Genesis 125 – The Dream Breakers

God's Word: Genesis 37:29–36

 

"When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. He returned to his brothers and said, 'The boy is gone! And I, where shall I go?' So they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood. They sent the long-sleeved tunic and brought it to their father and said, 'We have found this. Please examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.' And he recognized it and said, 'It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.' Then Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his waist and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, 'For I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.' Thus his father wept for him. Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard." Amen.

 

Joseph's Dream and the Storm of Life

The latter part of Genesis chapter 37 tells the story of Joseph's shattered dream.

 

Joseph had a dream, but a storm of life — perhaps the worst he would ever face — violently struck him. And in that storm, his dream was crushed. Instead of becoming a ruler, he was sold into slavery as a servant. He dreamed a king's dream, but the reality was that he was reduced to a slave.

 

The more tragic truth is that the storm he faced originated from his own family. From those closest to him, he encountered the hardest storm of his life. To speak more truthfully, he himself may have been partly to blame.

 

What about us, brothers and sisters? We might have assumed our lives would be like Joseph’s: favored by a father's love, wearing the best clothes, enjoying great affection, and always succeeding. Yet, his life did not unfold that way. The longer we live, the more we question, ‘What do we truly know?’ Life is truly like a fragile vessel, easily broken.

 

Even when things are peaceful, we may suddenly be struck by an unexpected illness, or a loved one may suddenly pass away. We may face crises in our marriages. Some endure abuse they cannot disclose to others, carrying deep emotional wounds that make life truly difficult.

 

The young and those still working aspire to better careers or better jobs, but struggle when those aspirations are not met. Plans and ambitions we cherished may fail, leading to setbacks. Whenever we face a storm of life—whether small or great—we are easily shaken, turned upside down, and, like Joseph today, broken.

 

Some storms are truly harsh, making us wonder, ‘Will this ever be restored?’

 

Joseph’s dream met such a harsh storm of life, and it was ultimately shattered.

 

The Brothers' Betrayal and Jacob's Deception - A Plot Against the Dreamer

The story of Joseph, the dreamer, meeting those who would crush his dream is recorded in Genesis 37:18:

 

“Joseph came up to them, but before he reached them, they conspired against him to kill him.”

 

Before Joseph even reached them, they saw him from a distance and were already plotting to kill him.

 

“They said to each other, ‘Here comes that dreamer! Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a fierce animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams.’”

 

These were Joseph’s own brothers. All ten of them, excluding Benjamin and Joseph, were plotting together. Their conspiracy was to kill Joseph, and they carried out their plan to the end by telling the lie that he had been "devoured by an animal."

 

The Actions of Reuben and Judah

As you know, Reuben spoke up, arguing that they should not kill Joseph, but save him. However, despite being the eldest and the leader, Reuben only spoke words and took no practical action to rescue Joseph. Instead, he inexplicably left the place. When he returned later, Joseph was gone.

 

In the meantime, Judah stepped in and proposed:

 

“What good will it be if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.”

 

The other brothers all agreed to this idea. This story, upon reflection, makes one wonder, 'Could this really happen?' Yet, with no one else opposing it, they sold Joseph.

 

When Reuben returned and saw Joseph was gone, he was greatly distressed. It might seem as if Reuben cared for and loved Joseph, but in reality, it wasn't for Joseph's sake. It was for his own sake.

 

Reuben's relationship with his father was already very poor. He was afraid of what would happen to his future if he received his father's reprimand for this incident. He was the one who made a mistake when Rachel died because he wanted his father's entire inheritance. He was also one of the four sons involved in the slaughter of the men of Shechem. Jacob had not approved of those actions at all. Reuben seemed terrified of facing the consequences of another similar incident.

 

Deception Toward Father Jacob

Ultimately, they sold Joseph into slavery, and then they returned to their father with the lie that he had been killed by a wild animal, presenting the blood-soaked garment. This event, though Jacob's story, is startlingly similar to his own past, is it not? How did Jacob secure the birthright? He killed an animal, put its skin on his body, and deceived his father.

 

Jacob's Grief and Refusal of Comfort

Some might think, “Serves him right. He's getting what he deserves. He shouldn't have lived by such cunning tricks.” However, from Jacob’s perspective, if he remembered his past actions, his heart must have felt like the sky was falling.

 

“Why did this happen to Joseph, right where I sent him?” Jacob recognized Joseph's garment immediately. And his expression of grief, as we know, was tearing his clothes in mourning. This is one common reaction when in shock or grief. The text then says that his children tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted.

