The Waiting List

Genesis 37 tells the story of Joseph, Jacob’s favored son, who receives a richly ornamented coat as a sign of his father’s special love. When Joseph shares dreams that predict his future dominance over his family, his brothers’ jealousy boils over. They conspire first to kill him but, at Reuben’s urging, instead throw him into a pit and sell him to passing Ishmaelite traders. The brothers then deceive their father by soaking Joseph’s coat in goat blood, leading Jacob to believe his son has been killed by a wild animal. Meanwhile, Joseph is carried off to Egypt, setting the stage for both hardship and God’s unfolding plan to save many lives.