Genesis 37:18-36 NKJV
18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?”
31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”
33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.
36 Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.”
In reflecting on this passage, Martin Luther teaches us how God’s providence works even through human sin and betrayal. Joseph’s brothers, driven by jealousy and hatred, sought to destroy him. Their hearts were so hardened by envy that they plotted murder and ultimately sold Joseph into slavery. Yet, despite their sinful actions, God used their evil for good. Luther emphasizes that through Joseph’s suffering, God was preparing a way not only for Joseph’s future exaltation but for the salvation of many, including Joseph’s own family.
Luther also draws our attention to the parallels between Joseph and Christ. Just as Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, Jesus was betrayed by His own people. Joseph was cast into a pit and later raised to power, prefiguring Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. In both cases, human wickedness became part of God’s plan for redemption.
How often do we, like Joseph’s brothers, let jealousy or bitterness take root in our hearts? Sin, if left unchecked, leads to greater sins—whether it’s deception, betrayal, or harm to others. We may not see the full consequences of our actions, but as Luther reminds us, sin always spreads, affecting not only ourselves but also those around us.
Yet, the comforting truth of this story is that God’s sovereignty reigns overall. Even when we face betrayal, hardship, or injustice, we can trust that God is working behind the scenes to bring about His good purposes. Joseph’s life is a testimony that no suffering is wasted in God’s plan. Though we may not understand why we suffer, we can have confidence that God can transform even the evilest intentions into instruments of His grace.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, when we face betrayal or suffering, remind us that You are sovereign overall. Help us to trust that even in the midst of evil, You are working for our good and Your glory. Keep us from envy and bitterness and give us faith to believe that You will bring redemption through every trial. In Jesus’ name, Amen.