the least bit out of place among the dysfunctional familes of modern day society. His dad had four women living in the house all of whom he had sexual relationships with and who between them had produced 13 children. It was a family that had a long history of deceit, favoritism, rivalry and ill-feeling between and among its members and growing up in such an atmosphere modern day Psycologists would no doubt have expected and predicted that Jospeh’s character and conduct would very much reflect the environment in which he grew up. Such however was not the case as we see from the subsequent narrative. As I pointed out last week a person’s family background and the influences that are brought to bear upon them in their childhoodyear she remained barren. Her infertility must have been as much a source of distress to him as it was to rachel herself. And well now Jacob was getting well on in years and of course the older he got the less likely it became that Rachel would ever have a child. But then the day arrived when Rachel no doubt ecstatic with excitement and with joy broke the news to him that she was pregnant and over the ensuing months Jacob eagerly awaited the birth of this child. It was a boy. Just what he wanted. What Joy it must have brought to him. How special this little child was in his eyes. This was the frist child that was conceived as a result of true love,