Basic Questions

Welcome And Series Focus

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Welcome to the Rabbi Way, where we don't just read Scripture, we posture our hearts like the disciples to sit at the feet of Rabbi Jesus. Through this podcast, we will be stepping back in time and rediscovering the stories we thought we already knew. As we learn together, we will begin to see the details we missed, the stories we've forgotten, and the thread that ties the entire Bible together. I'm Vic Harman, and this season we are diving deep into the story of Joseph and his multicolored coat, exploring the history, the culture, the geography that surrounds his story. Our exploration will be slow, yes, but intentional. As we learn about Joseph and his life, we will begin to understand him better, see his purpose in the biblical narrative, and how his story still impacts us today. So grab your Bible, your curiosity, and maybe some sandals, and get ready to learn with us, the Rabbi Way, The last time we were together, we stepped into the story of Joseph in his multicolored coat. We left the tension between his brothers, the betrayal that sent Joseph toward a new life in Egypt, and we witnessed the grief that overcame his father Jacob. Today we approach this story in a new

Why Questions Matter In Scripture

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way. Throughout the next few episodes, we will deep dive into one of the most foundational practices of studying scripture: asking questions. Now, if you're not a researcher by nature, that's okay. Hang with me because I promise I will guide you through a basic structure of questions. But if you are like me and you have so many questions, these episodes are for you. Let me start by saying God is not afraid of your questions. Let me say that again so that it sinks into our hearts. God is not afraid of your questions. In fact, God encourages questions. He wants us to wonder, ponder, and explore everything we can about who He is and what He is like. Our questions are not about unbelief, rather belief seeking understanding. Because our questions are rooted in faith, they help illuminate what we might otherwise overlook. And one of the best ways to uncover these hidden details is to ask questions. So if you have questions, know that I do too. Let's settle in because I believe God has something to teach us in these episodes. Today we will begin with the most basic questions that every historian, storyteller, and middle school English teacher asks. The five W's and one H. Who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Recap Of Joseph’s Betrayal

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These six questions will guide us through this story and to a deeper understanding of what happened, who these characters are, where this story took place, when the story happened, why it happened, and how it impacted Joseph and his family. So let's start by recapping what happened. Joseph is given a multicolored coat by his father Jacob. One day Jacob sends Joseph out to get a report from his other sons. Their brothers see the robe long before they see Joseph's face, and they begin to plot his demise. When Joseph approaches, they strip him of his coat and throw him into a pit, and they sit down to eat. As they are eating, they hear the caravan coming by, and Judah gets an idea. Let's sell him to the traders. They pull him out of the pit and sell him to the Midianite traders for twenty pieces of silver, the going rate for a teenage slave at this time. Reuben returns and realizes they have sold Joseph and he tears his clothes in grief, knowing he has to be the one to tell their father what happened. The brothers follow through with their plan to trick their father into believing Joseph is dead, by taking Joseph's coat and dipping it into goat blood and bringing it to their father. Jacob's grief is so deep, so loud, and so unending no one can comfort him. But meanwhile, Joseph is on his way to Egypt for a new life. Now that we refreshed our minds of what happened, let's look at who the characters in the story are. Joseph's story cannot be understood until we first understand the men who shaped it. Genesis 37 doesn't introduce a random group of eleven

Meet The Brothers And Motives

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brothers. It reveals a family shaped by rivalry, favoritism, tension, and four different mothers. This is not a peaceful household. This is a pressure cooker of emotions. Let's start with Joseph. We got a pretty good understanding of his perspective last week. He is 17 years old, the eleventh child out of twelve sons. He is the firstborn son of Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife, making Joseph his favorite son. Jacob's love for Joseph is not subtle. It's public, obvious, and abrasive to everyone else. But from Joseph's perspective, he just wants to be included with his brothers. It's not his fault that his father loves his mother more than his aunt. He's just a kid who had a prophetic dream and a father who loved him unconditionally. Jacob gives Joseph a multicolored coat, which is the embodiment of his favoritism, and making Joseph the target of his brother's jealousy. So let's dig into their jealousy a little bit. We will start with Reuben. Reuben is Jacob's firstborn son by Leah, Jacob's first wife. And by ancient Near Eastern standards, Reuben should have had all the respect and favoritism that Jacob lavished on Joseph. Reuben had every right to hate and be jealous of Joseph. As the firstborn son, Reuben carried cultural responsibilities like leadership over his siblings, responsibility to keep the family order, and the expectation to protect younger brothers. Reuben should have stopped the conversation of plotting against Joseph's life. If Reuben was doing his job as the firstborn, even the sarcastic plot to kill Joseph would not have happened in his presence. Reuben was motivated to act because he had a superhero complex with a guilty conscience. But he forgot to account for the impulsivity of his brothers. The two most dangerous brothers were Simeon and Levi. They are impulsive, violent, and driven by honor and shape. If the brothers had decided to murder Joseph outright, Simeon and Levi would have been the ones swinging the sword. Nevertheless, we have a superhero and two bloodthirsty brothers who have a logical reason for wanting to get rid of Joseph. Judah, however, is an observant, strategic, and pragmatic man. When he says, let's sell him, he isn't trying to save Joseph's life. He's trying to avoid getting blood on his hands. In his mind, he is less guilty if he sells his brother instead of killing him. Which brings us to the younger brothers Dan, Neftali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, and Zebulun. These brothers grew up in the shadow of Rachel and her sons. Imagine living your whole life knowing three things for sure. One, your father loves your aunt more than your mother. Two, your father loves Joseph more than you. And three, Joseph dreams of ruling over you. These kids obviously had their own reasons to get rid of Joseph. While we have Reuben the superhero, Simeon and Levi the impulsive brothers, Judah only looking out for himself, it's not too far-fetched

