Don’t Be Stupid- The Angry Brothers

I recently taught a series called, "Stupid People in the Old Testament". The concept is that it's very easy to look back at the past and see where people made "stupid" mistakes but so easy to overlook the fact that we often still make the same poor decisions today.

In Genesis 37, we are introduced to a young dreamer named Joseph. As his father’s favorite son (v. 3), Joseph receives special attention and gifts from his dad. This special treatment was obviously not well-received by his older brothers (v. 4). When Joseph naively shares the dreams he is having with his brothers and his father, the brothers’ jealousy reaches a boiling point and they scheme to rid themselves of their favored sibling (v. 18). Instead of killing him, the brothers sell him into slavery.

Due to God’s amazing blessings, Joseph goes from slavery to prison to second in command of all Egypt. And some 40 years later, the same brothers who wanted him dead come to Egypt begging for food in the midst of a worldwide famine. The angry brothers don’t recognize Joseph but he recognizes them. Finally, after four decades, the brothers are reconciled but they as well as their father lost years and years of peace.

Don’t be stupid: If you have something unsettled with someone you’ve offended, don’t waste time. You’re not going to have peace until you seek forgiveness and make peace.