A Father’s Favourite Son
Media > Joseph — From Pit to Palace > A Father’s Favourite Son
September 27, 2020
Jacob loves his son Joseph more than all his brothers, and his favouritism turns normal sibling rivalry into deadly hatred. Joseph too, incites his brothers by ‘lording’ it over them and flaunting his status to perilous consequences. Yet in the midst of the dysfunction God speaks prophetically about His rescue and elevation of Joseph. We are reminded that God does not call those who are ready-made heroes, but He chooses us and calls out us out of our mess. This is ultimately a story of God’s grace, pointing us to Jesus, the truly favourite son. Who unlike Joseph, doesn’t lord it over His brothers (though he could,) but comes to serve, to share His robe and favoured status. He invites us today into the embrace of a Father who cares deeply for all His children, who will stop at nothing to achieve His good purposes.
This preach is a video, please visit our main site to view.
Genesis 37:2–11 (Listen)
2 These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.1 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Footnotes
[1] 37:3
(ESV)
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service.
Visit us
If you’d like to visit us the best way to start is by joining us on a Sunday at 10:30, at Harborne Academy.
This is a newly refurbished school and there is plenty of parking available.
If you’d like to get in touch, visit us or if you’ve got any questions about our church then we’d love to hear from you.
07528 924420
hello@kingschurchbirmingham.org
King's Church Birmingham was planted by & has an ongoing relationship with Grace Church Nottingham and is a member of the Evangelical Alliance.