his father. Joseph would be walking on foot through some difficult hilly areas by himself as a 17 year old boy. This was not a small task since Shechem was 50 miles away! I am sure he was not excited to walk 50 miles to check on the welfare of brothers who he must have know disliked him. Joseph arrives at Shechem only to discover that his brothers are not where they are supposed to be. So what would you have done? You have just walked 50 miles to check on the welfare of your brothers and your father’s flocks and they are not where they are supposed to be. I would have turned around and headed home to report that I could not find my brothers where they were supposed to be. But Joseph had a strong desire to fulfill his father’s wishes. So he wanders around the fields looking for his brothers. Keep in mind that this is not a safe area for Joseph. Two of his older brothers had killed all of the men in Shechem a few years earlier. There was certain to be some relatives who wanted revenge against Joseph’s family.
In verse 15, we read that “a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” Notice that a stranger finds Joseph. Jospeh does not find someone to ask about his brothers. The story implies that a stranger is out there, looking for Joseph, watching out for him. The story does not tell us who this stranger is. It does not tell us why he was there in the fields where Joseph was wandering. It simply tells us that the stranger found Joseph wandering in the fields near Shechem. But now the story gets even more interesting. The stranger tells Joseph that his brothers went to Dothan, another 15 miles north, and he knows this because he heard them speaking to each other! Consider this….out in an open field, near a dangerous city, how in the world would a man overhear a few shepherds talking to each other about where to go next? The brothers certainly would not be sharing this information with any strangers in this area. This is the kind of conversation that is not overheard. Even though God’s name is not mentioned in this chapter, we see God at work even in the small details that lead Joseph on toward slavery in Egypt.
This story is the fulfillment of a promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14. “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” God’s name does not need to be mentioned in this chapter for us to realize that He is controlling of the details in this story to accomplish His purposes.
God shows us how involved He is in the details of the life of Joseph to remind us that He is always involved in the details of our lives. Cf. Jeremiah 29:11; Psalms 139:16; 2 Corinthians 5:1-9. In my situation at work….God was at work in the details.
III. Envy leads to the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers
As the tired, young Joseph approaches his brothers after his long 65 mile long walk, his brothers see him and begin to plot to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer! they said to each other. Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” Gen 37:18-20.
As a result of their envy, the brothers began to plan a course of action together. We see an example of how easy it is to for one person to be swayed by the sin of your friends or family in Reuben, who is the oldest brother. Reuben desires to save Joseph but does not dare to argue directly against his brother’s evil desires. He suggests that they put Joseph in a cistern rather than killing him. The story tells us that Reuben intends to rescue Joseph later. Reuben was emotionally distraught when he later returns and finds that his brothers have sold Joseph into slavery. At first I was tempted to feel sorry for Reuben…after all, he did demonstrate a level of compassion for Joseph and how could he have done any more with 9 other brothers intent on killing Joseph. But Reuben could have done much more. He was the oldest brother and he could have exercised leadership. He could have said, “No!” This is wrong!” Whatever Joseph has done, it does not justify this! Let him go! This would not have been a popular response. But this is what true leadership, not to mention God’s law, requires. We must stand up for what is right according to God. The example of Reuben reminds us of the dangers of being surrounded by bad influences.
So the brothers take Joseph, strip him of his despicable robe, and throw him into a deep pit. Then the brothers sit down to eat their meal. The story does not tell us this but you can imagine that Joseph calls out for mercy from his older brothers while they eat their lunch and discuss exactly what method they should use to kill him.
But remember, God is at work in the details. Just at that moment, as the brothers are sitting down to eat their meal and Joseph is in the pit, along comes a caravan on its way to Egypt. I can’t even imagine all of the details of how God arranged for this caravan of traders to come along just at the right time as Joseph’s brothers are plotting to kill him. They probably considered several routes, had a flat tire, had to stop and look for water and supplies, and so on in order for God to bring them to this exact place at this exact time to pick up Joseph.
So kind brother Judah, seeing an opportunity to make money as well as get rid of young brother Joseph, suggests that they sell him to these merchants. After all, Joseph is their own brother so it is much better to sell him into slavery and make money rather than to kill him. So this is what they do.
In a final note of irony, Joseph’s brothers use the blood of a goat to convince their father that Joseph is dead. You may remember that Jacob used the skin of a goat to convince his father Isaac that he was his older brother Esau. If you watch any of the CSI shows on tv, you know that they could have made an incredible difference in this story. They would have quickly determined that this particular blood on Joseph’s coat came from a certain type of goat that could only be found near the city of Dothan. If Jacob had only had a CSI team, he would have not had to mourn the death of his favorite son.
