Daily Bible Reading 4-29

Today we will read Genesis 46-48.  This reading has a lot of genealogy, which my kids enjoy.  They like to hear all the funny names and laugh.  This is OK with me.  We also see that the very young Israelite nation now numbered 70 people.  God's promise of making Abraham a great nation is being fulfilled.  Point this out to your children; God's promises aren't always instant.  


Another lesson that is worth talking about is the example of Ephraim and Manasseh.  So far we have seen a lot of sibling rivalry: Cain & Able, Isaac & Ishmael, Jacob & Esau, Joseph & his brothers, to name a few.  Now we come to the son's of Joseph and see the example of brotherly love.  There is no mention of them fighting.  In fact, when Jacob blesses them, he blesses the younger first and then the older to emphasizes the lack of hostility that these two had for one another.  As parents we could hope for nothing more than that our children would love each other unconditionally.  

Psalms 133:1 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is 

for brethren to dwell together in unity! 

What works for you?  What things have you done to help encourage the sibling bond rather than rivalry?