(Catch up on the series here.)

It’s a parent’s job to teach children to be independent, responsible adults.

Jacob found out there was food in Egypt and said to his sons, Why do you sit around here and look at one another? I’ve heard that there is food in Egypt. Go down there and buy some so that we can survive and not starve to death. (42: 1-2, MSG)

At this point in the story, Joseph’s brothers were grown men, not teenagers or even young adults. These were men who should have been able to think for themselves, to make decisions concerning their own well-being. Instead, they waited for their father to tell them what to do.

There are people who spend their entire lives doing exactly as their parents tell them because they never learned to be independent or responsible. Their parents never taught them to think for themselves or to problem solve. This is a common trait among dysfunctional families.

It’s our job as parents to make sure our children are independent, responsible, functioning members of society who can, at minimum, take care of themselves when they reach adulthood.

Jacob did himself and his sons a disservice by not teaching them to be independent. After all, what parent wants to reach old age and still be telling their healthy, adult children to feed themselves?

Tomorrow, we’ll look at a possible reason why Jacob parented his children the way he did.