In the final verse of this chapter, we see that God has used a stranger in a field, the envy, greed, and betrayal of Joseph’s brothers, and a caravan of merchants to fulfill his promise to Abraham and bring Joseph to Egypt.
Envy easily leads to action. For us, our envy of what another person has may lead us to buy a larger home or a nicer car when this is not the best use of the resources that God has given us. Our envy may also lead us to quit our job in search of the “better job.” We don’t usually recognize envy as being our motivator, because we are so good at justifying our actions. And the world will tell you that you are justified in being envious. After all, we live in culture that tells us that we deserve more than we currently have, no matter how much we do have. Joseph’s brothers were also excellent at justifying their actions. They easily justified their extreme actions which allowed their envy to lead to betrayal. Things would have been much different if only the brothers had chose to focus on God.
IV. In order to avoid the destructive power of envy and betrayal, I need to refocus on God.
We need to refocus on God because we all take our focus off of God all the time. We are distracted by the world on a daily basis. So we need to constantly be working to refocus on God.
a) Remember YHWH (Psalm 77:11; Psalm 139:23)
YHWH was one of the names for God in the Old Testament. It had great meaning for Israel. God constantly reminds His people to remember what He has done in their lives. When we remember the many blessings we have received from God in our lives, we will not grow envious of others and we will not take actions that hurt others. Joseph’s brothers’ chose not to remember the specific promises that God had made to their father Jacob and to their great-grandfather Abraham. We need to remember how God has been at work in our own life and in the life of our family.
b) Take time to reflect (I Corinthians 11:28).
We need to reflect on our own lives and examine ourselves to see when we are struggling with envy. If we have experienced betrayal, we need to identify why it happened in order to know who to properly respond. In the case of Joseph’s brothers, the betrayal began with their envy or jealousy of Joseph. Why should I reflect on why I was betrayed? Two reasons. The first is that you are likely to respond to someone in the same way they treat you. If someone hates you, you are likely to hate them back. We must recognize this so we can obey Jesus’ command in Matthew 5 to love our enemies. The other reason we need to recognize the cause of the betrayal is because it helps us deal with the hurt. If Joseph had spent all of his time wondering what he had done wrong, he would have been wasting his time. The problem wasn’t really with him. By reflecting, you can begin to understand why the problem happened in the first place.
c) Release those who have hurt me.
I think the most amazing part of the story of Joseph, not just in this passage today but in his entire story, is the fact that he did not become bitter. When he later has the opportunity for revenge, he does not take it. Instead, he recognizes that God had a plan despite all of the horrible experiences he had to live through. We have to learn from the life of Joseph to release those who have hurt us. Many of us, and probably all of us, have suffered from betrayals by family, spouses, business partners, or friends at some point in time. As we learned during our recent sermon series on CR, we must let not become bitter because this will destroy us. We must release those who have hurt us and forgive them, even if they have not asked for our forgiveness. A Time magazine article had an article called “Should all be forgiven?” with the headline “Giving up that grudge can be good for your health. Researchers are pioneering a new science of redemption based on the old form of grace.” Scientists have finally figured out what the Bible has been teaching for thousands of years. You have to release those who have hurt you because it allows you to heal and move on with your life.
d) Rejoice in God’s grace (Romans 5:20; 2 Corinthians 12:9)
There are a lot of lessons in the life of Joseph. We see the destructive power of envy and betrayals. We understand how harmful envy and betrayals are in our own lives. But I think the most important lesson is to recognize how involved God is in all the intimate details of our lives. Joseph knew where to find the healing from his hurt. He knew that true healing is found in God. God has a purpose in everything we go through. And God’s purpose always prevails. And God’s great purpose is to demonstrate His incredible grace. God’s name is not mentioned in this story – but He is very much in control. Do you think God is not involved in your life this week. Read the story of Joseph again and let God remind exactly how involved He really is in your life.
God’s grace always prevails over our sins. These 12 brothers are going to be the patriarchs of the nation of Israel! This is unbelievable! These brothers were truly sinful. Why does God honor them by making them the leaders of the tribes of Israel? Because God transformed them and saved them by His grace!! Their names do not honor them – their names are a testimony to God’s amazing grace. We need to rejoice in God’s grace! It is amazing that He has saved all of us from our pile of sins. When we rejoice in God’s grace, we will not be envious of others and we will be able to release others who betray us. How can we not be transformed by our great God who allowed His only Son to die on a cross so that you and I could experience the depths of His grace!
