CHAPTER XXXVII. JOSEPH-HATED OF HIS BRETHREN HIS TWO DREAMS VISITS HIS BRETHREN THEY CONSPIRE HIS DEATH-REUBEN SAVETH HIMTHEY SELL HIM TO THE ISHMAELITES. Busi, in his notes, remarks on this chapter, "We here enter upon one of the most remarkable and interesting portions of the whole mass of sacred history. The life and fortunes of Joseph, embracing, with the exception of two chapters, the residue of the book of Genesis, or about one tenth of the whole, form a story of unrivalled attraction, whether we consider the simplicity and beauty of the narrative, the touching pathos of the events related, or the vastly important moral lessons which it teaches. Viewed as an illustration of the doctrine of a particular Providence, bringing to pass the grandest results from the most apparently. trivial events, nothing can be more significant or striking. It has all the effects of a pictorial delineation. While the recital flows on with all the charm of a highly-wrought tale of fiction, we are still assured of the truth and reality of every incident, and feel that we are contemplating an epitome of the dispensations of that overruling Power, which is 'wonderful in counsel, and mighty in operation;' which controls the free and voluntary action of intelligent creatures, even when prompted by a spirit of malevolence and rebellion, sof as to render them subservient to the accomplishment of those very plans which they are intent upon defeating, while the guilt of the agents remains resting upon them in all its unabated aggravations. But while this is, doubtless, the most important aspect in which the history of Joseph is to be viewed, it is still worth while to observe, that, merely as a human composition, as a specimen of simple, graceful, eloquent, and pathetic narrative, it is universally conceded that it has no parallel. We find in it all that gives beauty to the finest drama; a perfect unity of design, a richness and variety of incident, involving the plot in obscurity, yet gradually drawing to its intended development, and the whole issuing happily, rewarding preeminent virtue with appropriate honors and blessings, and visiting iniquity with deserved humiliation and punishment. It is a story which persons of all ages, and minds of all orders, peruse with equal interest; and the degree of secret moral influence which the spotless example of Joseph has exercised upon countless numbers of the readers of the Scriptures, can never be appreciated till the day of the revelation of all things. We behold in him one who, in every period of life, in every change of condition, in every variety of relation, secures our confidence, our respect, our love. In adversity we see him evincing the most exemplary patience and resignation; in temptation, the most inflexible firmness; in exaltation, the most unaffected simplicity, integrity, gentleness, and humility. Whether as a son, a brother, a servant, a father, a master, a ruler, we behold him exhibiting a deportment equally amiable and praiseworthy; and the respect which we entertain for the sagacity of the statesman and the penetration of the prophet, mingles with our profound admiration of the purity of the saint. But we leave it to the sequel to disclose, in all their richness, these interesting traits of biography and history." The beginning of this chapter is an account of Jacob dwelling in the land in which his father was only a stranger, and was able to pass through. There is here given an account, not of his past generations, in the sense of his forefathers, but of his children or descendants, and of the events which befell those children in the course of the history that immediately follows. As the most prominent, as well as the most excellent of all his sons was Joseph, his history is given at greatest length, and his portrait sketched with the greatest minuteness. This biography is intensely interesting. It begins by stating the fact, that "Joseph brought unto his father the evil report of his brethren." We cannot suppose that this was a reprehensible habit of bringing little tales of little doings to his father, but that the brethren of Joseph, whose whole history indicates the truth of what I suppose now to have been their character, lived in the practice of gross and scandalous sin, and that Joseph, having a purer taste, a loftier nature, and Christian principle, to regulate and guide him, brought to his father, what must have pained him, but what was needful for their correction, and for his safety, an account of their crimes and their misconduct, in order that the consequences might, if possible, be averted, and they influenced for the better. We read, next, that "Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age." The expression here translated "old age" is supposed to be used, not in its strict and literal, but in a figurative sense. "Age" is generally synonymous, in Old Testament Scripture, and in patriarchal times, with "wisdom," and "the son of old age" is an expression occasionally used to denote a wise and an accomplished son. That there is reason for this interpretation is obvious from the fact that Benjamin was also the son of Jacob's old age, and the son of Rachel, the same beloved mother; and, therefore, that Joseph being the literal son of his old age, could not be a reason for that distinguished affection which was bestowed upon him, and not upon Benjamin. We must, therefore, suppose that the phrase "the son of his old age" is meant figuratively to convey that Joseph was a son of extraordinary wisdom, indicating precocious talent and remarkable piety, and, therefore, that he naturally caught the attention, and engaged the special affection, of his aged father Israel. But, whilst it was natural for the father to love the son for his great piety, it was indiscreet in that father to show that he entertained that peculiar affection for him, in the eyes of the rest of his family. It is generally the case, that, when parents show, not false, but excessive, love to one child, the rest of the children become jealous of that affection, and feel towards the child, who is peculiarly beloved, animosities that ought not to be cherished in the bosoms of brethren. The father, Israel, or Jacob, might have loved Joseph peculiarly, which he could not help,-but he ought to have suppressed the manifestation of that excessive love as far as he could. Instead of that, Israel, or Jacob, evidently acted most imprudently when he gave to the son whom he loved most, a distinctive badge or mark of that affection, called in this passage "a coat of many colors." "He made him," it is said, "a coat of many colors." It is doubtful if the word "colors" be the exact rendering of the original. It is translated in other portions of Scripture "pieces." We do not know whether dyeing was then known, or whether varieties of color given to cloth were yet common. Probably, all that is meant here is, that Jacob made him a coat of many pieces, for that would be the strict and literal translation, as a mark of love; and thus, it would not mean a coat of variegated colors, but a coat made of choice pieces of cloth, which we can understand to have been a very precious thing; whereas, a coat of many colors would not seem to have any real beauty; it would rather be grotesque than otherwise. We then read that his brethren, seeing-just as might have been expected the excessive partiality that Jacob showed to his son, envied him, and hated him only the more, "and could not even speak peaceably unto him.” The - 66 natural tendency, in every age, of excessive partiality shown to one child, has been to produce jealousy and envy in the minds of the others; and, in this case, that jealousy and envy rose to such a pitch, that not only did they not love Joseph, but they could not pay him the ordinary compliments of courtesy they could not speak peaceably unto him." And if Jacob had reflected, as he ought to have done, he would have seen that, having children of different mothers, the prospect of mutual animosity and jealousy would be much more likely, if he showed any discriminating partiality to one more than to another. We read, then, that "Joseph dreamed a dream," in which he saw his sheaf arise, and the sheaves of his brethren "stood round about, and made obeisance to his sheaf;" and also another dream, in which he saw "the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars," make obeisance to him. Both of these dreams had the obvious interpretation, that his brethren, his father and all his relatives, should one day give deference, and make obeisance to him; in other words, that he should be exalted to some lofty distinction or honor, and that they, like subjects, should pay the marks and expressions of fealty and subjection to him. Now Joseph, I think, did wrong in telling them his dreams, unless he was commanded by God to do so. Nobody likes to be told beforehand that they will be subject to one who is their younger, and their inferior; and, if it was not his duty to tell his dreams, certainly it was not expedient to do so. As it was, they added to and aggravated that feeling of envy, discontent and dissatisfaction, which his brethren nursed, and which began to gain great power in their hearts and conduct. We read, that while "his brethren envied him, his father observed the saying," and evidently understood that the dream was not a random guess, or a mere fanciful conjecture, but an inspiration from on high. |