My lectio divina of this passage:
Joseph is the 17 year
old favored son of Jacob and Rachel. Jacob gives Joseph a very special coat,
which might have been a type of vestment. At that time Joseph has at least 10
brothers and probably an equal number of sisters, although they not mentioned
directly. Jacob has fathered these offspring with tow wives and two servants of
the wives. It’s difficult to imagine what the family dynamics would be like
under those conditions. The issues of sibling rivalry, jealousy, and multiple
mothers, must have made life complicated for all members of the family. Out of
all the children, Joseph is the favored and “chosen” son of the favored wife
Rachel. Joseph was the long awaited child that came late in Jacobs and he gets
much more attention from his parents. Jacob sends Joseph on a trip to check up
on his brothers. I have to wonder why Jacob sent Joseph off alone to check up
on his brothers knowing his naive and boastful behavior would surely get him in
trouble with the older brothers.
Joseph goes off to find the brothers wearing the coat and brags
to his brothers about a dream he had. In his dream this brothers are bowing
down to him. It’s not hard to understand how showing up with a special garment
and sharing the dream about being in a position of power over his brothers was
not well received. Joseph was in a vulnerable position: alone, far from home, in
the presence of his brothers who mostly hated him. They sold him as a slave.
This was following his older brother talking them out of killing him. The brothers blooded Joseph's special coat and brought it back to show Jacob. They told him his beloved
Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
Joseph ends up in Egypt as a slave. In spite of many ups and
downs Joseph ends up in a position of great power in Egypt. Joseph has the gift
of prophecy and predicts a famine. The pharaoh believes Joseph and Egypt is
able to store grain prior to the five year famine. The famine happens and the
entire world is suffering. Jacob in his very old age sends ten of his sons to
Egypt for grain. Joseph and his brothers meet again. They don’t recognize Joseph, but
Joseph knows who they are, In spite of
the evil the brothers did to him, he felt compassion for them and helped them
by giving them grain and much more to bring back to their father. There is a
lot more to this story and the reader should read Genesis for the details. This
is a story of forgiveness. Joseph forgives the brothers the evil they did and
tells them that God brought good out of their evil by putting Joseph in a
position to save his family in the time of famine. Joseph brings his family to
Egypt and provides for all of their needs. Then Jacob dies. The brother fear
Joseph will turn on them now that the father has passed. The brothers think
Jacob only took care of them to please his father
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Joseph has now matured into understanding his chosen
position. He is no longer the young arrogant teenager. He now knows that being "chosen" is not about being in a position of power and prestige. It is about love
and service to others. Being chosen by God means responsibility for the
betterment of others. This is beautiful story of God's providence and
forgiveness.
Jacob blesses Joseph and gives him the coat.
Illustration by Owen Jones from "The History of Joseph and His Brethren" (Day & Son, 1869). Scanned and archived at www.OldBookArt.com where it was marked as Public Domain.
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