Where are you this morning? You may be like Joseph: sinner but a victim of much worse sins by others. You may be like his brothers: angry and bitter concerning an unfairness you perceive by someone else. Or maybe you have even taken revenge, as they did, by your actions, words, or thoughts. Wherever you are this morning, know that we worship an incredible God whose grace knows no limits. If you need to release someone who has sinned against you, I invite you to do so this morning. If you need to be reconciled to God this morning, I invite you to do this. In order to be considered great in the kingdom of God, there are only three conditions. You must recognize that you are a sinner, you must humble yourself before God, and you must ask Jesus to come into your life as your Lord and Savior. If you have never experience God’s grace….
Possibly insert this fable
Once told the fable of an eagle who was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, “I wish you would bring down that eagle up there.” The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow. So the jealous eagle pulled one out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but it didn’t quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. The first eagle pulled out another feather, then another—until he had lost so many that he himself couldn’t fly. The archer took advantage of the situation, turned around, and killed the helpless bird.
Moody made this application: if you are envious of others, the one you will hurt the most by your actions will be yourself.
Introduction
Before God called me into vocational ministry, He shaped me by allowing me to work 11 years for a public accounting firm. God taught me a lot by my years in public accounting. I am still trying to forget GAAP and statutory regulations, tax codes, and other information and language that only CPAs understand. But God taught me a lot of valuable life lessons during my time in the corporate world – lessons I don’t want to forget. One lesson God reminded me of this week was about the destructive power of envy and betrayal.
In my company, when I was working in the corporate world, I worked 6-7 days a week for many months out of the year. I was an achiever. I wanted to be the best at my manager level. One year I had received top ratings all year long. I had high expectations for my annual review. When it was time for my annual performance review, I went into the interview with the managing partner and was shocked to learn that my annual rating was lower than my lowest quarterly review. As I questioned how this could be possible, I learned that there was an unwritten rule that only one person at each level could receive the highest ratings. I objected to the unfairness of this unwritten rule but there was nothing I could do. All of my hard work was for nothing at that point. In my mind, I could have worked much less and gotten the same ratings. Why in the world had I worked so hard? Then I considered that another one of my peers had been selected for the highest ratings because he worked on a more important client along with the same managing partner who controlled our ratings. I was envious that my peer had the best client and would receive the top ratings. My peer would receive the highest bonus and have the best opportunity for promotion. I also felt betrayed by my company. How could my annual performance review be lower than my lowest periodic review, on which it was based? How could my company tell me I was excellent all year long but when it was time for bonuses and promotions, they tell me I am just slightly better than average?
I was angry and bitter. I was not a happy person. It does not seem like a big deal now, many years later, but when you pour so many hours into your work, it is a big deal. My envy and this betrayal was eating me up inside. So I went to my counselor, Jesus. At the time when this happened, I had recently been studying the book of Genesis and the life of Joseph. I knew God was sovereign and controlled everything. But I had not applied this to my work environment yet. I knew that God had controlled all the minor details of Joseph’s life in order to fulfill His good purposes. But how did this apply to my corporate job? God reminded me that He was even in control of the ratings I received at work. God reminded me that He was in control of my promotions or demotions, of my bonuses and raises. Even though I had many non-Christian bosses, God reminded me that He controlled them and all the details I was concerned about at work. I had a choice. Let my envy and bitterness over my betrayal eat me up inside. Or let it go and trust Him. I chose to let it go and trust God. And what a relief! That was a more valuable lesson than any bonus could have bought for me.
So as we come to look at the story of the envy and betrayal of Joseph by his brothers today, I have memories of what this story taught me and can teach you. Let’s ask the Lord to bless our time in His Word. Father…..You have something to teach each one of us this morning about You and about our relationship with You. This story about Joseph has something that each one of us here today can relate to. Open our hearts and our minds this morning to hear Your voice as You speak to us through the power of Your Spirit who lives in us. Amen.
Last week we learned one of the major reasons why the family of Joseph was so dysfunctional. Their father Jacob showed incredible favoritism toward Joseph only because he was born to him in his old age. Jacob made his favoritism obvious to all by making a special garment for Joseph, his coat of many colors. Every day Joseph’s brothers could clearly see their father’s greater love for their younger brother Joseph in that colorful coat he wore. And they were envious. Joseph did not help matters by telling his brothers about his two dreams which suggested that one day he would rule over them. If your older brothers are already envious of you, it really is not a wise move to share your dreams that you will one day rule over them. But this is what Joseph did. And his older brothers became extremely envious.
