Human Response 87: Hate and Envy

Genesis 37:8, 11 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? Or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words….And his brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying.

The sin that caused this jealous situation may have been with Jacob, who loved one wife over the other and favored her son over his other sons. He gave Joseph a coat, but not the others. They hated him for that. Then they hated him yet more when he told them about dreams God had given him where all the brothers bowed down to him.

Envy led to hate, and hate led to selling into slavery, almost murder. ”They conspired against him to kill him [v. 18].” Instead, they sold him into slavery and he ended up in Egypt. The brothers were envious already, but what really set them off was the dream from God. Envy, pride, and anger blinded them from responding favorably to God’s Word. Joseph contributed to the tension by giving a bad report and by bragging of his dream. Sin is rampant in this story, but God eventually turned it all out for good.

Jacob said, ”I have a favorite.” Joseph said, “God told me.” The brothers said, ”Who do you think you are?” God said, ”I work all things together for good.” Sin causes untold misery. God causes unspeakable good.

In hindsight Joseph could see and say, ”You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good [Genesis 50:20].” Even the brothers would come to see that ”bowing before Joseph” meant a good thing. No one sees during a time of trouble and temptation that God is always good and has a purpose. Since our vision is limited, the Lord must grant faith to see. Sin, Satan, and Self prevent us from responding with faith, thanks, and worship. Unbelief in God’s goodness is the human response that brings sin and death. Faith is the response that sees God’s good hand in everything.