Joseph, the favourite

Israel was not a good example of how to parent his children. Just because Joseph had been born to him in his old age that was no excuse to make him his favourite. To do so only meant that he was going to be hated by his brothers. Joseph had an ornate robe made for him by his father, where were the robes for his brothers?

Then Joseph as a teenager acted foolishly himself. He shared with his brothers his dreams where his they would bow down and worship him. No wonder they hated him and planned to do away with him. As we would say today, he asked for it.

The Bible doesn’t hide from difficult relations. Bad parenting and youthful arrogance are both there for us to see. The characters in the Bible aren’t ‘plaster saints.’ Like us they are flawed and sinful. The Holy Scriptures aren’t about holy people but about the unwise and foolish. Mankind in all it’s failings is shown for what it is; in need of a holy God.