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gave evidence also of moral earnestness and firmness. He listened
to his father’s instructions, and loved to obey God. The qualities
that afterward distinguished him in Egypt—gentleness, fidelity, and
truthfulness—were already manifest in his daily life. His mother being
dead, his affections clung the more closely to the father, and Jacob’s
heart was bound up in this child of his old age. He “loved Joseph more
than all his children.”
But even this affection was to become a cause of trouble and
sorrow. Jacob unwisely manifested his preference for Joseph, and this
excited the jealousy of his other sons. As Joseph witnessed the evil
conduct of his brothers, he was greatly troubled; he ventured gently to
remonstrate with them, but only aroused still further their hatred and
resentment. He could not endure to see them sinning against God, and
he laid the matter before his father, hoping that his authority might
lead them to reform.
Jacob carefully avoided exciting their anger by harshness or sever-
ity. With deep emotion he expressed his solicitude for his children,
and implored them to have respect for his gray hairs, and not to bring
reproach upon his name, and above all not to dishonor God by such
disregard of His precepts. Ashamed that their wickedness was known,
the young men seemed to be repentant, but they only concealed their
real feelings, which were rendered more bitter by this exposure.
The father’s injudicious gift to Joseph of a costly coat, or tunic,
such as was usually worn by persons of distinction, seemed to them
another evidence of his partiality, and excited a suspicion that he
intended to pass by his elder children, to bestow the birthright upon
the son of Rachel. Their malice was still further increased as the boy
one day told them of a dream that he had had. “Behold,” he said, “we
were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also
stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made
obeisance to my sheaf.”
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“Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have domin-
ion over us?” exclaimed his brothers in envious anger.
Soon he had another dream, of similar import, which he also re-
lated: “Behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made
obeisance to me.” This dream was interpreted as readily as the first.
The father, who was present, spoke reprovingly—“What is this dream
that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed