Genesis 37, 39-41: Joseph's rollercoaster
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| Photo by S W: https://www.pexels.com/photo/roller-coaster-at-dusk-15236019/ |
We now turn in earnest to the account of Jacob's family, and Rachel's elder son Joseph plays what appears to be the star role for three out of the next four chapters. It's a dramatic story of a young man with a dream, misunderstood and rejected, going through various adventures, getting into scrapes but eventually rising his way to the top. There's a complete cast of mean and stupid brothers, some mysterious travelling traders, the pompous capitalist, the seductive wife and the rock'n'roll king....hang on a minute...that's the first act of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, loved by my children and known off by heart by my family.
The Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers is far more than the romantic story of a young man with a dream. It is not Joseph's dream and desire, but God's. God's plan to work in and through the fallen world that had rejected him.
But before we get onto that, imagine for a minute that you are Joseph. One moment, all is well. You are your father's favourite and he's just kitted you out in the most expensive cloak money can buy. But the next thing, you find your brothers trying to kill you, only to be 'saved' at the last minute by being sold into slavery when your brothers find they'd rather have the money. However, once you get sold and settled into your new life, things surprising take a turn for the better - you've found favour with your master and your career is on the up. But then it's down again - you get framed for something you didn't do by your master's wife, who, scorned by your unwillingness to come to bed with her, accuses you of making advances to her. So, it's down to the bottom again, in prison this time and probably for life. However, there's one last 'up' - you meet some servants of the king and interpret their dreams for them. It takes many events for the forgetful cupbearer whose dream you interpreted to remember you to the king - it takes the king having a dream himself, in fact. In a massive turn of events, you find yourself before the king, interpreting his dream, and then being in charge of the country - the falls and rises could not be greater!
I cannot imagine what all this would have done to my head if it had been me. I imagine a deep ingrained resentment of one's brothers would be the first natural reaction. Then possibly a tendency to grab tight-fistedly to everything that did come your way. Maybe a feeling of always being the victim in the downs but pride on the ups. You would probably feel as if the world owed you something. However, there is nothing of this in Joseph. His personality, good or bad, is not an obvious one, but we see him setting to his work diligently, and refusing to be allured by an attractive woman (which, I might add, was a failure of other Biblical figures - e.g. King David!).
Why? Well, the musical Joseph gets one thing right when he sings children of Israel are never alone. Genesis 39:2 and 39:21 both say: the Lord was with Joseph. And Joseph knew it - not just on the ups, but in the downs as well. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? (39:9) he says - knowing that whatever his status, there is one above him, and that he does not fear the fall because there is one to catch him. He does not become conceited with regard to his ability to interpret dreams either, saying: Do not all interpretations belong to God? (40:8) and I cannot do it...but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires (41:16).
Does Joseph know why God has brought him to Egypt - he seems to understand by Genesis 50 (spoliers!), but at this point he may well be puzzled as to what God can be trying to achieve through this. But he clearly knows that his God is one who is in control. When he names his sons he gives God the glory, knowing that it was him who carried him through (41:51-52).
When we're on the rollercoaster, it can seem like nothing is constant and there is nothing to hold on to, and there's no denying that the descents are terrifying and the lows are painful. However, for the Christian, we know that there is a God who is constant, who has a plan. That when we finally get to see things from his perspective the giant rollercoaster will seem like but a tiny bump. We will not cease to feel the pain or the fear, but can learn to also trust in the constancy of God at the same time and see the rollercoaster for what it is. It is that that protected Joseph from both resentment and pride and caused him to come out praising, and it can do the same for us too.
If he'd been around today, maybe he'd have been blasting out this old classic:
Blessed be Your nameIn the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's "all as it should be"
Blessed be You name
And blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out I'll
Turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
(Song credit: Matt and Beth Redman)
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