< Genesis 37 >

Because of God’s covenant, Jacob was content to live as a stranger in the land God promised to give him for an everlasting possession. This attitude is contrasted with that of his brother Esau who had despised the birthright and who set his heart on this life, possessing lands, building cities, and settling his children in dukedoms in the previous chapter.

11th of 11 appearances in Genesis of "the generations of" marking the beginning of a new section. There are 12 sections, this is the twelfth section: the generations of Jacob (Israel).

The birthright had passed through Jacob to Joseph, Rachel’s eldest but the eleventh of Jacob’s sons, and it was in Joseph’s life that God chose to illustrate that of Christ. Only God could make a man’s life an enacted parable to illustrate the suffering of his Son and the glory to follow. Like Jesus, Joseph was the beloved son of his father v.3Genesis 37:3XWaiting for response who observed his brethren’s wicked behaviour and denounced it; who was inspired to express parables; whose parables foretold the future in which they would all bow down to him when he reigned over them; whose brethren envied him (compare Mark 15:10)Mark 15:10XWaiting for response and conspired to kill him Matthew 26:3-4Matthew 26:3-4XWaiting for response

One of the most remarkable characteristics of the scriptures is the way in which God represents the death and resurrection of Christ in the experiences of men in the past. Thus Joseph was thrown into a pit, representing the grave into which Jesus was later placed; but he was afterwards brought up out of the pit to represent Christ’s resurrection. These events are a shadow of good things to come Hebrews 10:1Hebrews 10:1XWaiting for response but not an exact representation. Looking carefully at the record, we can see how God illustrates different aspects of Christ’s life. For example, both Joseph and Jesus were sold by their brethren for silver money, their blood was shed, as it were, by men acting like beasts, their deaths brought grief to their distraught loved ones who were unaware at first of their rising out of the pit.