I. The Root of Envy
Cf. Job 5:2; Proverbs 14:30; I Corinthians 3:1-3; 1 Peter 2:1-2; James 3:16
Envy does not seem like such a great sin. Isn’t it normal to feel a little envious of someone more successful than you? That is what envy is. Envy is being resentful of the success of another person. You are most likely to feel envious of a person who is very similar to you. You may become envious of a co-worker who receives a larger promotion or bonus at work, or of a family who has a nicer home. But envy at its core shows us that we have a major problem with our relationship with God. The root of envy is our dissatisfaction with God. If we are dissatisfied with what God has given us in life, we have rejected God! When we start looking at something and become envious that someone has a better job, a nicer home or car, or just the guy who seems to have more blessings in his life, in essence, we are telling God that we are not satisfied with what He has given us. I am rejecting God’s plan for my life. If we truly accept that God is sovereign, we must also accept that He is ultimately in control of our prosperity ….or our lack of prosperity. Listen to what God says about envy in Proverbs 14:30 “envy rots the bones.” “Envy rots the bones.” God is not referring to the other person. He is referring to you and I. When we are envious of another person, we are causing “rot to our bones” or major internal damage. Envy has a destructive power over us. If we are dissatisfied with what God has given us in life, we have rejected God. If we have rejected what God has given us, how can we ever experience the fruits of His Spirit such as joy, peace, love, and patience? Envy is resenting God’s goodness in others’ lives and ignoring God’s goodness in mine. God reminds us in Psalm 84:11 that He will not withhold any good thing from His children whose follow Him. If something is good for us, He will provide it. Our problem is that we use a different definition for “good” than God does.
Joseph’s brothers had good reason to be envious of Joseph. In the natural order of the world at this time, the eldest son would usually receive the greatest inheritance and blessing from the father. But God had already demonstrated that He did not do things the same way as the world. God had chosen their father Jacob to receive His blessing rather than Jacob’s older brother Esau. Jacob’s children were well aware that God might choose their younger brother over them. At this point, Joseph’s brothers did not know if Joseph had been chosen by God to rule over them one day. But they did know that God had spoken to both their great-grandfather Abraham and their father Jacob through dreams. There was a very strong possibility that God had chosen Joseph to rule over them one day and was speaking through his dreams. They were not going to take any chances that God had made plans that they did not agree with. These brothers were not willing to admit that their little brother could be God’s agent FOR THEIR OWN GOOD in the years ahead. So in rejecting Joseph, they at root are rejecting God. They had no idea how involved God could be in the smallest details of their lives as they plotted against Joseph.
II. God is at work in the details of life
We know God is involved in the details of our lives because the Bible tells us so and because as Christians we experience God at work in our lives. But Genesis 37 is another excellent reminder of this. Notice that God’s name does not appear even once in this chapter. But God is behind every action. Last week we saw that God gave Joseph two dreams. This week we see how God uses an unnamed stranger to accomplish His will.
Joseph’s brothers had taken their father’s flocks near Shechem to graze. Jacob asks Joseph to go check on his brothers. Joseph demonstrates obedience to his father. Joseph would be walking on foot through some difficult hilly areas by himself as a 17 year old boy. This was not a small task since Shechem was 50 miles away! I am sure he was not excited to walk 50 miles to check on the welfare of brothers who he must have know disliked him. Joseph arrives at Shechem only to discover that his brothers are not where they are supposed to be. So what would you have done? You have just walked 50 miles to check on the welfare of your brothers and your father’s flocks and they are not where they are supposed to be. I would have turned around and headed home to report that I could not find my brothers where they were supposed to be. But Joseph had a strong desire to fulfill his father’s wishes. So he wanders around the fields looking for his brothers. Keep in mind that this is not a safe area for Joseph. Two of his older brothers had killed all of the men in Shechem a few years earlier. There was certain to be some relatives who wanted revenge against Joseph’s family.
