Reading: Genesis 37

'The Ugly Face of Jealousy'

"When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer!"Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, 'A wild beast devoured him.' Then let us see what will become of his dreams!" Gen 37:18-20

Jealousy among siblings is so heart breaking to parents. The more children one has, the harder it is to manage and correct. The problem in Jacob's family was that he showed favoritism toward Joseph. This set the stage for disaster. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. (Gen 37:3-4) You could hear it in their speech as they made fun of him saying, "Here comes this dreamer!" We see it their actions as they threw him in the pit. If that wasn't enough, they took Joseph, their youngest brother and sold him to foreigners and returned home concocting a story for Jacob that he was devoured by a wild animal. What could have caused this deep-seated hatred in their hearts toward their own brother? Jealousy! James describes it well. "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing." (James 3:16)

Lord, give me the courage to protect the helpless. May I be like the one

brother that stood alone to plead for Joseph's life!