Causes of Division in the Family

1. Causes of Division in the Family Genesis 37:1-36

2. Character God Can Use • “These are the generations of Jacob” (v. 2) • A new section of the Book of Genesis • Devoted to Jacob • But the chief actor in the “Jacob” section of Genesis will be Joseph • Joseph’s life and character • We’ll see how God builds character into His man • Joseph will model integrity for us • He will exhibit faithfulness in serving well • In the end Joseph will choose grace and forgiveness when revenge would be a lot more natural

3. Character on Display • The character God created in Joseph’s life is identical to the variety He wants to build into ours • Joseph - Scripture says almost no negative word! • The greatest single characteristic of Joseph: • Absolute faithfulness to God under all circumstances • It is through this that God worked to exalt him so mightily • Joseph • Never complained • Never compromised • As a result, Joseph never lost his power before God

4. The Destructive Dynamics of a Family • Psalms 133:1 • “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” • Jacob’s family didn’t enjoy the blessings of unity because from the home was divided • First two wives were rivals • The addition of two concubines didn’t help • One father, four different mothers, and twelve sons = the ingredients for multiple problems

5. The Destructive Dynamics of a Family • Why did the brothers hate Joseph so much? • Genesis 37 shows a family that knew the true and living God and yet sinned against Him and each other by what they said and did • The presence of Joseph in the home didn’t create problems, it revealed them • Destructive forces were at work in this family, but God in His grace overruled for their good • Romans 5:20 - Where sin abounded, grace abounded more

6. Jealousy Causes Division vv. 1–4 • Joseph had integrity (v. 2) • Joseph was learning how to care for the sheep from his brother • Joseph got his start as a servant • We don’t know what evil things the men were doing, but whatever their sin was, Joseph felt that their father needed to know about it • Did Joseph have the right to “tell on” his brothers? • Joseph had common sense and discernment • Whatever his brothers were doing must have been terribly wicked or Joseph wouldn’t have mentioned it to his father

7. Jealousy Causes Division vv. 1–4 • Joseph was the favorite son (vv. 3–4) • Blatant favoritism • Swindoll says, “passive fathers tend to favor the child who’s easiest to raise.” • Joseph was probably super compliant • Joseph was the son of his favorite wife, Rachel, and the human heart sometimes plays tricks with the mind and makes people do strange things

8. Jealousy Causes Division vv. 1–4 • Joseph was the favorite son (vv. 3–4) • Blatant favoritism • Joseph’s “coat of many colors” (KJV), “richly ornamented robe” (NIV) • Joseph’s “coat” reached to the ankles and had long sleeves • The garment of a ruler, not what a shepherd needed out in the fields • Jacob probably had more than fashion in mind when he gave Joseph this special coat • Letting the family know that Joseph had been chosen to be his heir • It’s no surprise that they hated Joseph

9. Envy Causes Division vv. 5–17 • Envy and Malice • Envy is “the most precious daughter of the devil because it follows his footsteps by hindering good and promoting evil” • Envy has a sister named Malice, and the two usually work together • Titus 3:3 - For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another • Envy causes inward pain when we see others succeed • Malice produces inward satisfaction when we see others fail • Envy and malice usually generate slander and unwarranted criticism

10. Should Joseph have told his dreams to the family? • The two dreams couldn’t help but make things worse for him • When Joseph reported the second dream, even his father became upset and rebuked him; but privately, Jacob pondered the dreams • Jacob had received messages from God in dreams • Joseph was right in sharing them with the family • It was the will of God • The immediate result: his brothers hated and envied him even more

11. Questions - vv. 12–17 • Why were Jacob’s sons pasturing their flocks fifty miles from home? • They didn’t want anybody from the family spying on them • Why did they return to the dangerous area near Shechem when Jacob’s family had such a bad reputation among the citizens there? • The brothers were involved with the people of the land in ways they didn’t want Jacob to know about

12. Questions - vv. 12–17 • Why were Jacob’s sons pasturing their flocks fifty miles from home? • Why did they return to the dangerous area near Shechem when Jacob’s family had such a bad reputation among the citizens there? • Why did Jacob send him out to visit them alone and wearing the special garment that had aggravated them so much? • One of Jacob’s servants could have performed the same task • Psalms 105:17 - “He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant” • God was working to accomplish His divine purposes for Jacob and his family, and ultimately for the whole world

