Hatred (Gen. 37:3-4)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12-21-2007

 

My Worship Time                                                                                         Focus:  Hatred

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                        Reference:  Genesis 37:3-4

 

            Message of the verses:  “3 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.4 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.”

 

            Jacob is again making a mistake that had been made by his parents and a mistake that he has already made in his own family, and that is making a favorite in his family, which is what he had done with Rachel before and now with having Joseph as his favorite son.  Dr. Wiersbe writes that the coat of many colors could have meant that Joseph was the one who would be his heir, and this was all the more reason for his brothers to hate him.  It is possible that Jacob could have reasoned that because he had not intended to marry Leah any way and Joseph was the oldest of his favorite son Rachel, so why not make him the heir.

 

            Verse four tells that because Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons that his other sons hated Joseph, and hatred is a sin that can actually produce other sins in a persons life.  Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.”  1John 2:9, “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.”  1John 3:15, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is sometimes a very hard thing to not have favorites, especially in a family setting.  I suppose that I have been accused of it in my family.  When I look at Scripture it is hard to image to me that God does not have favorites, but I am not sure that this is the case.  God is sovereign and cannot make the mistakes that man makes.

            Hatred is something that I pray I will never have accept to hate sin, but never hate sinners.  The Bible speaks of God hating Esau and like I said before God is sovereign and cannot do anything wrong.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Having patience with my wife as she is surely going through some very difficult times.