In verse 15, we read that “a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” Notice that a stranger finds Joseph. Jospeh does not find someone to ask about his brothers. The story implies that a stranger is out there, looking for Joseph, watching out for him. The story does not tell us who this stranger is. It does not tell us why he was there in the fields where Joseph was wandering. It simply tells us that the stranger found Joseph wandering in the fields near Shechem. But now the story gets even more interesting. The stranger tells Joseph that his brothers went to Dothan, another 15 miles north, and he knows this because he heard them speaking to each other! Consider this….out in an open field, near a dangerous city, how in the world would a man overhear a few shepherds talking to each other about where to go next? The brothers certainly would not be sharing this information with any strangers in this area. This is the kind of conversation that is not overheard. Even though God’s name is not mentioned in this chapter, we see God at work even in the small details that lead Joseph on toward slavery in Egypt.
This story is the fulfillment of a promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14. “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” God’s name does not need to be mentioned in this chapter for us to realize that He is controlling of the details in this story to accomplish His purposes.
God shows us how involved He is in the details of the life of Joseph to remind us that He is always involved in the details of our lives. Cf. Jeremiah 29:11; Psalms 139:16; 2 Corinthians 5:1-9. In my situation at work….God was at work in the details.
III. Envy leads to the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers
As the tired, young Joseph approaches his brothers after his long 65 mile long walk, his brothers see him and begin to plot to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer! they said to each other. Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” Gen 37:18-20.
As a result of their envy, the brothers began to plan a course of action together. We see an example of how easy it is to for one person to be swayed by the sin of your friends or family in Reuben, who is the oldest brother. Reuben desires to save Joseph but does not dare to argue directly against his brother’s evil desires. He suggests that they put Joseph in a cistern rather than killing him. The story tells us that Reuben intends to rescue Joseph later. Reuben was emotionally distraught when he later returns and finds that his brothers have sold Joseph into slavery. At first I was tempted to feel sorry for Reuben…after all, he did demonstrate a level of compassion for Joseph and how could he have done any more with 9 other brothers intent on killing Joseph. But Reuben could have done much more. He was the oldest brother and he could have exercised leadership. He could have said, “No!” This is wrong!” Whatever Joseph has done, it does not justify this! Let him go! This would not have been a popular response. But this is what true leadership, not to mention God’s law, requires. We must stand up for what is right according to God. The example of Reuben reminds us of the dangers of being surrounded by bad influences.
So the brothers take Joseph, strip him of his despicable robe, and throw him into a deep pit. Then the brothers sit down to eat their meal. The story does not tell us this but you can imagine that Joseph calls out for mercy from his older brothers while they eat their lunch and discuss exactly what method they should use to kill him.
But remember, God is at work in the details. Just at that moment, as the brothers are sitting down to eat their meal and Joseph is in the pit, along comes a caravan on its way to Egypt. I can’t even imagine all of the details of how God arranged for this caravan of traders to come along just at the right time as Joseph’s brothers are plotting to kill him. They probably considered several routes, had a flat tire, had to stop and look for water and supplies, and so on in order for God to bring them to this exact place at this exact time to pick up Joseph.
So kind brother Judah, seeing an opportunity to make money as well as get rid of young brother Joseph, suggests that they sell him to these merchants. After all, Joseph is their own brother so it is much better to sell him into slavery and make money rather than to kill him. So this is what they do.
In a final note of irony, Joseph’s brothers use the blood of a goat to convince their father that Joseph is dead. You may remember that Jacob used the skin of a goat to convince his father Isaac that he was his older brother Esau. If you watch any of the CSI shows on tv, you know that they could have made an incredible difference in this story. They would have quickly determined that this particular blood on Joseph’s coat came from a certain type of goat that could only be found near the city of Dothan. If Jacob had only had a CSI team, he would have not had to mourn the death of his favorite son.
In the final verse of this chapter, we see that God has used a stranger in a field, the envy, greed, and betrayal of Joseph’s brothers, and a caravan of merchants to fulfill his promise to Abraham and bring Joseph to Egypt.
Envy easily leads to action. For us, our envy of what another person has may lead us to buy a larger home or a nicer car when this is not the best use of the resources that God has given us. Our envy may also lead us to quit our job in search of the “better job.” We don’t usually recognize envy as being our motivator, because we are so good at justifying our actions. And the world will tell you that you are justified in being envious. After all, we live in culture that tells us that we deserve more than we currently have, no matter how much we do have. Joseph’s brothers were also excellent at justifying their actions. They easily justified their extreme actions which allowed their envy to lead to betrayal. Things would have been much different if only the brothers had chose to focus on God.
