GENESIS: Speak the Truth in Love, Even if it Causes Others to Hate, Become Envious and Plot Against You; "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more."

Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob. (Genesis 37:1-2) 

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. (Genesis 37:2) Remember, Jacob (aka Israel) had eleven sons and one daughter before he returned to the promised land, Joseph being the youngest of the wife he loved, Rachel. (Genesis 29:31-30:24) Then once in the promised land, Rachel died in child birth, giving birth to his twelfth son, Benjamin. (Genesis 35:16-21) Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. (Genesis 37:3-4) 

Jacob's other sons could see that he loved Joseph more than them because he made him a tunic of many colors.  During those days, it was very difficult and expensive to die fabrics in different colors.  This coat had many colors, meaning Jacobs spent a lot of time and resources to make it. It wasn't made for the oldest son, but for the second youngest, the youngest still being a baby at this time.  The coat clearly represented the love that Jacob had for Joseph. Not a wise thing for a parent to do, to show obvious favoritism to one child over another.  This kind of environment creates jealousy and hatred within a family.

Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. (Genesis 37:5-8) 

I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding,... (Proverbs 7:7) Fortunately, Joseph was full of understanding.  God had blessed him to have dreams and interpret them. Unfortunately for him, his brothers didn't have the same understanding that he had, and they did not appreciate the truth revealed in his dreams. Should he have kept these revelations to himself? It's like what the prophet Jeremiah said; Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in myheart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. (Jeremiah 20:9) When God gives us a word or prophecy, we must speak it, but always, speaking the truth in love,... (Ephesians 4:15)

Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. (Genesis 37:9-11) 

Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.” Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. (Genesis 37:12-14) 

Traveling from Hebron to Shechem wasn't a short journey, and Joseph would have to travel through mountainous terrain. Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?” So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.” And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. (Genesis 37:15-17) 

Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father. (Genesis 37:18-22) 

So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. (Genesis 37:23-28) 

Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?” (Genesis 37:29-30) Of all the brothers, why was the oldest, Reuben, the one who didn't want to hurt Joseph; after all, Jacob had treated Joseph like he should have treated Reuben?  The answer is in his statement, "I, where shall I go?” Remember, Reuben was the one who went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it. (Genesis 35:22) In other words, he committed adultery with one of his stepmothers. His father didn't cast him away after that incident, but he was pretty sure his father would after allowing something to happen to Joseph. 

So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?” And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. (Genesis 37:31-35)

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7) Jacob had sown these feelings of jealousy, hatred and envy in his children by obviously showing favoritism to one over all the others.  Now he was reaping the consequences of that.  However, no matter how bad we may mess up in our relationships, God can still turn things around and bring forgiveness, healing and restoration; And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) God did have a calling on Joseph's life, and as his dreams revealed, one day his brothers, sheaves would stand all around and bow down to his sheaf; and his father would see him again, because the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars would bow down to him.