http://www.amazon.com/Naomis-Dilemma-Quandary-Jews-GODs-ebook/dp/B015DIQ...
Kindle book: Bible Study.
Excerpt:
-Jacob’s twelve sons-
-Judah & Joseph-
-Judah saved Joseph’s life-
-Joseph saved the world-
-Jacob is Israel-
-Israel is Jacob-
-Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin;
& Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s two sons)-
Eight of Joseph’s brothers were hell bent on slaying him. The plotters were: Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher and Levi. “And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.” (Genesis 37:21-22)
So then, Reuben interceded on Joseph’s behalf.
Don’t murder him! Throw him in the ditch (was his plea to his green eyed monster brothers)
Reuben didn’t want his siblings to assassinate their brother Joseph; but! What if Joseph had died or been killed by snakes or other creatures lurking in the pit (before Reuben could get back to rescue him)? And you know that if Joseph had been saved from certain death, he would have made a B-line to his father. There were many factors that Reuben should have considered. At any rate, Reuben (Jacob’s first born son) gets an A for effort. But it was Judah who had the wherewithal to propose that they not kill Joseph or, toss him in a pit but instead, sell him. “And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.” (Genesis 37:26-27)
Judah tested their love of money; and as it turned out, money was more powerful than their hatred toward their father’s favorite son. “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” (1Timothy 6:10) So they sold their brother to traveling merchants for twenty pieces of silver.
Joseph’s brothers despised him because their father gave him preferential treatment; Jacob had even made a colorful coat for his favorite son; and of course Joseph paraded around (in it) with the demeanor of a king, as he shared his dreams of grandeur with his family. On the surface, it appeared that Jacob was wrong to favor Joseph; especially since his own father (Isaac) had favored his twin brother (Esau) over him. But, there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. In our society we recognize a Pastor a Priest or a Rabbi by the garment they wear; the fact that Joseph was strutting around in a long sleeved coat, was a slap in the face of his rebel rousing siblings, but it also suggested that this young man was unique (in some way). I recently heard of a mother of ten children and each child thought that they were her favorite. All I can say is: what a woman! She was blessed with a special gift, or, she had trained her children to not dwell on proportions and instead to love one another unselfishly.
As we learn more about Jacob and his sons by Leah and Rachel (and their handmaids), we find that Joseph was the only son with a clean slate. His father had good reason to trust and adulate him.
Jacob saw the love of GOD in his son.
