Advanced Level, Block 3, Week 24: Jacob’s Preference for Joseph

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Advanced Level, Block 3—Outcomes of Jacob and Joseph

Week 24
Jacob’s Preference for Joseph

Point to Emphasize: We should not love one above the other.

Reference Reading: Genesis 37:1-4, footnote 31; Life-study of Genesis, msg. 92

Memory Verse: Make my joy full, that you think the same thing, having the same love… (Philippians 2:2a)

Story Sample

Jacob ended up having twelve sons altogether. That is a lot of children, isn’t it? Though I’m sure he loved all of his sons, there was one he preferred over all the others. It wasn’t the oldest, Reuben, and it wasn’t the youngest, Benjamin, either. It was his eleventh son, Joseph. Jacob made him a coat of many colors because he loved him more. His brothers all must have wondered, “Why didn’t my father do something special for me too?” This caused all of the older brothers to be jealous of Joseph.

Do you think this was right for Jacob to love one son above another? No! I’m so glad that my parents loved all four of us the same! They treated us equally and did not favor one above another. But by making Joseph this special coat we can see that Jacob cared more for his own preference than what was right. And in the end, it caused jealousy and trouble between Joseph and his brothers. They all even began to hate Joseph for being the favorite child and could not speak peaceably to him (Genesis 3:4).

We have all had the experience of preferring one over another. When I was in the fifth grade, I played with a group of girls who all liked to do the same things. We liked to play tetherball, we played in the band together, and we were all good students. We also lived in the same neighborhood. So, after school, we would usually all play together. But there was one girl who I liked even more than the others. I began to call her my best friend in front of the others. This made them feel bad because they were being excluded. Eventually, they stopped coming over after school. I began to miss my other friends. I realized I should have had the same care for all of them. I paid a price for my preference. [Storyteller, please share your personal story if you have one.]

Today many of you use the expression “BFF” (best friend forever). You even have these magnetic necklaces that you give only to your best friend. At school, at lunch, you always sit with your best friend and during recess you will only play with them. You form a special group and exclude others, not caring for them. This shows you have a preference for one over another. It also means that you are caring more for what makes you feel good than for the feelings of others. This causes problems and may even make other children feel bad or lonely. We should not have friends that we treat better than others. Rather than having a best friend that is better than all the others, we should treat everyone with the same love, respect, and care. [Have a discussion with the children about having the same love with one another. Point out that having best friends elevates some (you and your best friend) and lowers others.]

The outcome of Jacob’s love for Joseph was not good. Eventually, it caused Joseph much suffering. Because of the jealousy of his brothers, Joseph was taken from his father for many years.

Our verse today speaks of having the same love for one another. This means that we should care the same for all people. Sometimes, this is difficult to do. We might have so much in common with some and not feel as comfortable with others. There may also be some things that we don’t prefer about the others. But this is not genuine love for one another—it is preference. Often our own preference results in struggles, problems, and even loss. This week let’s all think about the love we have for others. Is it the same? Do we care for everyone in the same way? If we consider this, I think we will all see that we are short of love for all.

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