Joseph was the great-great-grandson of Abraham and the grandson of Isaac; his story is one of heroic redemption and forgiveness. The son of Jacob (known as Israel) and Rachel, Joseph plays a vital role in the Israelites settling in Egypt. In Genesis, chapter 37, we meet him at age 17 as he tends the flocks with his ten brothers.
Joseph would spy on his brothers and give misleading reports about them to his father; he was the spoiled, overconfident son his brothers hated. One day, Jacob presents Joseph with an ornate robe to show his favor, and the brothers’ jealousy grew. This coat (and what it represented) became a primary source of discord and the inciting incident for Joseph’s whole life story.
Joseph also had the gift of prophetic dreams and the ability to foretell the future from them accurately. When he shared dreams of his brothers bowing before him, their deep jealousy spurred them into action. The story quickly moves to its climax as Jacob sends Joseph to check up on his brothers. They see him coming (wearing his famous coat) and seek to kill him.
What happens next is truly God at work in this dysfunctional family. There is hope at the end of Episode 1. But what will happen to this favorite son called “the dreamer”?