IV. In order to avoid the destructive power of envy and betrayal, I need to refocus on God.
We need to refocus on God because we all take our focus off of God all the time. We are distracted by the world on a daily basis. So we need to constantly be working to refocus on God.
a) Remember YHWH (Psalm 77:11; Psalm 139:23)
YHWH was one of the names for God in the Old Testament. It had great meaning for Israel. God constantly reminds His people to remember what He has done in their lives. When we remember the many blessings we have received from God in our lives, we will not grow envious of others and we will not take actions that hurt others. Joseph’s brothers’ chose not to remember the specific promises that God had made to their father Jacob and to their great-grandfather Abraham. We need to remember how God has been at work in our own life and in the life of our family.
b) Take time to reflect (I Corinthians 11:28).
We need to reflect on our own lives and examine ourselves to see when we are struggling with envy. If we have experienced betrayal, we need to identify why it happened in order to know who to properly respond. In the case of Joseph’s brothers, the betrayal began with their envy or jealousy of Joseph. Why should I reflect on why I was betrayed? Two reasons. The first is that you are likely to respond to someone in the same way they treat you. If someone hates you, you are likely to hate them back. We must recognize this so we can obey Jesus’ command in Matthew 5 to love our enemies. The other reason we need to recognize the cause of the betrayal is because it helps us deal with the hurt. If Joseph had spent all of his time wondering what he had done wrong, he would have been wasting his time. The problem wasn’t really with him. By reflecting, you can begin to understand why the problem happened in the first place.
c) Release those who have hurt me.
I think the most amazing part of the story of Joseph, not just in this passage today but in his entire story, is the fact that he did not become bitter. When he later has the opportunity for revenge, he does not take it. Instead, he recognizes that God had a plan despite all of the horrible experiences he had to live through. We have to learn from the life of Joseph to release those who have hurt us. Many of us, and probably all of us, have suffered from betrayals by family, spouses, business partners, or friends at some point in time. As we learned during our recent sermon series on CR, we must let not become bitter because this will destroy us. We must release those who have hurt us and forgive them, even if they have not asked for our forgiveness. A Time magazine article had an article called “Should all be forgiven?” with the headline “Giving up that grudge can be good for your health. Researchers are pioneering a new science of redemption based on the old form of grace.” Scientists have finally figured out what the Bible has been teaching for thousands of years. You have to release those who have hurt you because it allows you to heal and move on with your life.
d) Rejoice in God’s grace (Romans 5:20; 2 Corinthians 12:9)
There are a lot of lessons in the life of Joseph. We see the destructive power of envy and betrayals. We understand how harmful envy and betrayals are in our own lives. But I think the most important lesson is to recognize how involved God is in all the intimate details of our lives. Joseph knew where to find the healing from his hurt. He knew that true healing is found in God. God has a purpose in everything we go through. And God’s purpose always prevails. And God’s great purpose is to demonstrate His incredible grace. God’s name is not mentioned in this story – but He is very much in control. Do you think God is not involved in your life this week. Read the story of Joseph again and let God remind exactly how involved He really is in your life.
God’s grace always prevails over our sins. These 12 brothers are going to be the patriarchs of the nation of Israel! This is unbelievable! These brothers were truly sinful. Why does God honor them by making them the leaders of the tribes of Israel? Because God transformed them and saved them by His grace!! Their names do not honor them – their names are a testimony to God’s amazing grace. We need to rejoice in God’s grace! It is amazing that He has saved all of us from our pile of sins. When we rejoice in God’s grace, we will not be envious of others and we will be able to release others who betray us. How can we not be transformed by our great God who allowed His only Son to die on a cross so that you and I could experience the depths of His grace!
Where are you this morning? You may be like Joseph: sinner but a victim of much worse sins by others. You may be like his brothers: angry and bitter concerning an unfairness you perceive by someone else. Or maybe you have even taken revenge, as they did, by your actions, words, or thoughts. Wherever you are this morning, know that we worship an incredible God whose grace knows no limits. If you need to release someone who has sinned against you, I invite you to do so this morning. If you need to be reconciled to God this morning, I invite you to do this. In order to be considered great in the kingdom of God, there are only three conditions. You must recognize that you are a sinner, you must humble yourself before God, and you must ask Jesus to come into your life as your Lord and Savior. If you have never experience God’s grace….
Possibly insert this fable
Once told the fable of an eagle who was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, “I wish you would bring down that eagle up there.” The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow. So the jealous eagle pulled one out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but it didn’t quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. The first eagle pulled out another feather, then another—until he had lost so many that he himself couldn’t fly. The archer took advantage of the situation, turned around, and killed the helpless bird.
Moody made this application: if you are envious of others, the one you will hurt the most by your actions will be yourself.