When Others Hate You - Genesis 37 and 38

I was very fortunate to have Dr. Roy B. Allen as my advisor to guide me through the doctoral program at the University of Arkansas. He was head of the department of School Administration which was my chosen field. As we were planning my course of studies he advised me to choose Psychology as my minor field. At that time in life, I had some interest in the field of Psychology but did not realize how important the background would be to a Superintendent of Schools. It is closely related to, and forms the basic foundation for students of counseling. There are two strengths that are absolute necessities in order for a superintendent to be successful in Public School Administration. He/she absolutely must understand how to develop and control the budgeting and financing of the school and must be able to work with people—parents, teachers, and students. School is a people business. The two most stressful responsibilities are the proper handling of the people’s money and the thoughtful, caring, and responsible counseling of people. Dr. Allen taught us that the two greatest hazards of being a superintendent was that we were forced to get into the people’s pocket books and responsible for other people’s children.

The greatest people problem connected with school hinges around broken and blended homes. A major percentage of ‘problem-students’ in the public schools come from one of these homes. I am not sure which leads the list. The broken home comes first. There is usually a season of turmoil when parents are going through the problems that lead to divorce. The children are caught in the middle of a fight between the two people they love most. Then comes the divorce which forces the children to choose—or they are forced to accept the parent that will be their guardian.

The blended families come next when the divorced parent with children are married to another divorcee who also has children. The impossible situation is finalized when the couple then has children of their own. It is impossible for me to explain all of the different ramifications that cause fear, hatred, and all kinds of accusations either real or imagined in the lives of this three-way family. The school is often the place where all of this turmoil turns good people into discipline problems that are sometimes impossible to correct. The final consequence often results in bad grades, failures, drop-outs and in the past few years guns and dead students and teachers. The problems do not end at graduation, but continue on the college campuses, and all through life.

Did this problem start in the mid 1960s here in America? No, not hardly. Read the two chapters being covered in today’s lesson. What do you think life was like in Jacob’s household during the time his kids were growing up? There were four mothers in the family, two of them considered as concubines, and only one of them, Rachel, was actually loved by the husband and all of the sixteen older ones knew what was going on. When Rachel died a new struggle arose as the three women left behind started to vie for Jacob’s affection. The problem is complicated even more because since Jacob had loved only Rachel, he showed favoritism to the two sons that she bore, which were Joseph and Benjamin. Ten boys now believe that their own father does not care for them and the one daughter is considered to be a whore because she placed herself in the position of being raped. This home provided a breeding ground for hatred, jealousy and misunderstandings.

I truly believe that my God given purpose in this life was to be a school teacher, administrator and counselor of students, parents and teachers. However, if they would have had public education at that time in Jacob’s nook of Canaan Land and I had been superintendent of their school, admittedly I would have tendered my resignation.

We should keep in mind that Jacob spent twenty years of his life in Paddan-aram working for Laban. He only loved Rachel; but was tricked into marring four women to whom twelve children were born by the time he escaped, and started home to Canaan Land. The last two lessons have covered is trip home, chased by Laban, dreading to meet his mad brother, wrestling with God, making up with Esau, moving into Shechem, the rape of his daughter Dinah, and the killing of Shechem and all the men in the city.

Jacob eventually moved his family and followers to the southern part of Canaan; in Beersheba, back in the area that had been settled earlier by his father, Isaac. This means that he had left the fine farm lands around the Bethlehem area where life was a bit easier and more profitable, and moved to the edge of the southern desert that bordered Egypt. At that time the area was inhabited by Hittites, Canaanites, Perizzites, and Egyptians. Most of these people were herders who pastured sheep and goats in the arid open fields of wild grass and because of overgrazing they were forced to move their herds to find food. This area is located in the southern part of the Southern Kingdom known as Judah. Life there was difficult, with hot days and cold nights that made the life of a shepherd uncomfortable and lonely.

Having this information is easier for us to understand the constant movement of Jacob’s family between the arid southern regions and the highlands around Shechem. There were constant warring between the tribes of Egyptian, Hittites and smaller tribes of Canaan. Ironically this place and the troubles there can be observed in the daily news of struggles along the Southern Gaza Strip in tomorrow’s news. [Now Read 37: 1-11.]

