Dreams, Jealousy, and the Journey of Desire: The Inner Drama of Genesis 37
The thing that used to be your superpower—your drive, your caring, your perfectionism—is now holding you back. But it's so hard to let go.
If that sounds familiar, you’re right where Genesis 37 begins. This chapter is about a boy with a big dream and how everyone else — even his family — handles that. But secretly, it’s about a part of you that wants to be more, the part that feels jealous when others are close to their dreams, and what happens when awareness inside you wants to become something greater.
Setting the Scene: Ordinary Life and Seeds of Desire
In Genesis 37, Joseph is a seventeen-year-old, living with his brothers. His father, Jacob, favors him:
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors.” (Genesis 37:3 WEB)
This isn’t just a nice jacket. It’s a visible sign that Joseph is special, set apart. In your life, maybe it’s like when someone’s work gets recognized at school or a boss gives you extra responsibility in front of everyone. Doesn’t that create tension?
- Joseph: Your boldest dreams or most creative self — the part of you that imagines a bigger life.
- His Brothers: Doubt, jealousy, or frustration inside you (and sometimes from others) when you or someone else starts reaching higher.
- Jacob: The deeper awareness or wisdom within you that “knows” you’re special, even when others can’t see it.
Can you remember a time you were excited about a possibility, but others didn’t share your enthusiasm?
The Power and Danger of Sharing Your Vision
Joseph’s dreams aren’t simple. He has two powerful dreams and tells his brothers:
“He said to them, ‘Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.’ … Then he dreamed yet another dream… ‘behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.’” (Genesis 37:6-9 WEB)
Not only does Joseph have big dreams — he talks openly about them. If you’ve ever shared your wild goal publicly (maybe on social media or with family), you know there’s risk involved. Sometimes, it inspires. Sometimes, it triggers insecurity or anger — in others or even in yourself.
- The “dream” inside you is the awareness and desire for a better, more fulfilling life. It’s the creative urge — your “I want to do more, be more, have more than now.”
- Telling the dream is commitment. Once you speak it or write it down, it’s real. Others might misunderstand or be threatened. Some part of you may even turn against your dream if it feels too big or too different from what’s “normal.”
Ask yourself: What dream are you holding back because you’re afraid of how people will react?
Jealousy: The Pushback Against Growing Awareness
After Joseph shares his dreams, the brothers react:
“They hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.” (Genesis 37:8 WEB)
The moment arrives when noticed, when you start to change your life, get healthier, dream bigger, or take risks, you can meet resistance? Sometimes from friends, family, or inside your own head (“Who do you think you are?”, “Don’t get your hopes up!”)
- Jealousy and anger in others can mirror your own inner voice that resists change. Every time you dare to want more, part of you wants to protect you from disappointment. These “brothers” might say, “Just stay the same, don’t risk being different.”
Who or what, inside or outside, tries to “pull you back” when you stretch for more?
Betrayal: The Test of the Dream
The story takes a harsh turn. Joseph’s brothers plot to get rid of him:
“And they conspired against him to kill him. … They stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him; and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.” (Genesis 37:18, 23-24 WEB)
This pit is rock bottom. Maybe for you, it’s failing at something you cared about, being rejected, feeling misunderstood, or losing what made you feel special. Sometimes, following a dream can put you in tough spots, especially when old patterns (the “brothers”) revolt.
- The pit: Feeling lost, confused, or alone after your dream faces serious setbacks.
- Losing the coat: When your confidence or unique advantage disappears — the feeling that you’re not special anymore.
Life has a way of felt like giving up after being knocked down, especially when the setback felt unfair or came from people you trusted?
Unexpected Helpers and Redirection: Selling Joseph
In the story, instead of killing Joseph, the brothers sell him to passing traders, and he is taken to Egypt:
“‘What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites…’” (Genesis 37:26-27 WEB)
This part shows that even when circumstances feel out of control, or when you feel you’ve lost everything, there can be a new path. Something unexpected moves you forward — maybe a chance encounter, a surprising option, or someone offering a new possibility.
- The Ishmaelites (traders): New opportunities, strange “coincidences,” or different paths you could not have planned. They come when one part of life seems to end.
- Egypt: The unknown, a place or situation outside your comfort zone, where you will grow beyond anything familiar.
