Genesis 37: Joseph Begins His Journey
Seventeen year old Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, brought to his father’s attention the unfavorable activities of his brothers. He also had two dreams that he related to his brothers and father in which they treated him as an exalted person. These happenings provoked extreme hatred on the part of the brothers toward Joseph. One time while the brothers were away with the flocks in Shechem, Jacob sent Joseph to check up on them. When he was seen from a distance by the brothers they conspired to kill him but due to the intervention of the oldest brother Reuben, they put him in a pit. While Reuben was away, the brothers sold him to some Ishmaelites traveling to Egypt. They took his coat, covered it in blood and told their father he had been killed by a wild animal. The Ishmaelites sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh of Egypt. So begins the saga of the Israelite nation that occupies the remainder of the book of Genesis.
Many commentaries relate how Joseph portrays a type of Christ through his betrayal, arrest, and salvation of the Jews. There are probably ten or more parallels that could be made of Joseph and Jesus and yet the New Testament does not utilize that literary device. Surprising.
Joseph seems very naive in the way he treats his brothers. Does he not realize he will incur their wrath and revenge at some point – especially when in their company so far from the protective eye of his father? Regardless, God uses the foolish behavior of men to accomplish His will.