 

Rachel, too, was recorded as refusing comfort when she gave birth to Benjamin. A similar situation unfolded here. Weeping bitterly, he declared, “I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.”

 

Sheol is a term for the grave or the realm of the dead. In the New Testament, the Greek equivalent is sometimes translated as Gehenna (hell), but in the Old Testament, the term used is Sheol, meaning the deep place, the grave, or death. He meant that he would go there himself. “I will go to the very point of death with my son.”

 

However, if this were merely a father's sense of responsibility, he would have accepted his sons' comfort. But he rejected all comfort from his sons, expressing, “I just want to die.” In no way can we see this reaction from Jacob as a response of faith.

 

The Reason for Refusing Comfort: Avoiding the Truth

Jacob ultimately became one who refused comfort, but why did he reject it, and why did he become one who could not be comforted? Perhaps his sons approached him, saying, “Father, is Joseph your only son? Don’t worry too much.” But the text indicates he did not want to hear any of their comfort.

 

However, for him to receive true comfort, his sons should not have approached him in that manner. Their comfort was clearly false comfort because they did not tell the truth. True comfort must begin with confronting the truth. From this perspective, the sons were also avoiding the truth.

 

Furthermore, Jacob, too, was not seeing himself truthfully. He completely failed to examine his relationship with his sons, the meaning of his actions in the face of Joseph's presumed death, or the true state of his own heart as he experienced this grief. He was entirely engulfed in his own emotion.

 

Neither the sons, who were speaking lies, nor Jacob, who was receiving them, examined themselves. They were all evading the truth.

 

Let me reiterate: True comfort begins with confronting the truth. When someone is ill, the traditional Korean sentiment often suggests, “Hide the illness from the child. They might be too shocked and struggle more.” While this must be judged wisely according to the time and circumstance—sometimes delaying is necessary, and sometimes it's better to tell quickly—

 

Ultimately, one must face the truth. However, Jacob could not face that truth until he eventually met Joseph again.

 

Courage for the Truth: 'Who Am I?' - The Lesson of Les Misérables

You know the famous character, Jean Valjean. When I was young, I never read the novel Les Misérables, but I did read the children's version titled "Jean Valjean."

 

The story of Jean Valjean was always remembered as the tale of an unjustly treated man—imprisoned for five years for stealing a loaf of bread, who then attempted to escape four times, only to end up being imprisoned for 19 years.

 

After his release, he struggled to adjust to society until one day he entered a cathedral and stole the silver. But the priest said, "It is alright. Take them and start a new life." Moved by these words, he began a new life.

 

I thought that was the end of the story. I thought "Jean Valjean" ended there. But it wasn't until I saw the musical Les Misérables that I realized that was just the beginning of the story. As seen in the movie adaptation, that was just the starting point.

 

The subsequent story begins with him hiding his identity. He later changes his name to "Monsieur Madeleine" and becomes the mayor of a city. However, a detective relentlessly pursues him, suspecting, "No matter how I look at him, that man is Jean Valjean."

 

Just then, the court sends word that "Jean Valjean has been captured." But the real Jean Valjean was right there beside the detective. As the detective rushes to the court, Jean Valjean begins to wrestle with a dilemma.

 

I know perfectly well that the captured man is an impostor; should I make a public declaration of the truth? Doing so would mean the collapse of everything he had achieved. Yet, if he remained silent, an innocent person might be sent to the guillotine in his place. Tormented, he finally goes to the courtroom.

 

The Song of Confession

There, he sings the famous song, “Who Am I?”

 

My soul belongs to God, I know;

I made that bargain long ago.

He gave me hope when hope was gone;

He gave me strength to journey on.

Who am I? Who am I?

I’m Jean Valjean.

That man bears no more guilt than you.

Who am I? 24601!

 

“I am 24601, unworthy of a name.” What is 24601? It is his prison number. “I am that very convict.”

 

In this climactic moment, the song soars to its highest note. The tenor cries out:

 

“I am Two Four Six Zero One (24601), unworthy even of my own name!”

 

To set everything right, truth was required, and that truth demanded courage.

 

The Importance of the Consciousness of God's Ownership

The crucial point where that truth becomes essential—as exemplified by Jean Valjean—is not just speaking the facts, but the vital awareness that ‘Because I belong to God, I cannot deceive myself, nor can I deceive God.’

 

This is what Jacob lacked. His sons lacked it too. They did not understand that because they belonged to God, they should look at themselves truthfully, and ‘Because I belong to God, I cannot hide this truth.’ Instead, they were driven by the thought, ‘I will save myself because I am my own.’ The sons were even more extreme: they thought, ‘I must hide this fact to survive in this world.’ Because they believed they were their own property.

