The Danger Of Favoritism!
"Now [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his
children, because he was the son of his old age."
Genesis 37:3
Modern blended families can present new challenges.
New siblings, different parenting styles, and new
living
arrangements require an utmost patience. While many
men in patriarchal cultures had numerous children
and
wives, few worked as hard to keep them together as a
family as Jacob did, but not quite successfully.
Jacob had twelve sons by four wives: Reuben, Simeon, Levi,
Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were born to Leah; Joseph and
Benjamin were born to Rachel, Jacob’s true love (and Leah’s
sister). Dan and Naphtali were born to Rachel’s maidservant;
Bilhah; and Gad and Asher were born to Leah’s maidservant,
Zilpah. Of twelve sons, Jacob favored Joseph and Benjamin
because they were the sons of the love of his life, Rachel. And
of those two sons, Jacob favored Joseph even more because
he was Rachel’s firstborn. It’s one thing to have a favorite son;
it’s another to let the other children know about it. And Jacob’s
obvious favoritism to Joseph provoked murderous jealousy
among the other sons (Genesis 37:4).
When love is unconditional, it can have no favorites.
Thanks be to God that we're loved equally in His sight!
"Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in
His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world."
Clarence H. Woolston
