Now Israel lived Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

The report given to their father by Joseph antagonizes the brothers, and Jacob - referred to here as Israel, the name given him by God in Genesis 32 - does little to help the tense situation. Genesis 37:3 tells us that "Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age." True, Benjamin had been born during his father's old age as well, yet his birth had also been the occasion of his mother's death. Joseph was the boy whose childhood Jacob and his beloved Rachel had enjoyed together. It was Joseph who brought his mother great joy while she lived, Joseph whom she cradled in her arms, Joseph who clutched at her skirts as he toddled along, Joseph who fell asleep against her breast, Joseph who undoubtedly gave his aging father poignant memories of the woman he had loved with all his heart.

            Because of his great affection, perhaps in gratitude for a job well done in the incident with the disreputable brothers, Jacob makes his favorite boy a special present: a "richly ornamented robe" (37:3). The King James Bible refers to this garment as "a coat of many colors," but it is probably more elaborate than that text suggests. It is a coat fit for a king, a regal robe likely reaching to Joseph's wrists and ankles, signifying achievement and position. Like the high school senior who struts around proudly in his slick, new letter jacket even on a day too warm for such a garment, Joseph wears his fancy new robe wherever he goes.

            Clearly Jacob plays favorites in gifting his teenage son with such an obvious mark of status as this ornamented cloak. But Joseph is the son of his old age, and most of us tend to spoil our younger children a bit. My wife, Pearl, and I have discussed this often. Of our five children, it has been our youngest, Julea, whom we have unconsciously pampered just a little bit more than the rest. It's fair to point out that she would probably disagree with this, but the other kids sure wouldn't. "You never let us do that?" they've been heard to exclaim after we've given Julea permission to go somewhere. "She always gets away with murder!" they've cried.

            We have tried not to play favorites, but in all honesty, it has been Julea of whom we've been both more protective and indulgent than the others. We don't love her more than the rest, but she is the baby of the family. She is the only one of our children, for example, to whom we gave a 'vette when she received her driver's license. She couldn't believe it when I asked her if she'd like one. Of course, she was expecting a new Corvette...while I was referring to a used Chevette, which is what she got before heading off for college. Even so, I hope my point is plain: it is easy to be more lenient with the younger ones in the family. If you're still not convinced, just ask any teenager if his or her younger brother or sister is spoiled, and see what response you get.

            Besides, as we have discussed, Joseph is a tangible reminder of Jacob's wife Rachel. Yet I believe that there is more to Jacob's attachment to Joseph than these reasons. I think Jacob desperately wants to give his favored son something he never had: a father's full attention and love. Jacob's older brother Esau, the rugged outdoorsman, was their father Isaac's favorite child. Esau always held first claim on Isaac's affection, while Jacob was left to latch onto his mother Rebekah's apron strings. You'd think Jacob, who had grown up experiencing only the crumbs of his own father's good pleasure, would have avoided playing favorites among his own sons at any cost. But - like father, like son - Jacob repeats the mistakes of Isaac.

            The reaction of Joseph's brothers to his privileged position is predictable. Genesis 37:4 tells us that when the older boys observe Jacob's preferential treatment of Joseph, they begin to hate him, and cannot bring themselves to utter a civil or charitable word in his presence. The very sight of him repulses them, and they are engulfed with understandable feelings of jealousy and resentment.

(Taken from Joseph by Don Anderson)

We are all loved unconditionally.

Tracing His Love Through the Word

"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling" (Ex. 15:13 NIV).

"'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine'" (Ex. 19:4-5 NIV).

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace" (Num. 6:24-26 NIV).

"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession" (Deut. 7:6 NIV).

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" (Deut. 31:8 NIV).

"Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: 'Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord? What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign Lord. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears'" (2 Sam. 7:18-22 NIV).

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NASB).

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13 NASB).

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:37-39 NASB).

"For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf" (2 Cor. 5:14-15 NASB).

"And a voice came from the throne, saying, 'Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.' And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns'" (Rev. 19:5-6, NASB).

"Yet the proof of God's amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8 Phillips).

Join me in worship as we sing "My Savior's Love": "I stand amazed in the presence Of Jesus the Nazarene, And wonder how He could love me, A sinner condem'd, unclean. For me it was in the garden He pray'd; 'Not My will, but Thine,' He had no tears for His own griefs, But sweet drops of blood for mine. He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own; He bore the burden to Calv'ry, And suffer'd, and died alone. When with the ransom'd in glory His face I at last shall see, 'Twill be my joy thro' the ages To sing of His love for me. How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be: How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Saviour's love for me!"