Today’s Reading: Genesis 35:16-29; 37; Psalm 40

Jacob settled in the land of Canaan with his large family, the land that God had promised to give his grandfather, his father, and now him. He made this land his home, and his sons helped him by shepherding the herds of animals he had accumulated. God had blessed him in so many ways. He was finally neither paying off his debt to his uncle nor hiding from his brother. He was no longer looking back, but facing forward.

Jacob was surrounded by family and healing from the loss of his first love. Rachel had endured a long and hard delivery with her second son. In her last moment of life, she named her newborn son Ben-oni, which means son of my sorrow or son of my distress. God had answered her plea for another son, but she would not get to watch him grow up. She was dying and she knew it.

But rather than have his son’s name reflect the suffering of the past, Jacob named him Benjamin — son of my right hand. This new name would reflect the strength of his father rather than the weakness of his mother. In his grief, Jacob chose hope and joy for the future by giving his youngest son a name that would reflect what was ahead of him instead of what was behind. Perhaps this name also reflected a vow of Jacob’s to never let his youngest son out of his sight, but to keep him by his side.

Jacob had loved Rachel and he would love her two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. In fact, Genesis 37:3 tells us that Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his sons. He gave Joseph a special gift — a beautiful robe which is now traditionally known as the coat of many colors. This gesture of favoritism caused his older brothers to hate Joseph and to speak unkindly to him.

One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. “Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. — Genesis 37:5-8

Joseph’s next dream prophesied that the sun, moon, and stars would bow to him. His brothers reacted in jealousy but his father pondered the meaning of the dreams. A short time later, Jacob sent Joseph to find his brothers and return with a report on how they and the flocks were doing. He traveled to Shechem looking for them, but they were not there, so he traveled on to Dothan. When his brothers saw him approaching, they made plans to kill him.

“Here comes the dreamer!” they said. “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!” — Genesis 37:19-20

Reuben talked his brothers into throwing Joseph into an empty cistern instead of killing him, because he intended to come back and rescue him. The brothers took off the coat that represented their father’s favoritism and threw Joseph into the cistern. Later, when they saw a group of Ishmaelite traders traveling by, they decided to sell their brother rather than to bear the guilt of his death. They sold their own flesh and blood for twenty pieces of silver, covered his beautiful coat with blood, and sent it back to their father.

Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep. — Genesis 37:33-35

Many of us grew up hearing about the coat of many colors and learning how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. But have you ever considered what it must have been like for all involved when they woke up the next morning. Did Joseph’s brothers wake up regretting their actions? Was there a moment of panic, or the impulse to try to catch up with the traders and try to buy their brother back? Was there any remorse on the part of Jacob’s sons as they watched their beloved father mourn?

What was it like for Joseph to wake up in chains? Perhaps the Dreamer was hoping to wake up to find the pain of yesterday was only just that — a dream. Perhaps he regretted how boldly he had bragged about the dreams, and how insensitive he had been to the reactions of his brothers.

Have you ever woken up the morning after a tragic life event with a short reprieve from the emotions of yesterday? And then the moment of peace is gone as a heavy blanket of reality weighs you down. What do you do when your dreams of what your life would look like suddenly take a turn? I pray that the words of Psalm 40 will minister to you right where you are at emotionally today.

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord…

Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
For troubles surround me — too many to count!
My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage.
Please, Lord, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me…

As for me, since I am poor and needy,
let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay. — Psalm 40:1-4a, 11-13,17