This is the first in a series of studies about “The Life of Joseph”.
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The Life of Joseph – Day 1
Genesis 30:22-24
Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”
The Thought
Joseph was the 1st son of his mother Rachel, but the 11th son of his father Jacob who was later renamed Israel by the Lord (Genesis 32:28). Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel many years previously, but had suffered from a deceitful father in law. Some suggest that the waiting was divine punishment for the way he, encouraged by his mother, had tricked his father and cheated his brother out of this birthright as the eldest son (Genesis 25).
Rachel had watched jealously as her sister and two maidservants had given birth to several babies from Jacob. She found it hard to conceive, and she blamed Jacob saying to him: give me children or I die (Genesis 30:1).
Once Joseph Rachel’s firstborn was born, we might have thought that she would be happy at last, but no! The last words above tell us that her reaction was to ask for a second son!
We cannot imagine today the deep desire and the importance to women to give birth in Biblical times. The world needed to be populated, and each child born was considered a blessing. In many Jewish families today there is the same importance, particularly for sons to produce sons in order to keep the family name.
Action
Read Genesis 30 today and think of yourself in Rachel’s position, if you are female, and Jacob’s position if you are male.
Pray today for any you know who cannot have children and are feeling rejected and dejected because they cannot conceive naturally.
Praise God for developments in modern science that help many who are longing to be parents.
Thank God for your own family whether you know them all or not, and praise Him for the plans He has for each person.
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