Genesis 37, 39-41
Have you noticed the irony in the biblical accounts so far? Lot chooses what seems to be best, but it ends up going up in sulphur (think stink) and flames. Abraham is to be the father of a great nation, but can’t have children. Jacob is chosen over Esau, but Esau is the more virtuous of the two. In contemporary terms, Rachel is hot and Leah is not, but it is Leah who has the blessed life and carries more of the family line while Rachel dies in tragedy. It seems clear from the outset that God’s choosing and one’s giftedness are to be held with a sense of looseness (not taking ourselves too seriously) and humility (we don’t know how things will turn out or what impact we will have on others). Now we come to the story of Joseph. The natural and spiritual gifts of Joseph will be much more obvious than those of his dad (Jacob) and his granddad (Isaac). This story will also have its share of deception and manipulation, but even more, it is about ambition. Ambition can be very positive when it is directed for others and led by the Spirit. But that’s certainly not where it starts out for Joseph!
The coat of many colors was a special gift to Joseph because he was Rachel’s firstborn and because, as Genesis 37 says, Joseph was born in Jacob’s old age. Favoritism is always a problem among siblings, and this blatant favoritism is made worse with Joseph flaunting his special status. The irony of the story of Joseph’s dreams is that they will eventually come true. The problem is the way Joseph handles his dreams. I’ll never forget my mentor in candidacy for the ministry when he said, “Preaching in front of a large group of people is a pretty good thing for the ego, isn’t it? You get to speak “for God!” That was the first statement that man said to me right after, “Hi, my name is Phillip Royal.” Obviously, his point has stuck with me, and each Sunday morning, I must be willing to cast aside selfish ambition and seek God’s best for those who hear what I share in the name of Christ.
Joseph’s brothers have decided to kill him, but Rueben spares his life, not knowing that the other brothers will sell him into slavery. Then the Midianites who bought him, resell him to the Egyptians. How the mighty have fallen! The scene between father Jacob and his sons is downright pitiful, with deception taking its most cruel role.
At this point of the story, the plan of God to use Joseph as a great ruler seems to have been thwarted…but hold that thought. But before things get better, they get worse. By Genesis 39, Joseph has developed into a hunk – must have taken after his mom. Potiphar’s wife attempts to seduce him and when she fails to do so, she accuses him of the advance, which lands him in prison. It is there, at the very lowest point of his low and the apparent ridiculousness of his dreams, that God starts the plan of developing a leader. The gift of knowledge is strong in Joseph, displayed mainly in dreams. He also seems to show a strong capacity for discernment, which will show up later in the story.
Genesis 40 tells the dreams of his prison mates, the cupbearer and the baker. Joseph interprets the dreams and what he tells them as a word of knowledge (a spiritual gift) comes true. The cupbearer enjoys that he is restored to his old position, but forgets Joseph. The baker dies in just the way Joseph said. So here is Joseph, still a dreamer and interpreter of dreams, but sold into slavery, cast into prison and forgotten. Much as in the story of Abram and Sarai, the principals in the story are having to exhibit great patience with the plan of God. Anybody else have trouble waiting on the LORD?
In Genesis 41, Pharaoh is the one who dreams and only Joseph can interpret for him. Pharaoh is so impressed that he makes him “second-in-command.” He becomes the main administrative leader over Egypt, making sure the nation gathers enough food in the seven years of plenty that they will be able to survive the seven years of famine. Here we see that dormant in Joseph was the gift of administration. He could organize people for productive action and motivate them to do it. Because his gift is discovered, developed and deployed, there will be food for the Egyptians and for other surrounding countries. He was blessed to be a blessing. How old was Joseph when he had his ambitious dreams in Genesis 37? He was seventeen. How old was he in Genesis 41? He was thirty, quite a young age for such responsibility. And he thought, as does the reader, that the plan of God for Joseph was dead. The LORD sure can move quickly…even if there was thirteen years of waiting.
How has the Lord blessed you to be a blessing? How has selfish ambition played a role in your life and how has God grown you through some difficult experiences? How has the LORD put you in places, situations and relationships you never thought would happen? What gifts are you starting to spot that are developing as your relationship with God develops? The plot thickens tomorrow.
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