Day 15: Gen 43-45

It's not without a touch of irony, grim or humorous, that Joseph says this to his brothers: "Don't quarrel on the way!"

What an incredibly emotional story, culminating in much crying and weeping. Rather anti-thetical to the count of monte cristo which i just watched on tv (and still am quite fascinated by), where soul-corroding revenge is the order of the day. To me this passage speaks of forgiveness, the absence of bitterness. Seems to be the only appropriate way to respond to trials, to focus on God's plan. Must have been a bewildering few decades for Joseph (what an understatement). Why did God give me this dream and then have people hate me for it? Why am I being treated so unjustly? Why have I been forgotten? And then in one moment, just a regular day at work, distributing the grain, everything becomes clear when he sees his brothers face to face. I wonder what were the thoughts that ran through his mind, was there anger, vengenace, bitterness, even for a moment? I wonder how he felt as his brothers dawdled about returning to Egypt, it was apparently so long that they could have gone and come back twice. What did he do with Simeon during that time?

I guess things are best seen in retrospect. It sure took a long, painful journey to accomplish God's purposes. Do we point fingers too quickly? Do we expect immediate redemption? Do we shirk suffering? Yes to all, for me.

Bitterness and unforgiveness too.

Day 14: Gen 40-42

summary: cupbearer and baker dreams, interpreting pharaoh's dream and rising to prominence, family reunion

- joseph was really young! sold off at 17, a few years at Potiphar's, doing time, and then Pharaoh's right-hand man at 30.
- interpretation belongs to God. why do kings always have dreams that need interpreting? makes me mix up joseph and daniel.
- interesting how the "human resource" people were looking for someone "in whom is the spirit of God (or the gods)"
- i like how jacob tells his sons to get off their bums: "why do you keep just looking at each other?"
- they fail to recognize joseph, but they recognize their guilt and accept their punishment.
- heavy use of irony!
- Jacob's cry of "Everything is against me!". wow, how many times i've felt the same way... and yet God is behind the scenes, working His purpose. and it's silly really, he actually hasn't lost ANY of his sons!
- Reuben has the oldest child complex like me. Responsibility and duty-driven. He's even willing to stake his own 2 sons on it, can really see his guilt and how he's trying so hard to make good on the past mistakes.
- Jacob loved Rachel more, even values her children over the other children, and its so blatant.

Day 13: Gen 37-39

To summarise: jealousy, sex, sex.

37: Jealousy leads to murderous intent
38: Lust gives way to justice
39: Justice (seems to) give way to lust

- Jacob is favoured by Israel but hated by his brothers. Is it fair to draw the metaphor here that Christians are loved by God but hated by the world? Nah... i think that's stretching it a little.
- I thought chapter 38 was a bit out at first. Talking about Joseph, then suddenly sidetrack to Judah and Tamar and this odd bit about brothers taking on the widow so that there will be children, then back to Joseph again. Very bad scene editing it would seem. but then the "lust gives way to justice" and "justice gives way to lust" makes it sensible, at least to me.
- prostitution in the Bible! super drama, the Bible isn't boring or a storybook for kids. we all know the joseph story well, but this judah bit in-between the two segments is unknown, usually skipped over without a bat of an eyelid. we should not pick and choose what we like out of the Bible!
- what is it with twins? Perez and Zerah