How does Genesis 37:20 reveal the brothers' intentions towards Joseph's dreams? Context Matters Joseph had twice shared God-given dreams portraying his family bowing before him (Genesis 37:5-11). Rather than stirring humble reflection, those visions provoked jealousy (37:11) and hatred (37:4). By verse 20 the brothers have moved from bitter words to a murderous plot. Genesis 37:20 “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns; we can say that a vicious animal devoured him. Then we will see what becomes of his dreams.” What the Verse Unveils about Their Hearts • Premeditated violence: “let us kill him” exposes deliberate, unified resolve to end Joseph’s life—no spur-of-the-moment anger. • Disdain for divine revelation: “Then we will see what becomes of his dreams.” They treat the dreams as an enemy to thwart, not a message to heed (cf. Numbers 12:6). • Willing deception: “we can say that a vicious animal devoured him” shows a readiness to fabricate evidence, mirroring their father Jacob’s earlier deceit of Isaac (Genesis 27). • Rejection of accountability: Casting Joseph into a cistern aims to erase both brother and prophecy, illustrating Psalm 2:2-3—human rulers plot “against the LORD and against His Anointed.” • Intensified envy: Genesis 37:11 notes jealousy; verse 20 shows jealousy matured into murderous intent (James 3:16). Why Target the Dreams? 1. Dreams foretold Joseph’s future supremacy; eliminating him seemed the simplest way to silence that future. 2. The brothers perceived the dreams as Joseph’s aspirations rather than God’s revelation—hence their scornful “we will see.” 3. Their plan admits the dreams’ potential validity: only by killing Joseph do they think the predictions might fail (a back-handed acknowledgment of God’s power). Echoes in Scripture • Hatred of God’s messenger: 1 Kings 22:26-27; Jeremiah 38:6—throwing prophets into cisterns became a pattern. • Attempts to thwart prophecy ultimately serve God’s plan: Pharaoh’s slaughter in Exodus 1-2, Herod’s in Matthew 2:16, yet Moses and Jesus survive to fulfill their callings. • Providence overrides human schemes: selling Joseph instead of killing him (Genesis 37:26-28) positions him to save the very brothers who sought his death (45:7-8; 50:20). Lessons to Carry Forward • Opposition to God’s revealed word reveals a heart problem, not a flaw in the word itself. • Resentment, left unchecked, escalates rapidly—from envy to violence (Proverbs 27:4). • God’s purposes stand. Attempts to bury His promises only showcase His sovereignty when those promises rise again (Isaiah 46:10). Key Takeaways – Genesis 37:20 exposes murderous intent rooted in jealousy and unbelief. – The line “Then we will see what becomes of his dreams” signals direct rebellion against God’s revelation. – Yet the same God turns their evil into the very avenue by which the dreams are fulfilled (Genesis 42:6). |
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