An Imperfect Family Series

WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS: AN IMPERFECT FAMILY

A. Today we are beginning our Summer Sermon Series about the LIFE of Joseph from Genesis 37-50, titled:

“WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS.” Today we’ll be looking at Joseph’s “IMPERFECT FAMILY”.

1. Of course, the theme: “When Life is the Pits”, is DERIVED from the EVENT that took place when JOSEPH was THROWN into a PIT by his jealous BROTHERS, which we will STUDY next week.

2. Metaphorically speaking, however, LIFE CAN BE THE PITS.

a. EVENTS, RELATIONSHIPS and SITUATIONS don’t always TURN OUT the way we would

LIKE.

b. Like Joseph, we all START OUT in the PIT of BEING HUMAN—living in a FALLEN WORLD

with a FALLEN HUMAN NATURE of doing our OWN THING and going our OWN WAY.

c. And the RESULTS? A LIFE THAT IS THE PITS!

B. What do we know about Joseph?

1. Joseph is the eleventh son of Jacob, the grandson of Isaac and the great-grandson of Abraham.

a. He is Joseph’s FAVORITE SON, and his BROTHERS know it.

b. The FAVORITISM shown to Joseph by his FATHER, had created a SHARP DIVISION between JOSEPH and his BROTHERS.

2. The opening verses that records the Life of Jacob and his SONS, cut straight to the chase revealing the

TENSION in this HOME- Genesis 37:1-11 (READ).

a. This is what FAMILY COUNSELORS would describe as a DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY.

b. Yet, what these eleven verses reveal about the extent of the DYSFUNCTION in Joseph’s family, is

just the TIP of the ICEBERG.

COMMENT:

Joseph had three STEPMOTHERS, ten HALF-BROTHERS, one FULL-BROTHER, and a

HALF-SISTER—all LIVING in the HOME at the same time.

His father, Jacob, though generally GODLY, embraced the POLYGAMY that was common in

the day which opened the door to JEALOUSY, INSECURITY and almost constant CONFLICT

among his WIVES.

Jacob was also a PASSIVE PARENT, whose lack of INVOLVEMENT and LEADERSHIP

brought incredible PAIN and CONFUSION to his family.

As a result, Joseph’s BROTHERS took turns being BRUTAL, CONNIVING, and OPENLY

IMMORAL.

c. And that’s just Joseph’s IMMEDIATE FAMILY.

COMMENT:

I don’t even have time to talk about the DECEITFUL LIES of Great-grandfather Abraham that put his wife Sarah’s LIFE and MORAL INTEGRITY in jeopardy, not once but twice.

Nor do we have time to dig into how Grandma Rebekah put his DAD up to STEALING his Uncle Esau’s BIRTHRIGHT.

Nor how Grandaddy Laban SWAPPED sisters on his Dad’s WEDDING NIGHT.

C. The PIT OF FAMILY DYSFUNCTION dominated by “lying, deceit, immorality, idolatry, violence,

favoritism and manipulation”, is where Joseph finds himself.

1. And you thought your FAMILY was DYSFUNCTIONAL!

2. The TRUTH is, there are no PERFECT FAMILIES because there are no PERFECT PEOPLE.

COMMENT:

We are ALL SINNERS, and as a result, there will be ISSUES in our FAMILY—some worse than others. Now, it is TRUE that living in an EXTREME dysfunctional family, as did Joseph, could be very difficult to LIVE FOR GOD. But we will LEARN that although it may be DIFFICULT to maintain a FAITHFUL RELATIONSHIP with God in such a FAMILY, it is not IMPOSSIBLE.

3. Joseph was FAITHFUL in an IMPERFECT FAMILY and we want to EXAMINE his life throughout this SERIES to see what INSIGHTS we can GAIN for our own lives, even WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS.

MESSAGE:

I. JOSEPH’S FAMILY

A. His FATHER

1. Although Jacob was the Father of 12 sons and one daughter, he was WEAK and INEFFECTIVE

as a DAD—the classic PASSIVE PARENT.

a. When Joseph was very YOUNG, a GREAT TRAGEDY had befallen this FAMILY.

ILLUSTRATION:

As they were traveling across country, “Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, was RAPED by the son of the ruler of Shechem”- Genesis 34:1-2. So, what did JACOB do when he HEARD that his DAUGHTER had been VIOLATED? NOTHING!

b. But when his SONS learned what had happened to their SISTER they were deeply GRIEVED

and FURIOUS.

ILLUSTRATION:

Realizing that their DAD was going to do NOTHING, they TOOK EXTREME MATTERS in their own hands. They devised a PLAN, and in utter rage ATTACKED and KILLED every MALE in that city, PLUNDERING all their WEALTH and CARRYING OFF their WOMEN and CHILDREN.

c. Once again, when Jacob learned of the MURDER and BRUTALITY that his SONS committed, he did NOTHING to CORRECT his SONS, but only FRETTED that his REPUTATION would be RUINED and that the Canaanites might seek RETRIBUTION.

2. Not only was Jacob a PASSIVE PARENT who didn’t take an ACTIVE INTEREST in his children’s

LIVES, but for 17-years his older SONS had WATCHED as he played FAVORITES with Joseph.

a. “Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born

to him in his old age…”- v. 3a.

ILLUSTRATION:

Joseph’s mother was Rachel. Of his four WIVES, Rachel was Jacob’s FAVORITE—the