What shall we do now

We have arrived at Genesis 37. It’s been quite a journey, but I would ask you today to try, if you can, to forget your childhood impression of the story of Joseph and his technicolour coat of many colours, and see it again for what it says to us today.

So, where are we in the story of Genesis? Well, Jacob has settled back in his homeland, that is the land of Canaan. I wonder how many of us are in our homeland? That might be quite a number of us, those who have never moved from Glasgow, or if you have moved here from afar, you’ve been here for many a decade. What is like to be in your homeland? Comfortable, something you recognise, part of you perhaps? 

Anyway, we digress. Jacob and his many children are working the land with multitudes of animals – ok not with the variety of Noah and Joan. Jacob wasn’t his father’s favourite son, and traits like that seem to run deep. This was a fairly dysfunction family. If we were expecting to read of a perfect family, this isn’t going to happen. Jacob preferred Joseph and possibly Benjamin of the 12 sons Jacob had from his many wives. Being a favourite offspring isn’t something the child can choose. Being the one that is “blessed” isn’t a choice, and one that we can become very comfortable with, forgetting what it might be like for the rest of the family. 

Joseph, a young 17 year old, was one of the sheep herders. At such a tender age he wasn’t one to travel miles from home, his elder brothers could do that. When they were away they wouldn’t always follow the good ways, and Joseph would regale his father what they had been up to. Now, we could say that Joseph was a bit of a grass, a telltail, or a whistleblower. Joseph had the ear of his father so he was listened to. Soon, Jacob would present Joseph with a gift, a gift we have come accustomed to as a coat of many colours; however, the Hebrew is unclear, but it makes a fine musical.

Coat of many colours film : who plays the lead character here?

As you’ve seen, this gesture of the present did nothing to allay the distrust in Joseph’s brothers. Now, Joseph now has two dreams. Now, in my dreams this image is probably closer to the truth…>> What about your dreams?

The first dream of Joseph foretold that all his brothers would bow down to him eventually, they would report to him, he would be in charge. This was not received well, to say the least. Perhaps he should have kept that to himself.

“Keep those thoughts in your head” as my Mum would say.

My Mum!

So, Joseph has another dream, saying that all would bow down to him, even their Mum and Dad, and of course the brothers. Even his father was sceptical now, and, well, his brothers’ hatred was just going deeper and deeper. 

What do you make of Joseph’s attitude?

With the brothers in the field, many miles from home, Jacob decides that Joseph should go out to them, and he asks Joseph to check up on the brothers, and then report back. What could go wrong?

Joseph could initially find the brothers as they had moved onto pastures new, but a local friendly local directed Joseph to their new location. Ah, but he was potted approaching. Being so far from Dad, in fact civilisation, anything could happen to young Joseph – couldn’t it? The brothers hatched a plan involving wild animals eating Joseph, albeit the brothers were the ones who were going to kill their brother. 

One of the 11, Reuben, spoke up for his wee brother. Reuben’s amended plan was to just throw Joseph down a well and then rescue Joseph when the other brothers were out of sight. So, Joseph was bundled into the deep well – of course minus the coat. Bad planning – the well was bone dry. Fearing that Joseph might holler, scream and shout, they noticed a passing caravan of traders on camels, as you do. They had just crossed a single or double hump backed bridge.  These traders might just take Joseph off their hands and they get some money. Well, they negotiated and exchanged their wee brother for 20 pieces of silver. Kerching!

Joseph’s robe was stained in the blood of a goat and was sent back to their father by courier. Jacob grieved greatly for the loss of his favourite son. 

Joseph was now a commodity, something the traders could sell onto others- and they did, to the King of Egypt, Potiphar.  Potiphar was rich, exploitative and had a huge entourage of servants. Joseph would fit in well there, at the bottom of the pile. 

Ah, but Joseph’s over confidence was now changing, as he matured with all of life’s eventualities, that was becoming self-assurance. He was soon promoted to Potiphar’s PA. Everything smelt of roses, very different to how it smelt in the bottom of that well. Even Potiphar thought things were a-changing. Joseph was then promoted to become the King’s lead administrator for the whole nation.

Sadly, Potiphar’s wife was every attracted to young Joseph and tried everything to get him on her side, literally.  Nevertheless, Joseph refused.

Why is it that women – in the Bible – are seemingly to blame here? Think of Adam and Eve, David and Bathsheba, the woman caught in adultery with the unnamed man – what are your thoughts?

Well, she cries wolf one day when her advances are foiled yet again, and the guards find that she has Joseph’s cloak in her hand – “he left it as he departed…” she says.  She tells her husband everything : what is truth?

Joseph was thrown into the slammer. But despite the distinct change of food on the menu, he gets on well with the prison guard and is put in charge of the other prisoners. Back in the Palace, Potiphar’s resident cup-bearer and baker mess up big time and they join Joseph in prison. 

They, too, catch the dream bug. The cup-bearers dream was understood to mean that in 3 days they’d be restored to their previous status and privilege – as a servant. The baker eagerly awaits the meaning of their dream.  In 3 days you’ll sink even further down the food chain and die painfully. Well, the baker did die and the cup-bearer did return to the Palace, but the cup-bearer forgot all about Joseph.

What do you make of all that? In a sentence or 2, say what are the key things to come out of all this?

Joseph is young, aspiring but caught in a dysfunctional family and where his father is continuing the poor habits of his own father with favouritism. This instils within Joseph a feeling of over confidence. It is obvious that over confidence can lead to problems, as Joseph’s confidence exceeds what he actually is capable of doing. 

As the story unfolds, Joseph’s dreams are ones that speak of the future.  Note that our thoughts are not facts. Those thoughts can lead to a change in our emotions, but we need to recognise that all this can occur with us presuming that those initial thoughts are true. Check them out, make sure that they are rational. Speak to God about them. 

He suffers due to the bad behaviour of others, although a few of the brothers do actually see a way out for Joseph – but money clouds their judgement.  When does money cloud our judgement?

For biblical characters to become a success, part of the royal palace entourage, even rich may be seen as God’s favour, but surely with Jesus, we have seen that “Blessed are the poor, those that are humble, those who are hunger for justice, those who work for peace – for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5: 5-7)

Joseph, whilst within the palace, can ask one of two questions: Why me, God? Wow, have we ever asked that? Why am I, poor me, suffering so much – why can’t you just do something?

That other question was What shall we do now? Given what I have, and still with God, what can WE do now? Mandy & I stand at the doorway to something new, challenging, even frightening at times, but we can go forward : to thrive not merely survive.

Joseph holds close to that integrity even when all are conspiring against him. And Spoiler alert, all looks good for him in the next few chapters.  

His over-confidence has changed to self-assurance combined with trust in God, asking what shall we do now? as the way forward. He seeks to be continually transformed by God on his life journey.

Am I willing to be transformed? What shall we do now?