Jacob’s Grief And Blind Spots

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that with six other overshadowed and jealous siblings, why Joseph ended up in a pit and sold into slavery. It's safe to say Jacob's behavior is probably the root cause of all this jealousy. But let's take a minute and view the story from his perspective. After losing Rachel when his youngest son Benjamin was born, he must have been so grief-stricken that clinging to Joseph was how he was coping with her death. Maybe it's because of his grief. Or maybe he is blinded by his favoritism. But Jacob does not see the danger in his son's eyes. He does not hear the bitterness in their voices. He does not recognize the storm lurking under his own roof. So when Jacob sends Joseph out to the fields, wrapped in the very symbol of favoritism, he sends him straight into the arms of his brothers who resent him. And when the brothers come home with a bloody coat and Jacob hears the news of Joseph's death, he is so distraught he cannot be comforted. Because losing Joseph feels like losing Rachel all over again. At this point, Jacob feels like his life is over. His only beacon of light is that he still has Benjamin.

Traders And Family Ties

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This brings us to the Midianite and Ishmaelite traders, who, believe it or not, were Joseph's cousins. Knowing they could turn a profit, they had no hesitation purchasing Joseph from his brothers and bringing him to Egypt. Now that we better understand who the characters are, let's work on putting the backdrop in place.

When The Story Happened

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Starting when the story happened. Most scholars believe this story happened during the Middle Bronze Age, roughly between 1800 and 1600 BC. This time in history is important for us because it creates the perfect storm for Joseph. Two things to note. First, during the Middle Bronze Age, tribal shepherding was common, meaning families often had long pasturing journeys each season. It was not surprising that Joseph's brothers had to go on a long journey for the flocks to graze. This was normal. They had done this many times before. The second thing to note about the Middle Bronze Age is that Canaan, the land in which they dwelt, was filled with international travel, going from Egypt to Babylon. These two facts set the stage for Joseph to be sold into slavery. Which brings us to where did the story happen?

Where The Story Unfolds

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Genesis 37 lists several places: Canaan, Shechem, Hebron, and Dothan. Canaan is known as the promised land. This is the land that God promised Abraham his descendants would dwell and possess. It was called Canaan at this time because the Canaanites were the ones who owned this land. But let's zoom into the three cities and towns mentioned in Genesis 37. When Jacob sends Joseph out to find and report on his brothers, he sends him from the valley of Hebron where they were dwelling. Joseph leaves his home and goes to Shechem. This is the place that Jacob thought the boys would be. But upon arriving, Joseph cannot find his brothers anywhere. Now Shechem is a place stained with Simeon and Levi's violence. So the brothers decided to continue on to Dothan. But Dothan is also not random. Dothan is isolated enough that the brothers could betray Joseph without their father looking over their shoulders. The city was filled with cisterns, and most importantly, Dothan sits on the Via Maris, also known as the International Trade Highway. This road was roughly 800 miles long, and it connected Egypt, Canaan, and Babylon. Which brings us to the heart of the story. Why did this story happen? We've already talked about the favoritism, jealousy, and dreams, which are definite factors, but also the leadership failure of Reuben, who was out to save himself, Simeon and Levi, who were too violent for their own good, and Judah's logic keeping him emotionally distant. None of these brothers would stand up for what was right. None of them chose to save their little brother because they all wanted to hurt their father, Jacob. Which brings us to our last question. How? How does this event impact Joseph, his brothers, and his father? What looks like sin, betrayal, and cruelty on the surface is actually the beginning of salvation. This story sets the stage for God's plan to build,

Why It Happened: Deeper Causes

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rescue, and establish the nation of Israel, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham. Remember, no one's story is told in isolation. All stories are part of the grander story God is telling. Joseph's brothers did evil intentionally. God reoriented it for good. And next week we will widen the lens even further as we dive deeper into the genealogy, culture, and geography that shaped the world behind Genesis 37. Until next time, remember, every story in the Bible is intentional. Every detail is significant. Every person is critical. This is the greatest story ever told. And if we take the time to slow down and pay attention, we will experience God like never before. See you next time.

Closing, Credits, And Next Steps

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This episode was written and produced by me, Vic Carmen. Music is historic cinematic adventure by Dimitri Taurus. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and review the show. It really does help us out. For more details about the show, be sure to follow us on all social media at The Rabbi Way. You can email us any questions to the Rabbi Way at email. See you next time.