13. Conspiracy Causes Division vv. 18-30 • Conspiracy (vv. 18–24) • When he came into sight of his brothers, they immediately recognized him afar off and began to make their plans • Jealousy and envy simmers in the heart and waits for the spark that will set off the explosion • All they needed was the opportunity • Indifference (vv. 23–30) • It must have given them great pleasure to strip Joseph of his special robe and then drop him into the empty well • How could they sit down and calmly eat a meal while their brother was suffering and begging them to set him free? • Just then a Midianite camel train came by, and this gave Judah an idea • They could sell their brother as a slave and at the same time get rid of him and make some money God was still in control!

14. Deception Causes Division vv. 31-35 • Proverbs 28:13 • “He who covers his sins will not prosper” • God’s unchanging law, but people still think they can defy it and escape the consequences • One sin led to another as the men fabricated the evidence that would deceive their father into thinking that Joseph was dead, killed by a wild beast • Jacob’s own sons were following in his footsteps

15. Deception Causes Division vv. 31-35 • Jacob years later, “All these things are against me” • Actually all these things were working for him - Romans 8:28 • Doesn’t mean that God approved of or engineered the brothers’ hatred and deception • God is so great that He can work out His purposes even when people are doing their worst • The greatest example of this is Calvary • Joseph years later, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20)

16. God Overrules Division v. 36 • God Meant It For Good (v.36) • Joseph’s - a great example of the benevolent providence of God • The doctrine is spelled out in Romans 8:28 • “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” • God brought Joseph safely to Egypt and saw to it that he was sold to one of Pharaoh’s chief officers • Potiphar is called “captain of the guard” which meant he was head of Pharaoh’s personal bodyguard • The important thing wasn’t that Joseph was connected with such a powerful man in Egypt • The important thing was that “the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered” (Genesis 39:2)

17. God’s Providence • The workings of God’s providence are awesome • A great source of encouragement to us in the difficult circumstances of life • Daniel 4:35 • “He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’ ” • God uses little things as links in the chain of circumstances • When these things are happening, we seldom realize how important they are • Looking back, we can see that God was at work ‑ often when we were least aware of his working

18. Principles • God removes familiar props to lay His foundation • We all want security • The problem is, we begin to depend on the familiar props to provide us what God alone will give us • Character is built into us by God, but it often comes at the price of something we love • God did some pretty drastic demolition work in Joseph’s life, in order to get Joseph to trust in Him alone

19. Principles • God removes familiar props to lay His foundation • God’s curriculum is seldom one we’d select • We do not get a vote • God knows precisely the kind of work that must be done to make us into His person

20. Principles • God removes familiar props to lay His foundation • God’s curriculum is seldom one we’d select • God prepares people before He uses them • God cannot work greatly through us until He works deeply in us • Pain and suffering are a part of God’s program: • Because they press us trust Him alone • Trusting Him in the middle of affliction brings you to a closer walk with Him • When Joseph is finally exhalted, there won’t be a doubt in His mind about Who put him there

21. Principles • God never leaves us alone • Genesis 39:2 - And the Lord was with Joseph • Verse 3: The Lord was with him • Verse 5: the Lord blessed the Egyptian‘s house on account of Joseph • Verse 23: The Lord was with him and whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper • Jesus says, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age”

22. Principles • God never leaves us alone • Paul writes in Romans, “what shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Persecution, famine, sword, peril?” • Will people, circumstances, cancer, friends or brothers who turn their back on us? No. • Not any of those, or any other thing we‘ll ever experience - because God has sworn to be faithful to us! • He constantly tells us, “You are Mine. I have called you by name. You follow Me. You trust Me. You walk with Me. You be faithful to Me.”

23. Principles • God never leaves us alone • The source of Joseph’s character • Joseph didn’t “reach down deep inside himself” and find character on his own • Joseph believed God • He knew God • He trusted God • God was with him • The evidence: “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good”

24. Principles • God is determined to move your trust to Him alone • God will grow you in faith, and He anticipates a response -- one like we’ll see produced in Joseph’s life • It will hurt at times • It will be costly at times • But the character He develops in you is always well worth it • He’s always right next to us