Joseph’s Brothers’ Plans

Joseph’s Brothers’ Plans

Q: How did Joseph’s brothers get rid of him?

• a. They killed him and said a wild animal did it.
• b. They left him in a well.
• c. They sold him to traders for 20 pieces of silver.

Have you ever wished you could get rid of a pesky younger brother or sister? It might have crossed your mind, but you’d never really do it. That wasn’t the case with Joseph’s older brothers.

One day Jacob sent Joseph to check on his older brothers, who were taking care of their father’s flocks. When the brothers saw him coming, they plotted against him. Some of the siblings wanted to kill him and then tell their father a wild animal had killed him. Reuben, the oldest, suggested they throw him into a well and let him die there. He secretly planned to return later and rescue Joseph.

The brothers took Joseph’s coat off of him and put him in the deep well. When they saw a group of travelers approaching, the brothers decided to sell Joseph to the travelers for 20 pieces of silver. The brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s coat in the blood. Then they took it to their father and led him to believe his favored son was dead. Jacob was very sad.

Have you noticed something about Abraham’s descendants? While they all had faith in God, family members plotted against and tricked other family members. Yet God still used them and called them his chosen people. Imagine how much more he could have blessed them if they had followed him completely rather than dealing in dishonesty so many times.

For You

Abraham’s family suffered because of dishonesty. Determine you will live with integrity. That means doing the right thing even if no one knows, because, of course, God always knows.

Answer: c

[Judah said to his brothers,] “Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed.   Genesis 37:27

(The Whole Story: Genesis 37:18-36)