Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, the same land his father had traveled through. It was here where he raised his twelve sons, each uniquely different. One of them, seventeen-year-old Joseph, who was born to him in his old age, held a special place in Jacob’s heart. Jacob loved Joseph so much, he gave him a coat of many colors, a gift not extended to his other sons.
Joseph’s brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, were not pleased with this favoritism. Joseph added to their resentment when he relayed to them a dream he had. In the dream, they were all binding sheaves in a field when suddenly, Joseph’s sheaf stood upright while their sheaves bowed to it. The brothers, already envious, responded with anger: would Joseph rule over them? Would he be their superior?
Joseph had another dream which he also shared: in this dream, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars all bowed down to him. When he relayed this dream to his father and brothers, Jacob rebuked him, questioning whether they will indeed bow down to him. The brothers grew more envious yet Jacob kept these things in mind.
One day, Joseph’s brothers were tending to their flock in Shechem. Jacob sent Joseph to check up on them and report back. In his multicolored coat, he journeyed from the vale of Hebron to Shechem. In the field, a man directed Joseph to Dothan, where his brothers had moved their flock.
As Joseph approached, his brothers noticed him from a distance and conspired to kill him. They planned to throw him in a pit and claim a wild beast had devoured him, putting an end to his dreams. However, Reuben, the eldest, intervened. He suggested they shouldn’t spill his blood but rather throw him into a dry pit in the wilderness.
When Joseph arrived, they stripped him of his coat and threw him into the pit. As the brothers ate, they spotted a caravan of Ishmaelites heading to Egypt. Judah, one of the brothers, proposed they sold Joseph to these merchants instead of shedding his blood. Agreeing, they sold Joseph for twenty silver pieces and Joseph was taken to Egypt.
Reuben, who had been absent, was devastated when he returned to find Joseph gone. In distress, he tore his clothes. The brothers decided to dip Joseph’s coat in goat blood and presented it to their father. Jacob recognized the coat and concluded that a wild beast had devoured his beloved son. He mourned heavily, refusing comfort from his other children, mourning even to his deathbed.
Meanwhile, Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. Thus, began a new chapter in Joseph’s life. Little did they know that this was just the beginning of a divine plan that God had in store for Joseph and his family, a journey that would eventually lead to the salvation of their people.
