Joseph's Family
Joseph • Sermon • Submitted
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· 16 viewsIf we're going to understand the early life of Joseph, we have to understand his familiy.
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Why Joseph’s Family
Why Joseph’s Family
If we want to understand the life of Joseph, we really should start with his family.
And the best place to start is with his father, Jacob.
gen 29:15
Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.
Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
While the idea of working for your bride is foreign to us today, it was not in the middle east in Jacob’s time.
Women were dependent on men in that time.
A large part of the woman’s “value” came from her labor and ability to bear children.
In some cultures the “bride price” was voluntary custom, in others it was necessary to get the bride’s father’s permission.
Jacob would work seven years to pay the bride price for Rachael.
Today we marry for love,
Or at least that’s the theory.
Some of us, when we marry, think little about the life that the new family will live,
The benefits and difficulties they start out with.
Shakespeare talked about it in Romeo & Juliet.
And that did not have a happy ending.
How many movies are made today about young lovers fighting the odds?
And sadly, what passes for love today is better described as lust.
Maybe that is why so many marriages do not last.
They are based on the attraction someone sees in their mate.
On the way their mate makes them feel.
Rather than their desire to sacrifice for them.
And notice the point made in v. 17,
Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful.
gen 29 21-25
Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”
Today a bride wears a veil to cover her face so the groom will not see her until they are married.
This comes from the idea that it’s unlucky for the groom to see the bride on the wedding day.
In ancient middle east custom, the marriage started with a celebration, but was not official until it was consummated on the wedding night.
The bride and groom did not head of to some honeymoon suite,
A room was set aside for them.
Apparently, it was a dark room, since Jacob did not recognize that the woman his father-in-law brought was not his beloved, but her sister.
Laban had pulled the old switcheroo on Jacob.
Where have we seen that before?
Laban promised Rachel, but delivering Leah.
We get upset when the food inside doesn’t match the picture on the package.
Imagine how upset you would be after working seven years for your bride, only to be given her less beautiful sister.
And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”
Birth order is not a new discovery. The oldest son inherited more and the oldest daughter was expected to be married first.
Remember, at this time marriage wasn’t something the children decided on.
It was the father’s responsibility to choose husbands for his daughters.
And it was expected that the oldest would be married first.
Why?
I’m no expert, but I can think of a couple of good reasons.
First, life was generally short in those days.
If you only expected to live 30-35 years, a girl didn’t want to wait until she was 20 or 25 to get married.
Second, a large part of a wife’s duty was to bear children.
This not only meant that a woman wanted to be married during her prime child-bearing years.
But it was considered shameful not to have children.
So imagine the reputation of an older daughter who her father could not get married while the younger ones not only married, but had children.
Also notice the timeframe,
Today we talk about a honeymoon.
Originally a month when it was expected that couple would “get to know each other”.
Compare this to the Hebrew law:
“When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.
New grooms were exempt from military service or even business commitments for one year after marriage.
Why?
To bring his wife happiness.
[Pamela’s birthday after we were married.]
In this ancient culture, it was expected that the groom would dedicate a week to his new bride.
He would not go to war or leave on business.
His sole purpose was to make his new wife happy.
And no doubt in part to start a new family.
So Laban asks Jacob to fulfill the week he owed to Leah, then work another seven years for Rachael.
Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.
Not surprisingly, Jacob loved his first love more than the girl he was tricked into marrying.
Then we have an internal war between these two sisters, both for Jacob’s affections and for the honor of bearing him sons.
With intrigue suitable for a Mexican telenovella these sisters vied for Jacob like a breeder vies for a prize stud.
They coerced him, bribed him, even prostituted their maids to him, all to win this family battle royal.
Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” So she called his name Joseph, and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.”
gen 30:22-
Finally, after ten sons were born to Leah and the maids, Rachel bears Jacob a son.
Finally, after ten sons were born to Leah and the maids, Rachel bears Jacob a son.
After all the intrigue.
After all the coercion.
After all the infighting.
Jacob’s beloved finally bears him a son.
His name? Joseph (Jehovah has added).
Only one more son would be born to Jacob, and it would be by Rachel.
And she would die bringing Benjamin into the world.
Is it any wonder Joseph was Jacob’s favorite?
gen 37
Only one more son would be born to Jacob, and it would be by Rachel.
Now Israel 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. 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.
But what happens when a parent plays favorites with their children?
And she would die bringing Benjamin into the world.
The brothers are jealous and hated Joseph.
They couldn’t even speak peaceably with him.
Remember, Jacobs parents?
So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.
So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
They played favorites with their children.
Even to the point of Rebekah pushing Jacob into lying to his father to steal the blessing.
Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”
But his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.”
Could this be a family curse passed down from generation to generation?
Each playing favorites and warping their children?
No wonder
Conclusion
Conclusion
This is the family into which Joseph was born.
Jacob’s name literally means “supplanter”.
His father was a deceiver, the favored son of a deceiver.
Jacob’s name literally means “supplanter”.
And he was a man who deceived and was deceived.
And a man who was deceived.
Joseph’s mother was willing to do anything to have a child.
Beg her husband for a child.
Offer him her maid to sleep with.
Bribe him with goods.
And the outcome of all this scheming was Joseph.
Into this large family, Joseph is now singled out for special attention by his father,
And because of that, special hatred from his brothers.
What can we, as parents, learn from this?
We are to love (agape) our children.
Oh, we may not like them very much at times, but we are to love them.
If we have intentions to prefer one over the other, we should fight them.
Of course that is easy for me to say, having only one child.
But look at what happens when parents play favorites with their children?
Most of the time it will not have nearly the impact of Jacob, but that doesn’t mean it won’t.
We should thank God that even when we make mistakes, He will use them for good.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
That should not be used as an excuse to test God and His will.
But should be prayed in thanksgiving that God can bring our messes to a glorious outcome.
As we will see, God will work all the evil this messed up family can muster for the good of those who love Him.
