Joseph's Attitude

   How do you react when things do not go your way or when you do something right, you get punished for it?  Most of us would react angrily or with complaining.  We would think that it is not fair, that we deserve better or why should you do the right thing when all you get is unfair trash in return.

   In the last quarter of the book of Genesis, we read about Joseph who is 17 and number 11 of 12 boys in the family (Genesis 37).  He is his father’s favorite though, which does not hurt when you have ten older brothers.  Joseph has two dreams which he tells his OLDER brothers who hate him even more now because in the dreams.  The analogy is the older brothers end up bowing to Joseph.  If you have younger siblings, most of us who do would not even consider bowing down to our younger brother or sister.

   Well the brothers are so jealous and upset with Joseph because of the dreams and that he is their father’s favorite, that when they get an opportunity to get rid of Joseph (and make some money besides), they take advantage of some slave traders passing through their territory.  Of course, they make up the story to their father that some vicious creature has torn apart Joseph and killed him.  Did Joseph deserve to be “gotten rid of?”  He just had a couple of dreams.

   As the story continues in Genesis 39, the slave traders head to Egypt and sell Josep ...