Genesis 37:1–11 (ESV) —
1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
NOTE: The first thing to note is that his bad report concerned four brothers, all born of Bilhah and Zilpah (I'm never sure whether to call them wives or concubines. The son's names are Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. The four oldest sons (Reuben, Levi, Simeon, Judah) of Leah, as well as two younger (Issachar and Zebulun) are not involved in the bad report. Joseph would be the oldest of the working boys, Benjamin is still quite young.
This problem of favoritism is compounded by the fact that the twelve sons split in four groups depending upon their mother. Rachel was the preferred mother by Jacob and he appears to have made Joseph his favorite with Benjamin a close second. This is clearly noticed by the brothers and begins to produce a lot of jealousy and anger. The special gift, a cloak, makes it considerably worse. It does not sound like a coat that one would do any physical work wearing.
Joseph, as seen later in life, is an intelligent young man with a passion for organization and business. I would not call him a leader because he does not show any of those skills. In fact, sharing his dreams to his family certainly is not a good way to lead.
I have always felt that Joseph was prideful. I think his father is guilty of encouraging a false sense of pride. The dreams are true dreams and maybe should have been shared in private with his father.
What do we learn from this? We learn the same lesson Jacob should have learned watching his parents, favoritism is not a good way to raise your children. Your children should never know you favor one over the other. Likewise, neither should the mother or father favor a child. I think it is natural for daughters to do certain things with only the mother and the sons to do certain things with only the father. But beyond that, both parents must make a concerted effort to include each and every child as special.
PONDER:
- How do I treat each of my children? If they are older, then I would add, even now?
- Do I show any favoritism?
- For those who have grandchildren, the same rules apply. How do I treat each of my grandchildren?
PRAYER: Father, give us (my wife and I) wisdom and we help raise our two young grandchildren. Help us to establish a strong foundation based on biblical concepts, rooted in love.
