Pride, Arrogance, and Jealousy….

When you read the story of Joseph and his brothers, you find pride, arrogance, and jealousy sprouting their heads. Joseph’s dreams made the brothers’ pride and jealousy rise up. And Joseph was somewhat arrogant in his presentation of these dreams, for this it says his brothers’ hatred rose up towards him during his presentations. The Bible even tells us that Jacob, Joseph’s father, scolded him for telling everyone about these dreams. I know how young men like to tell stories, and how they go about presenting them. I once was a young man myself, and I have 3 sons, so I’ve experienced this firsthand. Joseph probably meant no I’ll-feelings by telling his family about his dreams, for He was excited. He probably wondered why he kept having the same reoccurring theme. He knew that God spoke to people in dreams, so he was in the process of piecing it all together. In his excitement it probably came out in an arrogant manner, which was proven to be accurate the way his family reacted, especially by his father, Jacob. The point I want to make here isn’t about arrogance or hatred; it’s about pride. Joseph’s brothers allowed their pride to get in the way. They let it turn their anger into hatred. What they eventually did to him was wrong. They never overlooked this “misinterpreted offense”. Now Jacob, Joseph’s father, first scolded him, but soon began to wonder what these dreams meant. Jacob didn’t allow his pride to keep him from pursuing truth. Jacob knew dreams meant something, for He had many dreams in which the Lord revealed truth to him. The point here is this: pride will always keep you from doing right, unless you stop it in its tracks. Joseph’s brothers allowed their pride to run its course, and thus did evil. Their father, Jacob, at least began to wonder about these dreams, which would’ve eventually had him intervene in the turmoil (if it had continued, and Joseph wasn’t sold into slavery). Pride will always prevent you from doing what is right (and cause you to do what is wrong). Having the proper fear of God helps prevent this. Dennis Rainey makes it clear what humility does for us, “Fearing God is what helps us keep our promises. It's what makes our word good. It's what builds faithfulness into our lives. Fearing the Lord helps us stay true to Him, true to others and true deep down within ourselves.” Walking with God daily, opens our eyes to prideful behavior and helps keep pride in proper restraint. Humility is a virtue that only God can give you, and even though it’s not very popular, it’s effects are more beneficial than you might think.

1 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner.2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph–a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. 6 “Listen to this dream,” he said. 7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”8 His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.9 Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”10 This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” 11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. Genesis 37:1-11