Sibling RivalryGenesis 37:1-11

Conflict Between Brothers is a Central Theme In OT History.

Gen 4:8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his

brother Abel and killed him.

Gen 21:9-10 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the

Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham,

laughing. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this

slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir

with my son Isaac.“

Gen 27:41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself,

"The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob."

Brothers Hating

Brothers Climaxes

with Jacob’s sons.

Genesis 37:1–11 (ESV)

37 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings,

in the land of Canaan.

2 These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the

flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of

Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph

brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now

Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons,

because he was the son of his old age. And he made

him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw

that their father loved him more than all his brothers,

they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers

they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream

that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the

field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold,

your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or

are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for

his dreams and for his words.

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and

said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the

moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he

told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and

said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I

and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves

to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of

him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

1Ki 12:16 -17 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So Israel went to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in

the cities of Judah.

John 1:11-13 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were

born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one

another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1Th 4:9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God

to love one another, …

1John 3:10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice

righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the

beginning, that we should love one another.

1Peter 1:22-23 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly

from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and

abiding word of God;

1John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.