Genesis 37:12–36; 39:1
Life Lesson #1 Don’t let bitterness get the best of you.
Genesis 37:12-14
12 Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. 13 When they had been
gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I
will send you to them.” “I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.
14 “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me
a report.”
Genesis 37:18-20
18 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made
plans to kill him. 19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 20 “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!”
Hebrews 12:15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no
poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
Life Lesson #2 Even when it feels like everything is against us, there is always one who is for
us.
Genesis 37:21-22
21 But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. 22 “Why
should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die
without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his
father.
Genesis 39:2
“The Lord was with Joseph”
Life Lesson #3: Sin always brings grief and loss.
Genesis 37:33-35
33 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!” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He
mourned deeply for his son for a long time. 35 His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be
comforted. “I will go to my grave[c] mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.
Acts 7:9-10a
9 “These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was
with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles.
Even when it feels like everything is against us,
God is with us.
