Tag: Joseph

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Patriarchs and Matriarchs – The Start of Captivity

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them” … So, they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor. Exodus 1:8-11

In today’s passage, we have moved into the third phase In our biblical timeline: The Exodus. Many generations have passed since Joseph was in charge of Egypt. Joseph and his brothers have had children, and those children have had children. They are no longer just a big extended family; the Israelites are a whole ethnic group.

The new Pharaoh in Egypt has become nervous about these Israelites. The Egyptians do not want to share power with these immigrants. They are viewed as a threat even though they have done nothing to deserve it. So, a plan is developed. The Israelites will be oppressed. The process begins with forced labor but grows to include other acts of violence, terror, and even ethnic cleansing. This is the first documentation of Jewish oppression, but far from the last time that they will suffer. They will face persecution from nearly every nation right up to today.

Unfortunately, human history is filled with horrors of slavery and genocide. These moments seem to follow a very specific formula. There are two groups of people, and the leaders of one group spread fear about the other group, that they are dangerous or corrupt and need to be controlled. If we don’t get them under control now, then they will be our downfall. And slavery is not just a relic of the past. It’s thought that more than 40 million people live in slavery today.

What we learn from the Exodus is that God is on the side of the oppressed, not the side of the oppressor. God is not just concerned with our spiritual salvation but our bodily liberation. Christianity is not just about believing the right things. In Luke 4, Jesus uses his first sermon to proclaim freedom for the prisoners to set the oppressed free. Today, take time to examine the news. Where do you hear voices of fear and oppression, and where do you hear voices of liberation? Which voice will you listen to?

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Patriarchs and Matriarchs – From Harm to Good

“I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Genesis 45:4-5

The story of Joseph is not just a rags to riches story. It’s more of a riches to rags to riches story. Joseph is one of the youngest sons of Jacob, grandson to Isaac, and great-grandson to Abraham. He started out life as the favorite child and his father gave him a beautiful coat to distinguish them from his brothers. Now, I’m sure that your parents never played favorites, but as you can imagine, this didn’t go over very well.

Fueled by jealousy, his brothers kidnapped him and sold him into slavery. He worked his way up as a slave but was eventually wound up in prison through no fault of his own. After years of ups and downs, Joseph made his way to the court of pharaoh in Egypt. He became second in command over the biggest empire in the world at the time. Eventually, he reunited with his brothers when they came to beg for food from the Egyptians.

Sibling rivalry is a powerful force. In Genesis, we have seen brothers scheme against one another, even kill each other out of envy. Joseph’s brothers intended to hurt him. They wanted to punish him. But God took their evil actions and was able to use something terrible for a good purpose. Joseph ends up forgiving his brothers saying, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…”

Our God is powerful and creative enough to take even our most terrible sins and use them for his purpose. This is one of the biggest themes of the Christian story. In fact, that is exactly the story of the cross. The Romans and Jewish authorities intended for the cross to destroy the Jesus movement. They wanted Jesus dead and his followers scattered. But God used the evil of the cross to bring about salvation for the entire world. What some intended for harm, God used for good. How might God be turning your difficult situation into something good?