Genesis 37:2-4, 12-28
The Pain of Betrayal
Boy, does it hurt when someone betrays you! As the anonymous saying goes, “The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.” We went through a painful experience in one of my churches. A small group was full of people dissatisfied with the church, grumblers, spreading gossip. As the senior pastor there, I felt betrayed. Looking back on that experience, I think I could have done some things better, sought the peace more, ensured those people had a voice. Yet, I do know firsthand the hurt you experience when someone you thought was on your side goes out and betrays you.
The Old Testament character of Joseph certainly knows betrayal. We’ve been looking at the stories of his father Jacob for a couple of weeks. Now the book of Genesis shifts to Joseph. In fact, Genesis talks more about Joseph than any other character; the last third of the book centers on his story. We will only spend two Sundays, but I encourage you to read the 14 chapters on your own. This week we’ll talk about the pain of betrayal; next week we’ll look at the climax of his story, with the joy of reconciliation.
Joseph’s betrayal comes at the conflux of several streams of jealousy and pride. You might call it the dysfunctional family’s perfect storm. You have Father Jacob playing favorites, having learned nothing from his family of origin where his own parents did the same. Moms and dads playing favorites never goes well. Jacob gives Joseph an ornate robe, sometimes translated a “robe of many colors.” The Hebrew meaning is unclear. 2 Samuel 13:18-19 describes this kind of robe as a garment worn by royalty. Perhaps it is gold-studded. Regardless of the specifics, the robe is a constant visual reminder of who is the favorite child.
And then there are Joseph’s dreams, which we did not read about today. God had given him two dreams, one in which his brothers bow down to him, and the second in which his brothers and even his parents bow down to him. Joseph had shared the dreams proudly with his family. Yes, at 17 he’s a little immature and prideful. And no, it does not go over well with the rest of the family!
The straw that breaks the camel’s back is the “bad report” Joseph brings to his father: he snitches on his older brothers (verse 2). We don’t know exactly what they were doing wrong, but it’s not hard to imagine that word got back to them of the informant in their midst. All of these factors set up the perfect storm of pride, hatred, jealousy, and betrayal.
There are two things I want to highlight from today’s story. I think we can all agree on the first point, which is,
1. People will let you down.
Yes, they will. People are not perfect. And if you stay in a relationship with someone, anyone, the inevitable truth is, that person will let you down. It may not be to the full extent of a betrayal, but any person will let you down at some point. We are all sinners. We have all gone astray, according to the Bible (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 53:6). And we will disappoint each other. It’s hard to hear, but it’s true.
Joseph lets down his family. He lets his pride get the best of him. He flaunts his dreams and his ornate robe before his older brothers. He lets them down.
And his older brothers let Joseph down. They allow the green-eyed monster of jealousy to consume them, to the point of plotting murder against their own flesh and blood. They should have heeded God’s admonition to Cain, before he killed his brother Abel. In the height of Cain’s anger, God told him, “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:6). As Joseph’s brothers see him coming from a distance, they start to plot his murder. You can hear the derision in their voice as they say, in verse 19, “Here comes that dreamer!” And in verse 20: “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
Only the level-headedness of the oldest brother, Reuben, saves Joseph’s life. Verses 21 and 22 record the brothers taking his advice and throwing Joseph into a dry cistern or well. Reuben hopes to come back later and secretly rescue him. But while Reuben is away, Judah leads the other brothers to do the unthinkable: they sell Joseph into Egyptian slavery. While the offense is lessened from pre-meditated murder, the brothers are in effect sentencing Joseph to a lifetime sentence of hard labor. They fully expect to never see him again. Their cold-heartedness will also let down their father, whose heart will be broken over Joseph’s staged death by wild animals.
People will let you down. Later in Genesis we find out that, unsurprisingly, Joseph pleaded with his brothers while down in that hole in the ground (Genesis 42:21). He begged for mercy, and they callously ate their lunch, just a few feet away. The pain of betray. Joseph would live with that for many years.
Yes, people will let you down. But I also want you to see that, #2,
2. God will see you through.
Joseph’s story is amazing, so full of ups and downs that no one could make it up. Indeed, truth is stranger than fiction! Joseph finds favor as a slave in the home of an Egyptian official, Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife tries to entice Joseph to go to bed with her. When he refuses, she falsely accuses him of rape and has him thrown in prison.
Joseph languishes in that Egyptian prison for years. Finally, his God-given dream interpreting abilities lands him with an audience with Pharaoh. Joseph predicts out of Pharaoh’s dream a seven-year period of plenty, followed by a seven-year drought. Joseph recommends that Pharaoh store up grain now all over the land, so that Egypt will be prepared when the drought hits. Pharaoh says, “Good idea. And since you’re obviously a good planner, make it happen!” Joseph goes from slave to prisoner to prime minister, second only to Pharaoh in the land.
Joseph oversees Egypt’s preparation for the great drought. And when it hits, not only is Egypt affected, but all the known world. People travel from all over to come to Egypt and buy food. Next week we’ll look at how God uses this strange development to reunite Joseph and his people. But what I want you to know today is that God uses Joseph to save not only the people of Egypt, but also his own family, who will become a nation, God’s people, the twelve tribes of Israel.
Even though Joseph had been prideful, he didn’t deserve what his brothers did to him. Joseph knows firsthand the pain of betrayal. But somehow, he endures, he matures, and he discovers that God used his circumstances for good. In one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Folks, please know that, when you suffer the pain of betrayal, God will see you through. God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Through the hardships you endure, he will develop your character. And he may even use the circumstances of your life to bring about good for many. Let us pray about it:
Lord, you know firsthand the pain of betrayal, as your own son Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver and nailed to a cross, even though he did nothing to deserve such a fate. When we feel the pain of betrayal, help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Help us to persevere with his help, trusting that you will bring us through, that you will grow our character, and that you will bring good out of our situation. We pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