 

However, once we realize that our life belongs to God, we can then speak the truth if it is the truth. Because this life is not mine, but God’s, and what belongs to God is not a source of shame. My failures, my frustrations, my desires, my every pain and sorrow—I am no longer ashamed of them. Because I am God’s. It is true that I may have things to repent of, mistakes to atone for, but I am in the Lord. I am the Lord's.

 

That is why he cries out, “Two Four Six Zero One.”

 

What is your name? Who are you? How honest are you with yourself?

 

The True Acknowledgment of Sinfulness

We all say we are sinners. I, too, confess that I am a person of many sins. But when you confess you are a sinner, shedding tears before God, what happens when the person next to you says, “That’s right, you are a sinner”? You immediately jump up.

 

“What did you say? Who are you to call me a sinner?”

 

Brothers and sisters, to what extent do we acknowledge our sinfulness? Do you recognize that you are a sinner to the extent that you cannot bear it when someone attacks you with that fact?

 

When you tell God, “I am a sinner who has repented of everything,” are you perhaps truly saying, “God, I’m okay, aren’t I? I’m still the one who repented. That person over there hasn’t yet”?

 

It is only when we allow ourselves to be shown “who I truly am” that we can more clearly understand the nature of God's grace and love toward us.

 

To what extent did He love me? He came down to the very bottom of my life—to the person without a name, identified only by a number, to the prison, to the life of a convict, to the very bottom of my existence, which is regarded as nothing. Who came down to that place?

 

Therefore, we must encounter ourselves. How can someone who has not encountered himself encounter God?

 

Thus, Jacob could not receive comfort. He was unable to demonstrate the attitude and the life required to approach God and confront his true self.

 

Restoring Trust in God and Hope - The Reason We Can Trust God

Nevertheless, even with such acknowledgment—and yes, there may be some injustice. How could I have known all the truth when my sons deceived me? —Nevertheless, Jacob, and we, can still recover comfort and hope.

 

Why? Because even if we do not know the facts, even if we do not understand everything, we can always trust God.

 

As John Calvin said, would you rather wander through a dark, unseen forest, holding a lamp and searching for the path with your own strength?

 

Or would you prefer the hand of God? Do you want God to take your hand and walk through that forest with you?

 

Jacob's Choice and Our Choice

Indeed, the story of Job and many other faithful people in the Bible consistently address this issue.

 

Do you want to understand everything, know everything, and illuminate the path of your life with your own power?

 

Or, in those moments when you cannot see the way, when it is pitch black, when you do not know what you should do—

 

“God, do not just give me a flashlight to illuminate the path. Please take my hand. Go ahead, and I will follow.”

 

Where do you stand?

 

We know that Jacob chose a different path. He did not grasp God’s hand, but instead declared, “I will go down to Sheol, I want to die.” For the rest of his life, he rejected comfort, essentially saying, “Just leave me here in my emotion, in the face of this death, in the pain of my son.”

 

Hope for the Broken Heart

Truly, no one can easily blame Jacob. Grief is real, and it is an emotion we must take seriously. There is nothing more hurtful to a person with a broken heart than being told, “Oh well, it’s alright now. Get up.” Telling a believer who is in great pain and sorrow, “Can’t you overcome that? You must rise up by faith,” can sometimes cause them to collapse completely.

 

If we wish to offer such counsel, we must empathize with that pain and sorrow. It is essential to feel that pain and sorrow with a sincere heart and to have a heart of compassion and love.

 

However, at the same time, we must not dwell only in that broken heart. Because if there is no hope in that broken heart, it ultimately leads to Sheol (death). That is what death is. If the love and grace of the Lord are absent from that broken heart, there is no way back.

 

This applies not only to death but to any situation. Even in moments of business failure when you constantly attack, frustrate, and torment yourself, thinking, “Why would someone like me attempt this?”, you must return to the truth: My hope is in God. I do not stand here merely as a stripped-bare, worthless person; I have God. This is what raises you up. How can we ever lose sight of that?

 

The Place Where God is Near

That is why the Lord also says, “The heart of God is near to the brokenhearted.” Specifically, Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” Ah, what a sweet word!

 

The heart of God is not found simply in granting all your prayer requests when you are joyful and happy.

 

“Lord, please remove my worries. Keep me from being upset. Let me always be full of love. Keep me always comfortable.”

 

Are these not our prayers? If so, you will find it difficult to draw near to God. Your prayers should not be like that.