When was a time you thought you had lost, but it turned out to be the start of something bigger?
This chapter tells us: when your “brothers” (old ways of thinking) push your dreams down, awareness doesn’t die — it’s redirected. Life will send you down a different road, usually one you wouldn’t choose, where your inner growth kicks in.
Facing Disappointment: The Return Home With Fake Evidence
Joseph is gone, but the brothers cover up what they did:
“They took Joseph’s coat, and killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. … They brought it to their father, and said, ‘We have found this. Examine it now whether it is your son’s coat or not.’” (Genesis 37:31-32 WEB)
Jacob is heartbroken. This is what happens when loss or failure becomes your main story. Sometimes, you or those around you accept fake evidence (“the bloodied coat”) that your best days are over. Grief and discouragement feel final.
- Jacob’s grief: The pain you feel when you stop believing a dream is possible, when disappointment becomes your only reality.
- The coat with blood: The “proof” you focus on to say, “See, I knew it wouldn’t work.”
Do you sometimes accept defeat too early, or believe something is dead when in reality, a new path is opening?
Symbolic Meaning: Joseph as Your Creative Spark (And His Journey as Your Own)
- Joseph
- The bold dreamer — the part of you that wants more than “just getting by.”
- Experiences jealousy and resistance, inside and out.
- Is tested by challenge, thrown into “the pit” (doubt, failure, isolation).
- Is redirected by life in ways he can’t predict (sold to Egypt).
- The brothers
- The natural pushback from lesser desires, old self-images, and fears (“Stay small!”).
- The pit and the sale
- The low points and redirections that actually set you up for a greater life than you could plan.
- Jacob’s grief
- The part of you that mourns what’s lost — but doesn’t yet see the hidden plan at work.
- Awareness as God
- Moves through every character and event — as you.
- Is the observing, desiring, feeling, and choosing self inside who can change direction at any moment.
Every person goes through this:
- You want something big.
- Not everyone supports you.
- You hit a wall. Sometimes it really hurts.
- If you stay open, new paths and people appear.
- Often, it takes time before you see where everything is leading.
Pop Culture Example:
Think about community theater actors who make it to Broadway, known first as a football player who won the Heisman Trophy and later played in the NFL. He was often doubted, cut from teams, and told he’d “never make it.” Instead of quitting, Tebow tried baseball, played again in football, and became a speaker and writer known for his positive outlook and faith. Even when he lost his original “coat” (his first dream), he kept moving forward, allowing life to lead him to something different, often bigger than what critics expected. His story mirrors the Joseph journey—setback, redirection, new opportunities.
What Does This Mean for You Today?
- Dare to dream, even if you’re uncertain how. Protect your vision but know resistance will come, even from yourself.
- If you get knocked down—if your “coat” is taken—don’t decide it’s the end. The pit is often a doorway to your next chapter, not proof you’ve failed.
- Be willing to choose the next step, even if it’s unplanned. Life will send you help or opportunity in ways you can’t imagine if you stay open.
- Notice where jealousy or negativity inside (or outside) shows up. These are parts of you just scared of change—they’re not “bad,” but you don’t have to listen to them forever.
Pause and ask: Where am I in Joseph’s pattern? Am I the dreamer, the jealous voice, the one in the pit, the one mourning loss, or am I moving with awareness through it all?
Simple Takeaway Exercise
Tonight or whenever you feel stuck, do this:
- Write down one dream or hope you hardly talk about.
- Notice which “brother voices” inside tell you it’s impossible or foolish.
- Imagine for a moment that a bigger awareness is guiding you, even through mistakes or low points.
- Ask: “What’s one small step I could take, even if I’m still in the pit?” Write that down, and do it.
What’s Next: Genesis 38
Next time, we’ll see a surprising story that, at first, seems totally unrelated—but teaches how old patterns and habits can block or open you to new life. If Joseph’s story is the long adventure of dreams being tested, the next chapter is about what happens when hidden truths come to light and how that can affect your future.
No matter where you are in your journey, the lesson of Genesis 37 is this: Your awareness is always growing. What hurts now might set you up for something even bigger than your original dream. You only need to keep noticing, feeling, and trusting that new possibilities are possible — even when your plan seems to fall apart.
