Joseph's brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem (v. 12). Shepherding was their means of making a living. Through this livelihood of theirs they sovereignly had the opportunity to put Joseph away from Jacob.
Later Joseph was sent by his father to see his brothers (vv. 13-17). This also was sovereign of the Lord. The fact that Jacob sent Joseph to see his brothers is another indication that Jacob was enjoying life. If he had been busy, he would not have thought of sending Joseph to do this. But because he had nothing to do, he suddenly thought about his sons and was concerned for them. When Joseph was asked to go to his brothers, he was obedient. He did not gossip or speak idle words. Rather, he took his father's word and went to find his brothers.
When Joseph's brothers "saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him" (v. 18). They gave Joseph a title, saying to one another, "Behold, this master of dreams cometh" (v. 19, Heb.). They conspired together to slay Joseph and then to deceive their father about what had happened (v. 20).
Reuben, the eldest brother, wanted to deliver Joseph out of their hands. When he heard of their plot, "he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him....Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him" (vv. 21-22). Reuben's intention was to take him out of their hands and to deliver him to his father.
In Reuben's absence Judah, the fourth brother, proposed that instead of slaying Joseph, they sell him to the Ishmaelites (vv. 25-27). Judah said, "What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh." (vv. 26-27).
Joseph was sold to Ishmaelites from Midian (v. 28). Ishmael was the son of Abraham by Hagar, and Midian was the son of Abraham by his last wife, Keturah. Both the Ishmaelites and the Midianites represent the flesh. Hatred is related to the flesh, and the flesh is connected to the world represented by Egypt. Due to his brothers' hatred, Joseph was handed over to the flesh, and the flesh brought him down to Egypt. But God is sovereign over all. In His sovereignty, He used everything, including the flesh and the hatred of Joseph's brothers. Every negative thing in this chapter—the hatred, the flesh, Pharaoh, and Pharaoh's chamberlain, Potiphar—was sovereignly used by God to fulfill His purpose.