19...DING DONG BELL, JOSEPH'S IN THE WELL

Based on GN 37 & 39-48...Read more there

Who put him in? No, not little Johnny Flynn. Nor did little Tommy Stout pull him out! Jacob's second youngest son, Joseph, is introduced to us as a teenager who tells tales about his half-brothers (1). This does not endear him to them! Later, the tales he tells stem from his dreams and his interpreting them. In a display of favouritism towards Joseph - who is, after all, the son of his beloved Rachel - Israel gives him a rather special coat with long sleeves (not a ‘coat of many colours’) & his brothers, probably the half-brothers, not un-naturally become jealous of him. Strike three occurs when Joseph boasts to them of a dream he has in which sheaves of wheat representing his brothers bow down to a sheaf representing him! The brothers are not impressed! Neither is Israel when Joseph also tells of dreaming of the sun & moon, representing his parents, & 11 stars standing for his brothers, all bowing down to him. All this adds to his brothers' anger against him, but though cross with Joseph, Israel thinks more deeply about this. Pondering deeply about someone or something can bring about spiritual depth, bear spiritual fruit, even if it takes time!

So unimpressed by all this putting down are the half-brothers that they come to hate Joseph. So, when opportunity presents one day when Israel sends him to check up on them while they're shepherding a long way from home, they plot against him. In another case of different strands being woven together, not always seamlessly, to make one story, at first they plan to kill Joseph. Instead they strip him of the special coat given him by Israel & throw him down into a dry well. There is another change of plans at this point, the brothers pull Joseph up from the well & sell him to traders travelling on their way to Egypt. Compounding their crime the brothers then soak Joseph's coat with goat's blood & send it back to their father telling him they've found it. This, as the brothers no doubt plan, leads Israel to believe Joseph has been devoured by a wild animal! When the trading caravan reaches Egypt Joseph is sold to Potiphar, captain of the Pharaoh's guard. In 39:2 we're told, 'YHWH was with Joseph, & everything went well with him...' Later in this same chapter, though, we find Potiphar's wife trying to entrap Joseph into a sexual relationship, & as a result of her attempted but failed entrapment, he is imprisoned. But that's another story...Next time, 20: Dreamer & Providore Extra-ordinaire. 

(1) As usual, with the exception of one daughter, Dinah, who is the victim of violence in Ch.34, only Israel's, Leah’s, & Rachel’s sons feature in the stories.

Question: Had any significant dreams lately - or ever?