1 Chapter a Day’s take
(Chapter 36 is a genealogy of Esau’s descendants. Among the purposes of this list is to show that God fulfilled his promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and kings would issue from him. Genesis 17:6)
2 This is the story of Jacob. The story continues with Joseph, seventeen years old at the time, helping out his brothers in herding the flocks. These were his half brothers actually, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. And Joseph brought his father bad reports on them.
3-4 Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat. When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him—they wouldn’t even speak to him.
Jacob was very unwise to show favoritism to one of his sons. He even had Joseph bringing him reports on his other sons–he in effect was putting Joseph over his brothers, even though some of them were much, much older than he was. This, of course, caused the other brothers to resent him and then even to hate him. For those of us who are parents this is a “cautionary tale”. It is impossible to treat all of our children exactly the same because they have different personalities and gifts, etc., but it is important that they all know they are loved and appreciated.
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