Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Genesis 36-38, Matthew 21:1-22
Good Morning Friends!
Joseph and his coat of many colours. Every time I hear this story I think of my childhood Sunday School class with the felt board and paper people that stuck onto the board. I always picture the paper man Joseph with his brilliantly colourful patchwork coat. I cannot read these chapters without being thrown back in time.
As a child I used to think that Joseph's brothers were so mean!!! Just like my brother!! They teased him, pushed him around and didn't have any use for him - just like my brother treated me. As an adult, as I read these chapters, I wonder what the catalyst was for Joseph's brothers to take their "older brother annoyance" to the next level. Let's face it most older brothers think their younger siblings are annoying, spoiled and in the way. This was true back then and it's true today. I know my older brother felt all these things about me, but as we grew up, our relationship changed into a tried and true friendship. I'm sure he was tempted to sell me to the travelling gypsies at times - but never did! What about Joseph's brothers? Was it the dreams? Was it the prophecy? Was it simply God's Plan?
Going through reading this story today I wonder... was it truly God's plan for Joseph to be sold into slavery so HIS plan could advance? Was Joseph totally frightened while waiting in that dried out cistern or did he rest in trusting the God that sent him the prophetic dreams? I can just picture Joseph sitting inside that hot, dry dugout thinking, "Ok, they're just trying to scare me", "Any minute now they'll pull me out of here and we'll all laugh as we walk home to dad"... Then, imagine the fear as they haul him outta there and sell him off! I wish we could know what Joseph's reaction was as this was going on.
I have these moments sometimes. Where I feel as though I'm sitting in a dried out old cistern. There's people all around me, but just out of reach. I feel alone. I feel as though I am not in control of what's going to happen next. I know that someone needs to help me out of this place, but will I walk home in comfort, laughing and chatting alongside my sisters and brothers or will I be sent to a foreign place alone? Will I trust that God is beside me and I am walking in his plan - no matter which direction He sends me?
Father God, help me to trust your plan for my life - not my own plan. Whether I'm sitting in a dry cistern, walking alone into a foreign land, and even when I'm walking happily and easily in my safe place, remind me that you have a Plan! And that plan is actually not about me, it's about you and furthering YOUR plan and YOUR purpose. Thank you for this story of Joseph and teaching us that as we struggle, as we wander in scary places, your plan is redeeming and will restore us.
Tomorrow's passage: Genesis 39-40, Matthew 21:23-46
10 comments:
Great post, Jody, I thought of the felt board with the paper figures too!
It's sometimes hard to give up our own plans in favor of God's, that's for sure. After being separated from everyone you know and love, having everything precious to you taken away, and sold as a slave so that you don't even have a say in where you go or what you do, it would be very difficult to believe that this was all part of a plan better than any you could have made for yourself! But I'm getting ahead of the story.
I hear ya about feelin' like you're sittin' in the cistern, wondering what's going on above, never knowing when or IF you'll be hauled out. And what might happen AFTER that!
Joseph never seems to exhibit any fear and yet as a human, he must have at least been a LITTLE nervous until he was well settled in Potiphar's household!
Hello again, Ladies! I know some of you from last year, but some of you are new!
I've often thought about the thoughts, actions and "details" of the people in the Bible, that we don't get to read about. The stories behind the stories, if you will. Then I have to remember, that if God didn't include it, there is a reason. I think sometimes when we focus on the details, we miss the big picture. In this account of Joseph, the details are a mute point, I think. The idea is that even in what seems like the WORST situation, God is in full control, and will work it for His honor and glory.
I've had times where I've been in a situation where I felt so alone, and couldn't see how it could be a part of God's plan. Yet, He always uses it for something. Even if it's a lesson I needed to learn, or something I would use later in life to help someone else.
I've been doing a study in James, and it has been teaching me so much about the diety of God, and the way He works in a Christians life. There are truly no coincidences, no luck, no flukes. God has a reason for EVERYTHING. I pray I can remember this through the good times, and the bad!
And I guess that's exactly where the comfort lies - no matter if we get pulled out of the cistern to live "happily ever after" or get sold into slavery - God is in control.
Good thoughts there too Kristi! Sometimes we get too caught up in the details and then feel like our situation doesn't apply because it's so different, or because we reacted so differently.
God's sovereignty is amazing. He will work out His plan either way - whether we want to benefit from it by cooperating, or suffer because we fought against it, is our choice - but His plans will never fail!
Funny . . . a completely different passage today had me marveling about seemingly small "insignificant" details that are recorded in the Bible, while in other areas I have big questions that go unanswered. But the Bible is God-breathed, and He knew what He was doing in recording minute details and leaving gaps. Perhaps, like in music where the rests are as important as the notes, there are things to be learned from not only the recorded details but the gaps in information as well?
We went to see Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dream coat this summer and it interesting to see the story told on stage. Again, we see the whole sibling rivalry thing played out. I thought that it was admirable that Rueben didn't want to hurt Joseph and even tore his clothes when he found Joseph gone and yet he still went along with his brothers in lying to his father. I wonder what he was thinking during this exchange and if he ever thought of coming clean about the situation or even ratting out the brothers involved in the sale of Joseph.
Actually, it struck me as I read the account this time, that Reuben didn't even know, initially, that Joseph had been sold as a slave to traders passing through. He must have been tending sheep on the other side of the hill or something, because he seems genuinely ignorant of what has happened. I get the feeling he was the one brother who was never really okay with what transpired there that day. I wonder how often his guilt almost killed him in the intervening years before Joseph revealed himself to them many years later in Egypt.
I wanted to link to one of my favourite posts from last year. It was about Chapter 36, which at first glance is just a boring geneology, but after digging deeper, I found so much more!
http://bibleinayearandbeyond.blogspot.com/2010/01/january-13th-readings.html
Yes, BUT regardless of whether Rueben was there for the actual sale or not, he did go along with the lie to his dad. I am sure his guilt was heavy during the years until Joseph revealed himself.
Tammy - thanks for that link! I love that post! Those are some great thoughts. I'm going to go back and read it again... :)
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