Decorate
My Jesse Tree
Started December 4th!
Genesis 37 tells how Jacob loved and favored his second youngest son, Joseph, more than any of his other children. Jacob felt that God sent Joseph to him and Rachel as a gift in their later years. His favoritism toward Joseph screamed loudly when he gave Joseph a beautiful coat, unlike the functional outer garment worn in biblical times. This coat was colorful and probably more in keeping with what royalty wore. When Joseph's brothers saw this glaring gesture of favoritism, they became jealous and hated Joseph and never had a nice thing to say to him.
Kids instinctively pick up on another brother or sister getting more affection and attention from parents. Favoritism is not something a parent can hide. The resulting rivalry between siblings lasts a lifetime. It never goes away.
If there are stories about parental favoritism in the Bible, we know that the problem has been around for a very long time. The Bible warns us that favoring one child over another will eventually bring pain and suffering to the whole family.
The symbol from this story is......
A Colorful Coat
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| Genesis 37 |