Joseph is seventeen at the time of this incident and he is working as a shepherd boy along with the sons of his father by two different wives. These were Joseph’s half-brothers. In the second verse we find that his half-brothers have been dishonest is some way and he feels led to tell his father about the incident. The Bible does not say what they had done, nor does it state what Israel did about it. My guess is, from past history and the incident at Shechem, he did nothing about it. If you had been in Joseph’s place would you have reported the incident? Was it tattling on his brothers? Or, was it justified? One thing is sure, it caused the brothers to hate Joseph even more than before.

Now I refer back to the introduction to this lesson on page one, and suggest you read verses three and four. Joseph was the first son born to Rachel [the wife he loved] and he was born in Israel’s old age and he loved Joseph more than the others. Are these valid reasons for favoring Joseph? It surely had its repercussions, and the ‘Coat-of-many-colors made for and given to Joseph did not help matters one bit. The book says that when they saw the special robe; “They hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” The title today is: WHEN OTHERS HATE YOU.

Vandiverism is my own philosophy—it is what I think, and admittedly it can easily be wrong, and should never be taken as truth, I use it occasionally hoping to make you think for yourself. Vandiverism says that the heart of this problem lies in the fact that Reuben was the firstborn of the twelve sons of Jacob and should be line to receive the birthright and blessings of his father. Ten more boys followed him, and were all older than Joseph, and they felt that they should be considered before him. To all of them it appeared that the partiality being shown to Joseph was an indication that their father was unfair to them. A craving for wealth, property, prestige and power lit the fires of hatred in their hearts.

Joseph had two dreams that incriminated him in his brother’s sight, and seemingly he may have used bad judgment in sharing the dreams with his father and the boys. He dreamed that it was harvest time and they were shocking their grain. His shocks of grain remained standing while the shocks belonging to the rest bowed down to his shock. Of his second dream he said; “The son and moon and eleven stars were all bowing down to me. This second dream even bothered his father and caused him to ask if he was saying that the time would come when his father, mother and eleven brothers “Would bow down to the ground before him.” Sine scholars think that he used poor judgment in relating the dreams. Some say it showed immaturity on his part and may have been done in an arrogant way. The new testament is full of incidents where Christ had to reprimand his people, tell them things they did not want to hear, and did not appreciate, but he always found a right time and place to talk to them and a loving way to express himself. At seventeen, there was a lack of past experience, maybe he was as some would say a little green behind the ears.

Just in case you are wondering about the dreams, as to whether or not they were real, you won’t have to wonder too long. Later in Egypt, you will learn that Joseph had a special gift for interpreting dreams; and much of his strength and honor in Egypt came to him because of this special ability. Too, the family did bow to him; therefore I have no doubt about his sincerity and truthfulness regarding the dreams. I may have a bit of doubt about the judgment he used in telling all of them at this time.

Now we come to one of the best known stories recorded in God’s word. The word does not say ‘all’ of his brothers, but evidently all were involved. His brothers were with his father’s flock, evidently had been out several days and grazed down the pasture and had to move on to near Shechem and new grass. Jacob or Israel, they are the same, became worried that the boys had not reported in some time and he sent Joseph to check on them and bring him word regarding their success. Joseph went where they were supposed to be and found that they had moved. A witness told him the direction they had taken toward Shechem, so he continued until he found them.

When the sons saw Joseph in his splendid robe approaching them, they planned to kill him. Surely you know this story—read it again in the latter verses. One thing stands out. Reuben, the older man, defended Joseph and insisted that he not be murdered. Now I wish to let you decide; was Reuben honest in his care and protection, or was he afraid that he would be the logical one for his father to blame if something happened to Joseph? For some reason Reuben was the one out watching the heard when the Medianites came by the well and bought Joseph as a slave for twelve shekels. When Reuben returned and heard what had happened he was either mad or scared for he rent his clothes in anger or fear.

The brothers killed a goat, drenched Joseph’s robe with the blood and returned home and told Jacob what had happened. The father rent his clothing and mourned for his son whom he thought had been killed by a wild animal. Joseph was both loved and hated.

We now look into the future, follow the life of Joseph and find that even though his brothers hated him—he did not hate in return; instead he forgave his brothers and longed to see his father. God blest him, and prospered him so that he could use his wealth and positions to one day make it possible for the family to be reunited.