Yesterday I posted a blog about the story of Joseph. Two people commented back, saying they didn’t think that Joseph had an arrogant attitude. After doing some more research, I found that there is not really a basis for saying that he had an attitude. I do think, however, if you read between the lines, Joseph may have been overly enthusiastic about sharing his dreams with his family. Perhaps that is what got him into trouble, but there is no place in scripture that says that he was arrogant about it.

      Most of the Bible is clearly written, but in some cases all the details are not given, leaving a little room for speculation. I will try to keep my posts in line with scripture, however, I am not God, so I may get a few things wrong. Preaching the Word is basically taking the truth of the Bible and giving it everyday application, and in that application we seek to identify with the people whose lives we read about in Scripture. How would I act toward my siblings if I were favored over them by my mother and father? Would I be able to remain humble? Or would I get an attitude? I guess that is just one of the questions we can ask ourselves, after looking at the life of Joseph.

    Another subject that was questioned from my post is the meaning of Jacob’s name. The name Jacob means: heel grabber or one who takes you by the heel. Taking a person by the heel is tricking that person. It’s almost like twisting someone’s arm to get them to do what you want. So the name Jacob does mean trickster.

    If you look at Jacob’s life, then you will see what I am talking about. Jacob tricked his brother into giving him his birthright. He tricked his father into giving him a blessing. He was a cunning man who didn’t know how to wait on God. So God took him through some painful trials until Jacob finally stopped taking back control and trusting God with all of his heart. By the end of Jacob’s life, God called himself, “The God of Jacob.”