It is nice to know that even those who had the benefit of literally having a conversation with God still acted like complete idiots a lot of the time. Abraham was told that Sarah would give birth to a child, that he would father many nations, but he still didn't, or couldn't bring himself to, believe God. So Sarah just gives him her servant and says, here, get her pregnant. That's just a horrible idea. And these were people who talked to God all the time!
Then Jacob, taking after his grandfather, did the same thing with both Rachel and Leah's servants. Plus, the whole having four wives thing was not the best. I always remember hearing about all of these people in the Bible, some of God's best, having wives and concubines, and just thinking that it was okay - that's how they did it back then. But reading it now, I realize that it was never okay. Just because these were God's people, that does not mean they did not make mistakes. Huge, glaring mistakes.
It is clear that these amazing people with amazing stories did selfish, foolish things. A lot. Even Joseph was prideful and boastful. His brothers were no picnic, but is it really any surprise they wanted to kill him, and ended up selling him?
On the one hand, it is kind of a bummer. These were the people who walked with God, who talked with God. If they couldn't even live fairly blameless lives, what kind of chance do we have? But on the other, much more important hand, it's great. We are not expected to be perfect. No one is perfect. But we are expected to always turn to God. Despite Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph's mistakes, God kept his promises to them. Somewhere later in the Bible it says God will never leave us, nor forsake us. After reading the first 40 chapters of Genesis, I'd say that's pretty obvious.
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