This teaching looks at sibling rivalry as played out in the household of Israel.

Genesis 37:3-4  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

In this passage Jacob/Israel makes it abundantly clear who his favorite child is. Although the other sons came from different mothers, they all came together against Joseph, Israel‘s favorite son. That rivalry put Israel‘s favorite son in serious jeopardy, almost got him killed and ultimately got him sold into slavery.

In many ways, Joseph is representative of how Father will take the worst circumstances that have occurred to us in our lives and work them out to our good, if we believe Him and allow it to happen.