偏爱
雅各在神的应许之地定居下来，这时他的家庭内部矛盾开始加剧。拉结，约瑟的母亲一直是雅各最爱的妻子（参创 29:30）。而这种偏爱现在开始影响下一代。约瑟是新的宠儿。他的梦显出他的傲慢，这不仅激怒了他的哥哥们，也激怒了他的父亲。这种刺激后来在家庭中造成了悲惨的后果。
有时候，当我们以为自己安定下来，开始在神面前成长的时候，过去的罪又会重现。也许我们以为自己已经忘记了婚姻中的挣扎，与同事愤怒的争吵，或上瘾的问题。我们被神的灵在我们生命中的工作所鼓舞。然而我们发现，我们仍会有挣扎和受试探的时刻，有时候我们会回到原来犯过的罪当中。
圣经并不是要讲已经“达到”与神同行境界的属灵伟人的故事，而是要讲神的故事，祂在人们生命中工作，救赎他们，因基督的缘故使他们得以完全。
更重要的是，我们的救主明白我们所有的试探和挣扎（参来 4:15）。神会继续祂对雅各的救赎之工，也会继续祂对你我的救赎之工。
天父，求你帮助我们。我们的罪和软弱有时强烈地抓住我们。求你怜悯我们，救赎我们，使我们因着耶稣得以完全。阿们。
创世记 37:1-11
1雅各住在迦南地，就是他父亲寄居的地。
2雅各的记略如下。约瑟十七岁与他哥哥们一同牧羊。他是个童子，与他父亲的妾辟拉、悉帕的儿子们常在一处。约瑟将他哥哥们的恶行报给他们的父亲。
3以色列原来爱约瑟过于爱他的众子，因为约瑟是他年老生的，他给约瑟做了一件彩衣。
4约瑟的哥哥们见父亲爱约瑟过于爱他们，就恨约瑟，不与他说和睦的话。
5约瑟做了一梦，告诉他哥哥们，他们就越发恨他。
6约瑟对他们说：“请听我所做的梦：
7我们在田里捆禾稼，我的捆起来站着，你们的捆来围着我的捆下拜。”
8他的哥哥们回答说：“难道你真要做我们的王吗？难道你真要管辖我们吗？”他们就因为他的梦和他的话越发恨他。
9后来他又做了一梦，也告诉他的哥哥们说：“看哪，我又做了一梦，梦见太阳、月亮与十一个星向我下拜。”
10约瑟将这梦告诉他父亲和他哥哥们，他父亲就责备他说：“你做的这是什么梦！难道我和你母亲、你弟兄果然要来俯伏在地，向你下拜吗？”
11他哥哥们都嫉妒他，他父亲却把这话存在心里。
Favoritism
"Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons. . . ." - Genesis 37:3
As he settled down in the land God had promised, Jacob's struggles within his own family intensified. Rachel, Joseph's mother, had always been Jacob's favorite wife (see Genesis 29:30). And that favoritism now began to affect the next generation. Joseph is the new favorite, and his dreams reveal an arrogance that irritates not only his brothers but his father as well. This irritation would later bear tragic fruit in the family.
Sometimes our past sins reappear just when we think we have begun to settle and grow in our life before God. Perhaps we thought we had left behind our marriage struggles, our angry exchanges with a coworker, or our struggles with addiction. We have been encouraged by the work of God's Spirit in our life. Yet we discover that we still have moments of struggle and temptation, and we sometimes return to the same old sins in our lives.
The Bible is not a story about spiritual superheroes who have "arrived" in their walk with God. It is God's story of working in people's lives, redeeming and restoring them to wholeness for the sake of Christ.
What's more, we have a Savior who understands all our temptations and struggles (see Hebrews 4:15). God would continue to work for Jacob's redemption, and he will continue to work for our salvation as well.
Heavenly Father, help us. Our sins and weaknesses sometimes keep such a grip on us. Be merciful to us, redeem us, and make us whole for Jesus' sake. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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