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Chapter 14—The Children of Israel
This chapter is based on
Genesis 37
;
39
;
41-48
;
Exodus 1-4
.
Joseph listened to his father’s instructions and feared the Lord.
He was more obedient to his father’s righteous teachings than any
of his brethren. He treasured his instructions and, with integrity of
heart, loved to obey God. He was grieved at the wrong conduct of
some of his brethren and meekly entreated them to pursue a righteous
course and leave off their wicked acts. This only embittered them
against him. His hatred of sin was such that he could not endure to
see his brethren sinning against God. He laid the matter before his
father, hoping that his authority might reform them. This exposure
of their wrongs enraged his brethren against him. They had observed
their father’s strong love for Joseph, and were envious of him. Their
envy grew into hatred, and finally to murder.
The angel of God instructed Joseph in dreams which he had
innocently related to his brethren: “For, behold, we were binding
sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright;
and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to
my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, 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.
[101]
“And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren,
and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the
sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And
he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked
him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed?
Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down
ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his
father observed the saying.”
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