Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Joseph

Gen
39 Joseph is framed by Potiphar's wife
40 Joseph interprets dreams while in prison
41 Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream and becomes 2nd in command of Egypt
42 Joseph reunites with his brothers
43 Joseph's brothers return to Egypt
44 Joseph tests his brothers
45 Joseph reveals himself
46 Jacob reunites with his favorite son

Biblical accounts will often thread a concept or idea in a story or emphasis. I don't think it's a coincidence that Joseph's cloak is a centerpiece of his story. At his introduction in Genesis, we learn that he was given a very valuable and significant gift from his father Israel in the form of a coat. His brothers were envious and later used it against him. And in Gen 39 we see Potiphar's wife taking his cloak and using it against him. Then later, Pharaoh gives Joseph robes of fine linen. (Gen 41:42)

In the Ancient Near East, your robe or cloak represented a lot of your identity. Remember, people didn't have numerous coats like most people have today. Each coat or cloak was original and different, and its owner sort of formed an identity with this piece of clothing, and it came to represent that person. It was customary in fact that when two people entered into a covenant (an ancient form of agreement) they would exchange coats as a symbol of exchanging or taking on the other person's identity.

So Joseph's identity changed in his story in Scripture between receiving his coat from his father, to it being taken by Potiphar's wife, and then given by the most powerful person in the land. These first two 'setbacks' involving his coat/identity were set ups for something greater later on in his life.

Joseph in chapter 45 tells his brothers that it wasn't them who had sent him away, but rather God. Others may be mistreating you, but remember you never know how God might be working through any circumstance in life.

No comments:

Post a Comment