Genesis 37:1 - 39:23
I couldn't resist...it's my wife's favorite musical.
I even got to perform it several years ago. I had the role of Pharaoh...and either Reuben or Dan, I don't remember which brother.
Anyway...
The start of the story of Joseph is interesting to me in that we're told it is the account of Jacob.
I would take that to mean that at least in part we're going to learn something about Jacob by reading about Joseph.
So as I read it:
37:2 This is the account of Jacob
Joseph tattles
37:3 Jacob loved Joseph the most gives him a coat
37: 5-11 Joseph has to cocky dreams that make the family mad
37:14 Jacob send Joseph to "check on" his brothers who are working while he is not
I suppose what I see of Jacob is that he is not the world's greatest dad. He seems to have no clue about what is going on with his kids...OR he is so far beyond being able to keep them in line that he is using Joseph as his spy...in either case NOT GOOD.
Obviously the brothers are dealing with more than average sibling rivalry when Joseph shows up. Maybe they're also worrying about their family history and folks absconding with dad's blessing?
In any event Reuben has always seemed to me like he is stepping up...give Joe some grief then cut him some slack.
Judah seems to be in it for the money...of course he may be thinking about how to afford shrine prostitutes.
The interjection of the story of Judah in chapter 38 seems like an odd addition but if I read it as "the account of Jacob" then maybe it is further indictment of him as a dad.
It seems obvious that God wants to knock some of the cockiness out of Joseph.
But Joe is at least smart enough not to bite the hand that feeds him when Potiphar's wife comes after him.
Of course you might expect that God would bless Joseph for his obedience there...instead He throws him in jail. Apparently the boy still had somewhat to learn.
Once again it seems God is looking into something deeper than actions and words when He decides to bless or withhold blessing.
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1 comment:
A. I'm thankful that I don't live in OT times for a lot of reasons. But, especially tonight beacuse of the whole multiple wives, sleep with your Father-in-law/brother-in-law thing. Gag me.
B. Could chapter 38 be there to show what kind of time progression we're looking at? Could Joseph have gone immediately to being in charge of Potiphar's whole house? Is there a way to know how many years went by? We could be looking at what, 20 something years?
C. "Of course you might expect that God would bless Joseph for his obedience there...instead He throws him in jail. Apparently the boy still had somewhat to learn."
Would you say this about all the men in the Bible who were imprisoned? I think a lot of times God's blessing here on earth is different than what we expect, and can often look like the opposite of a blessing in our human eyes. From the end of 20-23 it seems to be clear the Lord is blessing him. Despite the circumstances. So, maybe the prison thing is because God's will, kingdom, church... is advanced when one of his people can be faithful in a situation that is less than desirable. Maybe before he could go to prison, he had to prove that he had learned his lesson?
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