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Genesis 37-50 – Temptations of Dysfunctional Families #9
Being sinned against can be so traumatizing and frightening that I believe God has created a self-defense mechanism. Many victims of sexual abuse block the memories. In time, when God believes we are ready, He allows the memories to surface through dreams and vague memories. The temptation is to continually tamp down the memories, to keep them forgotten, hidden, in the dark and out of mind. In other forms of dysfunction such as favoritism, we are tempted to deny their sin so we can deny the pain and continue the relationship. We excuse them or blame ourselves. In favoritism we might just think if only we had tried harder, been better, or looked nicer. Joseph did not need this gift of forgetfulness from God. He recognizes his brothers the first time he sees them (42.7).
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