约瑟的哥哥们憎恨他，是因为他们的父亲“爱约瑟过于爱他的众子。”约瑟曾经作梦，他梦见他的兄弟们向他下拜，而他又把梦中见到的告诉了他们（参看创世记37:1-11）。
约瑟的哥哥们实在非常憎恨约瑟，以至于想置他于死地；有一天，约瑟来到哥哥们放羊的地方，哥哥们见杀害他的机会来了；他们抓住约瑟，把他丢在坑里。
约瑟的哥哥们最终没有杀害他，他们把他卖给路过那里的商人作为奴隶，那些商人把他带到了埃及。想像一下，作为奴隶的约瑟在市场上被人拖着走的情景，想像一下，他在埃及为奴时所忍受的艰辛；他心里充塞着怎么样的痛苦呢？
当我们察看约瑟日后的生活时，我们看到“耶和华与他同在”并“使他所做的尽都顺利”（创世记39:3, 23；40-50章）。走过艰辛之路的约瑟，终于成为治理埃及全地的二把手。神使用约瑟来拯救当地的百姓免受大饥荒，他更拯救了他自己全家和所有邻近各国的人民。
耶稣为我们受苦和受死，在走过那条充满苦难的路后，祂战胜了死亡、复活、升天，并且治理全地。祂所经历的苦难之路，带给我们每一个人祝福！
主啊，我们面对苦难时，求你帮助我们专注思想我们在耶稣里的福气，并且恒心为义，坚持不懈。奉祂的名祈求，阿们。
创世记 37 :12-28
12约瑟的哥哥们往示剑去放他们父亲的羊。
13以色列对约瑟说：“你哥哥们不是在示剑放羊吗？你来，我要打发你往他们那里去。”约瑟说：“我在这里。”
14以色列说：“你去看看你哥哥们平安不平安，群羊平安不平安，就回来报信给我。”于是打发他出希伯仑谷，他就往示剑去了。
15有人遇见他在田野走迷了路，就问他说：“你找什么？”
16他说：“我找我的哥哥们，求你告诉我他们在何处放羊。”
17那人说：“他们已经走了，我听见他们说要往多坍去。”约瑟就去追赶他哥哥们，遇见他们在多坍。
18他们远远地看见他，趁他还没有走到跟前，大家就同谋要害死他，
19彼此说：“你看，那做梦的来了。
20来吧，我们将他杀了，丢在一个坑里，就说有恶兽把他吃了。我们且看他的梦将来怎么样！”
21鲁本听见了，要救他脱离他们的手，说：“我们不可害他的性命。”
22又说：“不可流他的血，可以把他丢在这野地的坑里，不可下手害他。”鲁本的意思是要救他脱离他们的手，把他归还他的父亲。
23约瑟到了他哥哥们那里，他们就剥了他的外衣，就是他穿的那件彩衣，
24把他丢在坑里。那坑是空的，里头没有水。
25他们坐下吃饭，举目观看，见有一伙米甸的以实玛利人从基列来，用骆驼驮着香料、乳香、没药，要带下埃及去。
26犹大对众弟兄说：“我们杀我们的兄弟，藏了他的血有什么益处呢？
27我们不如将他卖给以实玛利人，不可下手害他，因为他是我们的兄弟、我们的骨肉。”众弟兄就听从了他。
28有些米甸的商人从那里经过，哥哥们就把约瑟从坑里拉上来，讲定二十舍客勒银子，把约瑟卖给以实玛利人。他们就把约瑟带到埃及去了。
"Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. . . ." - Genesis 37:20
Joseph's brothers hated him because their father "loved Joseph more than any of his other sons." Joseph had also had dreams in which his brothers bowed down to him, and he had told them about those dreams (see Genesis 37:1-11).
The brothers hated Joseph so much that they wanted to kill him. One day the opportunity came, as Joseph went out to the fields where his brothers were grazing their flocks. The brothers seized Joseph and threw him into a pit.
Instead of killing him, Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave to some traveling merchants, who took him to Egypt. Imagine Joseph as a slave being dragged around at the market. Imagine the hardship he endured as a slave in Egypt. What kinds of pain would have filled his heart?
Looking at the rest of Joseph's life, we can see that "the Lord was with him" and "gave him success in everything he did" (Genesis 39:3, 23; chap. 40-50). Through that path of hardship Joseph eventually became second in command over Egypt. God used Joseph to save people from a terrible famine, including his whole family and people from all the surrounding nations.
Jesus came to suffer and die for our sake, and through that path of many hardships he rose in victory over death and ascended to heaven, where he now rules over all the earth. His path through suffering has led to blessings for us all!
Lord, when we face sufferings, help us to focus on the blessings we have in Jesus, and to persevere. In his name we pray. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
