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God can redeem our sinful choices
Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children? But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him... Genesis 37:3-4 (NKJV)
The spiritual mantle had passed from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob. Now, Jacob was on the brink of passing the mantle on to his twelve sons. But there was something seriously wrong in this family.
Jacob was guilty of singling out his son Joseph as his favorite, and as you might expect, this didn't sit well with the rest of his sons. The sinful seed of Jacob's favoritism had been sown, and it would come back to haunt him.
Eventually, this seed sprouted and took root in the hearts of Joseph's brothers. One day, they decided to sell Joseph into slavery to a caravan of traders. Then they covered their tracks by telling Jacob that a wild animal had killed his favored son.
Keep in mind that these are the same men who would eventually go on to become the founding fathers of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel. These were the building blocks of God's chosen people, and yet we see that sin was alive and active in their thoughts and actions. Even the very institution that God would use to be a light unto the rest of the world had a sinful start!
This shows us something incredibly important about sin: God is greater than our greatest sin. If there's ever a lesson to be learned, it's this! A lot of people look at their sinful pasts and assume they've disqualified themselves from being used by the Lord in a significant way. But the sons of Jacob prove that God is able to do great things despite sinful starts.
Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than all his children? But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him... Genesis 37:3-4 (NKJV)
The spiritual mantle had passed from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob. Now, Jacob was on the brink of passing the mantle on to his twelve sons. But there was something seriously wrong in this family.
Jacob was guilty of singling out his son Joseph as his favorite, and as you might expect, this didn't sit well with the rest of his sons. The sinful seed of Jacob's favoritism had been sown, and it would come back to haunt him.
Eventually, this seed sprouted and took root in the hearts of Joseph's brothers. One day, they decided to sell Joseph into slavery to a caravan of traders. Then they covered their tracks by telling Jacob that a wild animal had killed his favored son.
Keep in mind that these are the same men who would eventually go on to become the founding fathers of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel. These were the building blocks of God's chosen people, and yet we see that sin was alive and active in their thoughts and actions. Even the very institution that God would use to be a light unto the rest of the world had a sinful start!
This shows us something incredibly important about sin: God is greater than our greatest sin. If there's ever a lesson to be learned, it's this! A lot of people look at their sinful pasts and assume they've disqualified themselves from being used by the Lord in a significant way. But the sons of Jacob prove that God is able to do great things despite sinful starts.
Discuss, Dig, Decide
Discuss with your group how God can redeem a broken past. Share a story you know of someone whom God favored in spite of a sinful start. What did they do to earn God’s goodness toward them?
Dig into Genesis Chapter 37. How would you describe the relationship Joseph had with his brothers? What sinful actions and attitudes did Jacob’s sons display? What makes this story so amazing?
Decide with your group to bless a family who is struggling to stay financially afloat. Come together to assist them in a tangible way, and let them know how your God can redeem even the worst of situations.
