Strength for Today

"Mom always liked you best!" I think that comes from a Smother's Brothers routine. Joseph, through no fault of his own, was the favorite son of Jacob. He was also favored by his mother because he came in last in the "baby derby" between Rachel and Leah (Gen. 30:1-24). His coming last made him first in her eyes. When Jacob saw Esau coming with 400 men, he placed Rachel and Joseph at the rear of the column, as an act of protective love (Gen. 33:1, 2). Jacob "loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a tunic of many colors" (Gen. 37:3). Parents sometimes have a tendency to favor one child more than the others. This is not wise. Jacob's discrimination led to dysfunction in the family. "But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him" (Gen. 37:4). The superabundance of love poured out upon Joseph by his father unleased a torrent of hatred toward him by his brothers, resulting in his being sold into slavery. In spite of all this, Joseph casts a giant shadow across Scripture. There are more chapters (37-50) devoted to his life in the book of Genesis than there is the Creation, Fall of Man, the Great Flood, and the Table of Nations (1-11) and the life of Abraham (12-25). There are also many similarities between Joseph and Jesus. We'll look more at his wonderful life in days to come.