Genesis 37:1-11

Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, was born into an imperfect family.  His father was a “trickster” in his younger days, and then had the bad habit of treating Joseph with favoritism in his later years.  Joseph’s older brothers were also flawed individuals, often conniving, deceitful and cruel.  And then there was Joseph himself, who seemed rather immature during his youth, flaunting his favored status and even sharing dreams with his brothers that incited their jealousy all the more.

The story of Joseph helps us understand a number of lessons about ourselves and our God:

• Every one of us is flawed.
• God has a plan for us even in our imperfections.
• We are not qualified to disqualify ourselves from God’s service.