Joseph, as in the dreamer, servant, prisoner, leader dude

I am reading through the bible in chronological order this year (please allow me to clarify, I have NEVER read all the way through the bible in ANY year…so this is a yet to be tested saying) However, I am into the Joseph story in Genesis as of today’s reading. It was interesting to have the book of Job inserted into my Genesis reading just before Abram became Abraham, but that is another story. Today I want to think about Joseph.

Joseph, one of Jacob’s (Israel’s) sons (one of the 12 tribes of Israel that you have never heard of because two of his sons make up “half tribes” Manasseh and Ephraim) has always been one of my favorite people in the bible. Here’s a guy favorited by his father among his brothers resulting in jealousy, envy and strife. Joseph was a “daddy’s boy” if there ever was one. Joseph’s story is one that causes us to really think through the struggles in our own lives and our responses to those struggles. Heck, his weren’t struggles, there were down right treacherous things that happened to him though mostly no fault of his own. Yet he remained as faithful a man to God through it all that I know of in the bible. He did it with integrity, righteousness, friendship, and a bit of family dysfunction (Have you read about Abraham, Isaac and those weird family dynamics? He came by it rightly, but don’t we all Joseph remains today one of my heroes. I look forward to reading tomorrow how he get’s sold into slavery at Potiphar’s house and how God uses him so wonderfully despite his mis-treatment.

Faithful to God through life, that is my desire.

Eugene Peterson has a book entitled A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society which I have not read but plan on ordering today.

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. That about sums up the life of Joseph. At 45, I am finally beginning to take that long look at life and not the short sited impetuous look that I used to have. And for that I am thankful.

-Scotty

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