 

“Lord, I know that in this life, we will always experience pain. Its root is, of course, our separation from You, and immediately, our greed, our pride, and our self-esteem cause so much of it. But despite all that, I hold onto the one thing that cannot be erased—that cannot be wiped away—the name of Jesus Christ, His cross, and the love of God. Lord, I cling to that reality. I desire to walk and live with You, who are present with me through it all.”

 

The Lord is near to your broken heart.

 

Jacob, however, chose to live the rest of his life in the grave. He chose despair over hope. More accurately, he chose his own emotion or himself over God. Speaking in New Testament terms, he chose not to leave the grave filled with sorrow, rather than embracing the empty tomb of the Risen Lord.

 

Happiness in Knowing God, Not in Understanding

Brothers and sisters, Jacob may not have understood all the circumstances. He was simply struggling with what was visible. Is that not true for us as well?

 

Do you understand your life and what will happen tomorrow? Do you know? No, you don't.

 

We are cast into a world where we know nothing. In this inexplicable life, what do you truly desire?

 

Do you want a newspaper that tells you, “This is what will happen tomorrow morning?” Do you want a paper that shows you all of tomorrow's events every evening? Do you really believe that this would change your life and allow you to live it well?

 

If you knew everything that lay ahead, are you truly certain you could make your life beautiful? If your knowledge and ability were so great that you could comprehend all the matters of the world, understand everything you hear and know, and grasp all the events of your life, are you truly certain you would be happy?

 

The Bible's answer is overwhelmingly clear: You are not made happy by knowing all things, but by knowing God.

 

The fact that the God who walks with me tomorrow, the God who will not let go of my life, is with me—that is what makes me blessed. If you knew everything that would happen tomorrow, you would likely be unhappier, as you would be unable to avoid what is coming.

 

What, then, should we do? If you hold fast to the hand of God, the Lord will surely lead you in righteousness and peace as He has promised.

 

Forgotten Faith: Isaac and Jehovah Jireh

Brothers and sisters, we know this truth so well. Yet, we still seek ourselves rather than seeking God.

 

Jacob was the same. He must have heard the story of how Isaac was nearly sacrificed but was saved, yet it seems he completely forgot it. More recently, he forgot even the story of Shechem, where his family was in great danger but God protected them.

 

He saw the blood of the goat. Was it not the blood of a goat on the garment? He mistakenly thought it was Joseph's blood, yet he completely forgot the Jehovah Jireh of Abraham and Isaac, who sacrificed a ram. He failed to consider his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, who believed in God's deep wisdom and that God would provide for them as they ascended the mountain. His concern was solely fixed on the shattered dream and Joseph, the dreamer. That is why he saw only death.

 

I truly want to ask Jacob:

 

“If we had been there, holding onto Jacob, we would have asked, ‘Jacob, what do you mean by this? What does it mean to say you want to go down to Sheol with your son, to die with him? Where is the living God in your life?’”

 

What about you? Where is the living God, the God who is still at work today, in your life? What are you worrying about? What has made you weak, and what is causing you pain?

 

The Father God Who Gave Up His Son - The Father Who Knows Sorrow

Therefore, I believe we must remember another Father besides Jacob. Jacob wept over the loss of his son and was perhaps a loving father, yet he became a father whose actions caused so much loss in the lives given to us.

 

But there is another Father. We have a Father who knows sorrow more deeply than our own. This Father is one who lost His Son, who experienced loss. Therefore, He is a Father who can help those who have lost a child. We have the Father who delivered His Son to the cross, a Father who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

 

The One Who Came Down into Death

Furthermore, as we have seen, when walking the path of death, Jacob declared arbitrarily, “I will go down to the realm of the dead (Sheol),” but in reality, Jacob could not and did not go with his son.

 

However, we know that the One who truly walked that path of death with us is our Father.

 

Psalm 23 also testifies to this truth:

 

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

 

This was the Lord's promise. He not only overcame death by His authority and His love, but by His grace and passionate heart, He also entered into death with us. This is the Jesus Christ whom we know.

 

The Eternal Banquet Table

Brothers and sisters, I love the fact that Psalm 23 does not end in the valley of the shadow of death. The Psalm continues to declare that God will prepare a table for you.

 

When I first read the Korean Bible translation, before seeing the Chinese character version, I misread the phrase “You prepare a table” (sang eul bepusi-go) as preparing an "award" (sang), like an attendance award. I thought, “Wow, the Lord is giving me a reward!” But I found out it meant preparing a meal table.

 

Imagine that God, our Father, is making food for you, setting the table for you, and inviting you to share the meal with Him. I find it difficult to imagine. My father never entered the kitchen, so I couldn't easily envision it myself. I deeply respected my father and, following him, thought, “Entering the kitchen is not a man's job.”

