Reading Genesis Will Make You Feel Good About Your Family Dysfunction
Reading Genesis and Family Dysfunction
I love the Bible and have read it many times, in many different ways, throughout my life. Until recently, I had never read it in chronological order. So in December, I began reading The Chronological Study Bible.
Before diving into Genesis, I read the introduction and every instructional note explaining how the contributors determined the order of the text—what was included, why it was placed where it was, and how the historical and cultural context shaped their decisions. Study Bibles offer us incredible tools that are often overlooked, so I did what I encourage others to do: I read everything.
If you haven’t listened to my How to Study the Bible series on HER Podcast, it’s a helpful companion to this process. In one episode, I talk specifically about the value of understanding historical and cultural background when studying Scripture 👉How the Historical and Cultural Background Help Discover the Bible’s True Meaning
After reading Genesis and summarizing each chapter —I was struck by the degree of family dysfunction in the book and how clearly its message is encapsulated in the final chapter:
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good,
in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
Genesis 50:20
What a way God chose to wrap up the book of Genesis!
Genesis tells the story of humanity’s brokenness and moral depravity alongside God’s good and redemptive plan to save. After years of studying Scripture, I’ve seen this message not only as Genesis’ message, but in all of the Bible. From beginning to end, Scripture reveals a faithful God who pursues, redeems, and restores broken people—people like us.
Humanity’s Brokenness and Moral Depravity
We all know that sin entered humanity’s story almost as soon as we stepped onto the scene of God’s creation. From the beginning, something was broken. Man’s sin nature was present—and Scripture wasted no time exposing it. But when reading Genesis this time, what struck me most was not only that sin existed, but how it consistently I saw family dysfunction play out.
If we are brutally honest, nearly every one of us would admit that our families carry some level of brokenness. Genesis reminds us that this is not just our family’s problem, nor is it a modern one. Family dysfunction has existed since the very first family.
Family pain cuts deep because family shapes us. We are formed, wounded, influenced, and marked by those closest to us. Within families there is both good and bad—things that build us up and things that pierce us deeply. So if you have ever looked at your family and thought, “We are so messed up,” Genesis gently reminds us: this isn’t a your-family issue—it is a human issue.
Take a glimpse into the families of Genesis:
Adam and Eve — Blamed one another for the consequences of their own sin
Cain and Abel — Jealousy divided the first siblings, and the first family experienced the devastation of the first murder
Abraham and Sarah — Abraham used Sarah as a shield, putting her in harm’s way by asking her to lie about her true identity
Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar — Impatience with God’s promise led to decisions that brought lasting pain and division into their household
Isaac and Rebekah — Favoritism and fear fractured their family for generations
Jacob, Rachel, Leah, and Laban — Deception, rivalry, longing for love, and manipulation shaped this family’s story
Dinah, daughter of Leah — Violence and vengeance multiplied suffering rather than bringing healing or justice
Jacob’s household—the twelve tribes of Israel — A family so complex and broken it took thirteen chapters of Genesis to tell their story
All of this is to say: you are not alone if your family is complicated, fractured, or at the very least, not all that you hoped. And your family is never too broken to be included in God’s redemptive story.
Recurring Patterns: Jealousy and Its Damage
Throughout the generations of families in Genesis, repeated patterns of brokenness emerge—patterns that still damage families today. One of the most prominent is jealousy.
It began with Cain and Abel. Cain grew jealous when God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected his. That jealousy, left unchecked, ultimately led him to murder his brother.
We see a different expression of jealousy between sisters, Rachel and Leah—both competing for Jacob’s affection and for identity and worth. Rachel had Jacob’s love but no children. Leah had children but lacked Jacob’s love. In both cases, unmet desires fueled comparison and rivalry, leading them to strive for fulfillment even at the expense of one another.
Jealousy surfaced again with Joseph and his brothers. Joseph’s favor, dreams, and position stirred resentment that grew into animosity and hatred. It is painful to watch how jealousy escalated to the point where all ten brothers were willing—on some level—to see him dead. Even moments of restraint among the brothers seem tied more to self-preservation or personal gain. Once again, jealousy opened the door to deep betrayal within a family. This is the height of family dysfunction.
Our Human Messes Today
The struggles we see in Genesis are still lived out in our lives today. Why is it so easy to focus on what we lack rather than what we have? No matter our story, we tend to fixate on what is missing.By nature, we are self-centered—and jealousy feeds on that self-focus.
From the beginning until now, jealousy has cost families more than anyone ever intended to pay.
Interestingly, Genesis refuses to clean up these stories. Instead, it gives us a clear picture of how broken we are as humans—as parents, siblings, and families. God is not afraid of our mess. He is not overwhelmed by it or inadequate to handle it.
God chose these broken families, with evil and hardship working within their stories, to reveal Himself and His redemptive plan. And He continues to take what was meant for evil in our lives and our families and use it to awaken us to our need for Him—and to accomplish His purposes of redemption and salvation.
If you are walking through any kind of family pain, I invite you to take a moment and pray this prayer:
Heavenly Daddy,
Thank You for Your word that reminds us of our desperate need for You. We lift our families to You and ask You to work in the broken places. Redeem our mistakes and failures relating to those we love. Transform us individually and as a family to reveal and reflect Your nature and redemption, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
