May the mumbling commence!
Welcome to another episode of dysfunctional families! Today we look on Jacob’s family. Read from Genesis chapter thirty-seven:
So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived.
This is the history of Jacob's family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father's flocks with his half brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift – a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father's partiality. They couldn't say a kind word to him.
One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more. "Listen to this dream," he announced. "We were out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before it!"
"So you are going to be our king, are you?" his brothers taunted. And they hated him all the more for his dream and what he had said.
Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers about it. "Listen to this dream," he said. "The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!"
This time he told his father as well as his brothers, and his father rebuked him. "What do you mean?" his father asked. "Will your mother, your brothers, and I actually come and bow before you?" But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father gave it some thought and wondered what it all meant. (Verses 1-11)
No one is without fault. Jacob married sisters, who gave him their handmaids for wives. That is a recipe for disaster, partiality, and jealousy. And, as if that weren’t enough, Jacob showed especial favor towards Joseph… with the tangible beautiful robe to mark that favor.
Joseph acted like a spoiled brat. He was quick to tattle on his half-brothers. He was quick to share his dreams that put himself into a very positive light.
Joseph’s half-brothers were jealous and hated Joseph for his privileged status in their father’s eyes.
It just makes us want to knock some sense into them all! But, in a way, it is comforting that God can use such a dysfunctional family. It brings hope to us… we too often are dysfunctional as well. Even our dysfunctions can fall in line with God’s plans! But not always! Read about the Herod’s from Matthew chapter fourteen:
When Herod Antipas heard about Jesus, he said to his advisers, "This must be John the Baptist come back to life again! That is why he can do such miracles." For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod's brother Philip). John kept telling Herod, "It is illegal for you to marry her." Herod would have executed John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.
But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias's daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he promised with an oath to give her anything she wanted. At her mother's urging, the girl asked, "I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!" The king was sorry, but because of his oath and because he didn't want to back down in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. So John was beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. John's disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they told Jesus what had happened. (Verses 1-12)
Herod and his family were driven by their appetites. And their appetites only led them to places that in retrospect they did not wish to go. Such is the attractive lure of the deceptions of this world.
Let’s choose respect for family and friends over our appetites. The only alternative is quite ugly.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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