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Youth Worship 30 July 2022 : "Look, this dreamer is coming"

Text: Genesis 37:12-36
30 July 2022

INTRODUCTION

1. The flocks of Jacob

a. They were large
b. The sons of Jacob were sent out to look after the flocks
c. They were in Shechem Genesis 37:12

2. But Joseph was at home with Jacob

a. He was finally sent to check on his brothers
b. No reports had been sent back to Jacob
c. Shechem had been the place of massacre of the Hivites (Genesis 34)
d. Were the brothers well? Genesis 37:14

SEARCHING FOR THE BROTHERS

1. Joseph left Hebron to search for his brothers in Shechem
(This was a distance of 140 km)!

2. They had left for Dothan
(This was a distance of over 100 km)

3. Each journey would take days!

SPOTTING JOSEPH FROM AFAR

1. The brothers saw Joseph from a distance Genesis 37:18

2. Some of the brothers were conspiring to kill him Genesis 37:18

3. They said, “Look, this dreamer is coming” Genesis 37:19

a. They were prepared to kill him
“Let us now kill him and cast him into some pit”
Genesis 37:20a
b. And report to their father that
a wild beast had devoured him Genesis 37:20b
c. They mocked at his dreams
“We shall see what will become of his dreams”
Genesis 37:20c

REUBEN’S PLEA

1. To kill a brother was unthinkable to him

21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

Genesis 37:21-22

2. He was the eldest among the siblings

a. He managed to stop the brothers from killing Joseph
b. Three pleas:
i. “Let us not kill him”
ii. “Shed no blood”
iii. “Do not lay a hand on him”

THE PLIGHT OF JOSEPH

1. They stripped Joseph of his tunic of many colours

2. They cast him into a dry pit Genesis 37:24

3. The brothers then sat down for a meal

THE PLEA OF JUDAH

1. The brothers saw a company of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt

2. He made his pitch to them:

a. “Let us sell him to the Ishmaelites” Genesis 37:27a
b. “Let not our hand be upon him” Genesis 37:27b
c. “He is our brother and our flesh” Genesis 37:27c

SELLING JOSEPH TO THE ISHMAELITES/ MIDIANITES

1. The brothers sold Joseph for just 20 shekels of silver

2. He was taken to Egypt (to be sold as a slave) Genesis 37:28

REUBEN’S RETURN TO THE BROTHERS

1. He had hoped to rescue Joseph

2. But he found him gone; sold to the Midianites

3. He was in distress

“The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?”

Genesis 37:30

DECEIVING JACOB

1. They took the clothes of Joseph

2. They killed a kid of the goats and smeared the tunic with the goat’s blood

3. They made the journey back to their father Jacob

“We have found this. Do you know whether this is your son’s tunic or not?”

Genesis 37:32

4. Jacob’s response

33 And he recognised it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

Genesis 37:33-35

a. “It is my son’s tunic”
b. “A wild beast has devoured him”
c. “Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces” Genesis 37:33

THE DEPTH OF SORROW OF JACOB

1. Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days

a. Tearing of his clothes
b. Putting on sackcloth
c. Mourning for many days

2. Refusing to be comforted

a. All his sons
b. All his daughters (“daughters-in-law”)
c. “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Genesis 37:35
d. Thus his father wept for him

CONCLUSION

1. Tragedy had struck Jacob’s family

2. The behaviour of the brothers

a. Deplorable
b. Deceptive
c. Devastating

3. The grief of Jacob

a. Heart-wrenching
b. Hopelessness descended on him