1. Lesson 25 – Genesis 37

2. We know the basic story of Joseph Israel gives him coat of many colors Brothers sell him into slavery Resists temptation by Potifer’s wife Thrown into prison Interprets dreams, eventually pharaoh's Pharaoh makes him second in command in all of Egypt So, why were his brothers so angry with him in the first place? – Not as simple of an answer as you think?

3. The Coat Genesis 37:3 – “Israel loved Joseph more than all his children” What place in birth order was Joseph? Israel gave him a coat – Represented his favoritism – More importantly, scholars believed it represented the birthright Until the coat, there probably wasn’t yet consensus on who would get the birthright…

4. LEAHBILHAH (Rachel’s Maid)ZILPAH (Leah’s Maid)RACHEL REUBEN DANGADJOSEPH SIMEON NAPHTALIASHERBENJAMIN LEVI JUDAH ISSACHAR ZEBULUN Who had reason to expect the birthright? Who had reason to be angry with Joseph? Do you think there was natural “segregation” based on mothers?

5. The younger brother How old was Joseph at the time? (Gen 37:2) How old do you think the other brothers were? – Jacob worked 7 years for Laban – Married Leah, Leah bore sons fairly quickly – Rachel finally had Jacob, right as they were leaving Haran – Jacob spent ~20 years in Haran, so the age difference was probably around 10-13 years – Older brothers were probably in their late 20s, early 30s. This is like one of you walking into Elders quorum and saying you’re the Bishop’s favorite and will eventually rule over them.

6. The Dream Genesis 37:5-11 – What does “obeisence” mean? – He told his father, too. What was his response? Is Joseph doing himself any favors? Do you think the favoritism might have gotten to his head a little?

7. Sibling Rivalry The coat, the favoritism, the birthright, the dream, the age difference… is the anger of his brothers starting to mean something? Can you relate? Where else in the scriptures are there issues among siblings? – Cain/Abel, Jacob/Esau, Nephi/Laman, Jesus/Lucifer How about in popular culture/stories? – Cinderella, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Godfather Think about your parents and their siblings… Think about your own siblings… Think about mixed families, adopted children, children with sickness or disabilities This is not an anomaly

8. Where does it all come from? President Ezra Taft Benson, April 1989, “Beware of Pride” “Most of us think of pride as self- centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing. The central feature of pride is enmity— enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.”

9. Where does it all come from? “Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves. Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.”

10. What do we do? “Let us choose to be humble. We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are. We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives. We must yield 'to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,' put off the prideful 'natural man,' become 'a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,' and become 'as a child, submissive, meek, humble. '”

11. Notebook Ideas Think about the relationships you have in your family, especially with your siblings. – How can you conquer pride and jealousy toward them? – How can you help them feel equally loved by your parents and the Lord? How easily can pride slip into your relationships and start to eat away at them?