It’s hard to imagine a family more divided. Jacob learned nothing from his own father’s preference of his older brother Esau, but repeated the same error by making Joseph his favorite (v. 3). Jacob’s other 11 sons naturally resented Joseph, especially when their father lavished Joseph with special gifts (v. 4). And Joseph didn’t make matters any better when he tattled on four of his brothers (v. 2).

But that wasn’t the worst of it. Joseph also had dreams, dreams that obviously portrayed his brothers and his parents bowing down to him (vv. 5-11). It’s no wonder that his brothers had had quite enough of him. Their scheme to sell him into slavery might have been extreme, and their deception of their father was downright cruel. But anyone could have seen that some sort of conflict was inevitable.

Of course, God wasn’t surprised at all, and not just because He knew how jealous and angry Joseph’s brothers were. No, all of this was part of God’s plan, as the rest of the story of Joseph makes quite clear. In fact, the end of the story is already present right at the beginning, in the dreams God allowed Joseph to have. For in years to come, Joseph’s family would indeed bow down to him, once he gained control over the land of Egypt.

And the same God is still in charge, not only of big historical events like these, but of everything that happens to us too. So, no matter what you are going through today, take comfort that God knows what’s going on. In fact, He is working His purpose out, no matter how chaotic the events of our lives may seem.

Genesis 37:2-11 (ESV)

2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.
4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more.
6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed:
7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?”
11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.