Genesis 37:1

Genesis 37:1 says, And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.  The name change seems to have been a sometime thing, and now we are told that Jacob dwelt in Canaan, where his father was a stranger.  As followers of Christ, we will always live in a land where we are spiritual strangers.  Verse two states, These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.  We are told that Joseph, Rachel's oldest son, was feeding the flock with four of his half-brothers, the sons of the hand-maidens, who were referred to as Jacob's wives.  Joseph was seventeen, but was still the youngest, and he brought to Joseph an evil report about the others.  We are not told exactly what that report was.  Verse three adds, Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.  Jacob loved Joseph more than his other children, we are told because Joseph was the son of his old age, but I believe that it had to do more with Joseph being Rachel's first born.  We should never show favoritism to our children, and if we do, we should expect problems.  Jacob made Joseph a coat of many colors, which was a sign of this favoritism.  Verse four proclaims, And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.  Jacob's favoritism caused his brothers to hate Joseph.  They could not even speak peaceably to him, so Joseph reporting unfavorably to their father about their actions would have simply caused more hatred.  If we are already disliked, we shouldn't act in a way that adds to someone's dislike.  Verse five states, And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.  Joseph had a dream that he shared with his brothers, which caused them to hate him even more.  Verse six adds, And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:  Joseph made sure that his brothers would have no about his dream.  I believe that since he was hated by his brothers that Joseph was doing this to show that he dreamed of being over them.  We should never allow our relationship to God to cause us to act superior to other people.  Verse seven continues, For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.  Basically, Joseph said that in his dream that his brothers submitted to him, though the dream was about sheaves.  We are not told if Joseph was just naive or if he was attempting to make them hate them even more.  Again, we should not use our relationship to God as followers of Christ to lord it over other people, especially if we are simply trying to antagonize them.  Verse eight states,  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.  His brothers asked Joseph if he really thought that he would reign over them, and they hated him even more.  Verse eight states, And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.  Joseph did not allow his brothers reaction to the first dream to keep him from sharing his next dream, when once again his brothers were bowing down to him.  Joseph's dreams were most likely God speaking to him, but God did not tell him to use the dreams to exalt himself.  We should not allow our relationship to God to be used to exalt ourselves, but we need to always use it to exalt God.  Verse ten says, And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?  Jacob rebuked Joseph and asked if he thought that his brothers, his mother and Jacob would really bow down to him.  At least Jacob saw the problem that this would cause and was willing to rebuke Joseph for telling them about it.  Even if we as followers of Christ know the truth of the gospel,as Joseph's dreams would prove to be the truth,  we cannot have an attitude of superiority over others if we hope to reach them with the gospel.  Verse eleven declares, And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.  Joseph's brothers envied him, probably because of his relationship with Jacob.  Jacob simply took note of what Joseph said.