Week 3 Joseph

What made Joseph so special?

Joseph being the second to last born to Jacob certainly didn't give him any important standing in the family order. He was far from receiving the birthright as a result of his order. Rueben being the oldest was to receive the birthright, but lost it after he defiled his father’s bed. Each succeeding brother would have had reason to believe that the birthright should fall upon them; however, Jacob decided to place the birthright on Joseph.

Joseph was favored of his Father being the son of his beloved Rebekah. Jacobs’s gift of the coat of many colors was a sore spot for his brethren. It is believed that the coat was not important for its colors, but for what its style it may have represented. It is thought to have been a coat that would have signified the birthright as well as nobility. This certainly would have been salt in a wound with his elder brethren. We don't really know from early accounts but we can assume that Joseph would likely have been a

very obedient and diligent child from what we know of him later in his life, another reason for him to have been favored.

The one thing that stands out to me the most is the foreshadowing role of the Savior that Joseph plays. Joseph certainly was obedient and was committed to keeping the commandments. Joseph was also acquainted with grief and hardship early in his life. Most of all he literally was a Savior to Israel by saving them from the famine, by so doing he saved the house of Israel.

So what can we learn and apply from the account of Joseph. Another small takeaway that I found was, despite his hardships, God blessed his and all that his hand touched prospered. This is a blessing that is typical with those that humbly serve the Master and strive to follow him. Not all of life works out the way we would like it to but even our hardships can be turned into blessings that prosper and benefit us in mortality.