This morning I want to spend a few moments talking about families. And to do that, I want us to look at a family in the Bible. It is the family of the Old Testament character, Joseph. Joseph's family was an imperfect one much like yours and mine. So we start with Genesis, Chapter 37, verse 1.

"Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bihah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph had brought a bad report of them to their father."

Israel, Joseph's father, is also known to us as Jacob. Two different names, same character. Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children because he was the son of his old age. Israel had made Joseph a long robe with sleeves--or as some translations put it, a heavily ornamented rob…