If I were Joseph, I would have cringed! Never would I have wanted to parade myself around my older brothers with a colorful, expensive robe that my dad had exclusively spoiled me with. But, at seventeen, who knows what any of us would have chosen to do. Unfortunately, Jacob showed a complete lack of wisdom, and Joseph showed a complete lack of humility. The result was a recipe for disaster among the siblings. His brothers hated him even more for it.
In hindsight, we can see that God had a reason for placing Joseph in the position of being hated by his brothers. He was setting up Joseph for the future. God purposefully placed Joseph as the youngest of eleven brothers. He intentionally placed him in a field as a shepherd where he would see his brothers misbehaving. God even allowed him to be placed in a position as his father’ s favorite. God needed Joseph in Egypt, so He orchestrated events in his life to lead him there.
This is an incredible picture of the sovereignty of God truly working everything out for Joseph and his family’ s ultimate good and for His ultimate glory. Even though Jacob’ s favoritism was foolish and selfish, and even though the brothers’ jealousy of Joseph was sinful, God used all of it— the good, the bad, and the ugly— to move Joseph out of Canaan and into Egypt so he could save his family, and the world, in the future.
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