 

However, consider this: God, our Father, is wearing an apron, preparing all the best, most nourishing, most life-giving food, and personally setting the table for you. He anoints your head with oil and shares a cup with you. That cup is the eternal cup, and that cup is the eternal love of God.

 

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

 

Is that not astonishing? Ah, if only Jacob had appealed to this God, if only Jacob had called upon this God even once, how different would his grief and life have been? He saw no hope; he only thought of death.

 

Billy Graham's Confession

The well-known Rev. Billy Graham made a statement before he died that became famous after his passing. The words he left for the press as his death drew near became widely known. I will read his statement again.

 

“Friends, someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address from Manhattan to Heaven.”

 

As we know, figures who led such large crusades and great evangelical movements brought much benefit to the church, but they also had weaknesses in certain areas, we might think. It cannot be said that his mega-crusades brought only benefit to the church in every aspect, and there may have been parts of his theological stance or teachings that were not always closest to the Scriptures.

 

But is this confession not profoundly clear? He knew God, and he clearly confessed that he would be with that God. “Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now.” What an amazing declaration!

 

From Despair to Salvation: The Great Reversal in Joseph's Story - The Beginning of the Shattered Dream

The great reversal in today’s text is precisely that story. God does not simply delete Joseph’s story, but places this verse right before the story of Judah in the next chapter:

 

“Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.” (Referencing the end of 37:36)

 

Joseph did not die. Joseph did not die. Joseph’s story is not like Jean Valjean’s, where he "mended his ways and lived diligently ever after." It doesn't end with "he was sold." This is the beginning. This is the start. He is not dead. “Now My work is beginning, and My work to save you is about to begin.”

 

We thought this shattered dream would be completely destroyed and vanish, but what is God going to do through that broken dream? God will accomplish your salvation. Is that not amazing? This is who God is. We can only stand in awe.

 

The Garment of Despair Becomes the Garment of Salvation

Brothers and sisters, Jacob lost everything because of Joseph's death. His dream was shattered, he lost hope, and his faith was so weakened that it was almost lost entirely.

 

Joseph's blood-stained garment was despair for Jacob. But for the Heavenly Father we know, this blood-stained garment became the Garment of Christ that would save the other sons.

 

It was the sole evidence of the brothers' sin; it exposed their guilt. That garment, filled with their jealousy, despair, pride, selfishness, anger, greed, and stained with blood, now—through Christ Jesus—becomes the Garment of Salvation for them, allowing them to be clothed in the holiness and righteousness of Christ. This is because the life of Jesus Christ came to them, and to us.

 

Jacob seemed to have lost everything, but in reality, God was starting the opposite kind of life, and we are reading this Scripture as witnesses to that path.

 

Purest Things from Broken Pieces

Ian Duguid, whom I have introduced before, says this in his book, “The Gospel in Genesis”:

 

“How can the Father, who rules over all circumstances, not work for good even in the storms of life? How could God ever forget that? How much God loves your life; do you think He would treat your life so lightly and easily leave it alone?

 

Although your life may seem incomprehensible to you, and still difficult for you to accept, how could God simply abandon it?

 

He may work in painful ways. The sin of others that troubles you may drive you into a corner. God may allow your own sin, which wounds others, to go unchecked without forcefully stopping it. Our dreams for this world may be shattered into a thousand pieces. Yet, all of this is simply what God is doing to bring forth something purer and richer from those broken pieces.

 

Through our painful trials, our sins, and even the sins of others, God will reveal who we are. He will allow us to meet ourselves. He will make us realize how much we need Him, and through all those broken moments, He will let you know how desperately you need the cross.

 

The Lord will show us, through all these things, how broken the fallen world we live in is. Through such trials, God will refine us and sanctify us, teaching us to focus more on the true treasure we must seek: God Himself and Him alone.”

 

Let Us Pray.

Loving Lord, we confront the deep despair of Jacob, who lost hope in his pain and said, 'I will go down to Sheol.' Forgive our weakness for turning away from You, trapped by visible reality. Grant us the courage to face all sorrow and hardship with the single truth: 'I am Yours.'

 

Help us not to seek to understand everything in this world, but to trust only in You, who never let go of our hand in the darkness. We believe in Your astonishing providence: that You begin the history of salvation by gathering the fragments of a shattered dream, and that You transform the blood-stained garment of despair into the holy Garment of Christ's righteousness.

 

God, You are near to the brokenhearted. We confess that we have eternal hope through the name of Jesus Christ, who walked with us through the valley of the shadow of death. Now, enable us to reject sorrow and to enjoy the blessing of dwelling in Your house forever. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.