# The Story of Joseph and His Brethren/Part 1/Chapter 2

CHAPTER II.
WHILE this beautiful history shows Joseph to have been actuated by the kindest feeling towards his brothers, it shows great unkindness of feeling, great malignity of disposition, on the part of his brethren towards him. Their ill-feeling towards him shows itself from the beginning of the sacred story. At Genesis xxxvii. 4, we read that "when his brethren saw that their father loved Joseph more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him." They hated him, not because of any fault of his, but because he was loved by his father. They had come to that age when they were able to judge in such a matter. If there was any one to blame it was not Joseph, but his father. Why then should they hate the one who was blameless? It was, as is too evident, because they themselves were evil and envious.
​Joseph was, as we should say, his father's favourite, and his brothers could not bear to think that he should be regarded by him with any preference, however innocent or just that preference might be. The apostle advises Christians to prefer one another in love. Joseph's brethren did not feel disposed to do this. Elder brothers should not be envious of the greater love which their parents bestow upon their younger brothers. They most require their parents' tender care, and there is no just reason for displeasure that they receive it. How natural is the description here of an unbrotherly spirit and conduct! "They hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him." How like is this description of a family, who lived four thousand years ago, to many families that we live amongst at this present day! It is the description of fallen and corrupt human nature in all ages, when people give way to their evil natural dispositions. How often do we find that brothers and sisters, whom God intended to love and speak lovingly to one another, yet cannot speak peaceably to each other. And how sad it is when some one of a ​family, who is more good or pious than the others, is yet hated and ill-treated by his less godly brethren! Hatred of a brother, even if he be evil, is wrong, but envy of any favour that is bestowed upon a good and deserving brother or sister, is still more so, and is the sign of a depraved heart. The young should be warned by the unjust and evil conduct of Joseph's brethren, especially when they see to what dreadful lengths hatred and envy will go when they are not checked but encouraged. But the hatred of Joseph's brethren not only continued but increased, and in what now follows we read of the cause of this.
"Joseph" we are told (at the fifth verse), "dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren, and they hated him yet the more." The dreams which had come to Joseph reveal the cause of the increased hatred with which his brethren regarded him on account of them. He relates his dream to them. "Behold," he said, "we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf." His brethren ​understood the meaning of the dream, for they said—"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 telling his dream to his brothers shows the unsuspecting innocence and sincerity of Joseph's heart, and even his affection for them; whether he saw its meaning as quickly and clearly as they did we are not told; but had he been as willing to rule as they were unwilling to be ruled, he would probably have kept his dream a secret, lest its being known might prevent its fulfilment. We know how literally this dream, as interpreted by his brethren, was fulfilled, and as we shall have to note, when we come to see these now haughty and envious brethren bowing in profound humiliation before him.
We may now remark that this and the other dreams of Joseph, being prophetic, foreshadowing events that took place many years afterwards, must have been inspired by the Lord, who alone knows, because He alone disposes, all future events. We find many instances besides these of God revealing His will and ​wisdom to His people in sleep. And this interesting circumstance teaches us that God is near to us, and takes care of us while we are unable to take care of ourselves, and that when He sees good He can give us warning and instruction in dreams. There is one great difference between us and Joseph. In those times they had not the Scriptures, such as we have, to guide them, and, therefore, the Lord gave them special instruction by means of angels and in dreams. We have now the will and wisdom of God revealed in His Word. And having thus the precious Book of God in our hands, we have, so to speak, a constantly "open vision," and a "more sure word of prophecy" than that given in dreams, "to which we do well to take heed."
But Joseph dreamed another dream; and this time the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to him. This dream he told to his father as well as to his brethren. His father saw the meaning it involved; for he said to his son, "What is this that thou hast dreamed; shall I and thy mother and thy brethren, indeed come to bow down ourselves ​to thee to the earth?" These two dreams thus foreshadowed two distinct events. The first had reference to his brethren only, and was fulfilled when they went down to Egypt to buy corn, when they made obeisance to Joseph, as their sheaves had done to his in his dream. The second referred to the whole family, and was fulfilled when Jacob and all his household removed from Canaan, and went down and dwelt in Egypt under the rule and dominion of Joseph, as they had rightly understood his dreams to foretell.
Not long after the time when Joseph had his dreams, his brethren had an opportunity of manifesting their hatred against him in a way that seemed likely, as it was intended, to prevent their fulfilment, but which an overruling Providence made the very means of their accomplishment.