Within the Pain · meeting 2 of 7
Yaakov Refuses to Be Comforted
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The reading
Read the passage in ScriptureGenesis 37:18–36
The plain-language retelling helps us enter the passage. Scripture itself remains the source.
The passage in plain languageAs close as possible to the text, in plain English
Yosef’s brothers saw him coming and planned to kill him. Reuven suggested throwing him into a pit without shedding his blood, because he wanted to rescue him. They stripped off his special robe and threw him into an empty pit.
Yehudah suggested selling Yosef instead of killing him. Yosef was brought up from the pit and sold to the Yishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They took him to Egypt. When Reuven reached the pit and saw that Yosef was gone, he tore his clothes.
The brothers dipped the robe in a goat’s blood and sent it to Yaakov. He recognized it and thought a wild animal had killed his son. Yaakov tore his clothes and mourned for many days. His sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and wept for his son. In Egypt, Yosef was sold to Potifar.
Read, discover, live
Four steps to remember
No prior knowledge is needed. Read slowly and return to the passage. You can also say you are unsure, disagree, or find it hard to read.
Head
What do we understand?
- What do we see in the passage?
- What does the passage show us about God or Yeshua?
- What does it show us about people, and perhaps ourselves?
Heart
What speaks to us here?
- What speaks to me here?
- What caught my attention in the passage? If you wish, pause and ask: Might the Spirit of God be drawing my attention to something here?
Hands
What will we do with this?
- What small, practical step could we take in the next 24–48 hours?
- Is there something to change, adopt, or do differently?
Feet
Where do we go from here?
- Who could we share the passage with?
- Who could read it with me?
A small reading tip
As you read, you might look for:
- Something to believe
- A promise to receive
- Advice to put into practice
- Something God asks us to do
- Something that touched me, encouraged me, or was hard to read
To remember
Something you would like to take with you?
One place for anything you want to remember. It stays with you unless you choose to share it with our team.
Reading together?A simple meeting with family, friends, or a Yeshua Group
You can read on your own or invite friends. Reading together lets you hear what each person notices and how the same story touches different lives. Choose a story, read it, and explore the simple questions together.
Looking back
Begin the meeting together
How was the week? What are we thankful for? What was difficult, and how can we help? What happened with the step we chose last time?
Looking up
Read and discover
Read the passage. One or two people say in their own words what they read. Return to the text and to Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet.
Looking forward
Step into the week
Share what you hope to do, choose one step, think of someone to share with, and pray together for the week ahead.