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Day 14, or January the 14th.

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Joseph is the favorite, and it shows.

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Our thought today is rooted in Genesis chapter 37 verse 3.

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Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him

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in his old age, and he made an ornate robe for him.

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Here's the big picture surrounding this verse.

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Ten of the sons of Jacob, now called Israel, are grown men, and working hard in the family

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business.

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Jacob's two babies are still at home.

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Joseph is just a teenager, and his younger brother Benjamin, who is no more than a child.

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The ten brothers, plus the two youngsters, will eventually grow into the twelve tribes

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of Israel.

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Joseph is a bit of a dreamer, and naively shares his amazing dreams with his brothers,

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who instantly dislike him because of them.

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To cap it all, he is given an ornate robe, better known today as the Technicolor Dream

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Coat.

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The design of it is such that you can't wear it and work at the same time.

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Only the heir to the family fortune will wear such a garment.

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And as the eleventh of twelve brothers, it doesn't seem right to them that it is worn

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by Joseph.

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His brothers sell him into slavery, and tell his father that wild animals have killed him.

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This news almost kills the old man.

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Joseph serves in Egypt in the house of Potiphar, but is unfairly dismissed and thrown into

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jail.

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And now our action step for today.

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It's acceptable to have a favorite chair at home.

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It's okay to have a favorite book or a favorite meal.

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But it is totally unacceptable to have a favorite child, and even worse, to make it public.

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In every family there are times when one child is more likable than their brother or sister,

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but all of them are to be equally loved.

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Liking is something we can choose to do or not.

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Loving is a commandment that Jesus gave us, and we have no choice.

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Even when we don't like someone, we are commanded to love them.

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So be as lovable as you know how today, and make it easy for someone to love you.