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Apr 18, 2004 "Can you hear me now, Joseph?" God asked the young boy as he inched closer to the edge of the pit. "Any idea why your brothers tossed you in there and left you for dead?" "It's a no-brainer!" Joseph replied with a trace of indignation. "I'm my fathers' favorite son. He worships me, adores me, and even made me this really cool coat. Guess I pushed `em too far when I bragged about my dreams and how someday they'd all bow down to me. They're jealous - plain and simple." Yeah, you pushed `em too far all right, thought God, glancing over at the ten co- conspirators who were huddled behind a rock voting on Joseph's fate. Some wanted to kill their brother; others were undecided. "Well, Joseph, I have good news and bad news: the good news is that your brothers have at last decided to spare your life; the bad news is that they're going to slaughter a goat, dip your "cool coat" in the blood, take it back to your father as proof you were devoured by a ferocious animal, then sell you to a caravan of Ishmaelites. You, Joseph, are going on a road trip to Egypt for a while! Actually, it'll take me about twenty years to get you out of this mess...but I have a plan." "Egypt? Twenty years?" Joseph exploded, stomping his feet. "I ain't goin`! Tell you what! You throw me a rope, lift me outta here, I'll apologize, and then we'll all live happily ever after." God chuckled. "Bargaining" was vintage Jospeh. "Yeah, Joe, that's a pretty good plan. It has all the ingredients of a quick fix, but it won't do you much good in the long run. Therefore, we'll do this my way. All you need to remember is that I'll be with you and that I'll reveal my purpose for you in small increments. I'll tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it. Got it?" The caravan arrived safely in Egypt, where Joseph was then sold to Potiphar, the captain of the guard in Pharaoh's army. Soon Potiphar recognized that God had found favor with Joseph, so he put him in charge of the entire household, though his new prestigious title didn't last long. Thanks to Potiphar's wife, a spiteful and cunning woman, Joseph soon found himself banished to the prison, beneath the palace for sins he did not commit, but as promised, God was with him. Soon the warden, who also recognized that Joseph had found favor with the Lord, quickly put him in charge of all the other prisoners. When two of the inmates began to have dreams they could not understand, they told Joseph, whose divine purpose as an intrepreter was beginning to unfold. Two years later, when Pharaoh began to have troubling dreams, he called on Joseph whose reputation as a soothsayer had spread like wildfire throughout the prison. Joseph listened intently, and then said, "The seven fat cows represent seven years of great abundance throughout Egypt, and the seven scrawny cows represent seven years of famine. The seven heads of grain, full and good, will be swallowed up by the seven heads that are withered and thin. God says to put your wisest man in charge of all the grain so the people of Egypt will not starve when the famine comes. But, you gotta hurry! He's gonna lower the boom pretty darn soon." Pharaoh, impressed with Joseph's interpretation, instantly freed him and crowned him Governor. And, just as predicted, Egypt flouished as seven years of plenty spread throughout the land. One fifth of all the grain was stored and hoarded - so much in fact that Joseph couldn't keep track of it all! But nine years later, two years into the famine, the people in the countries bordering Egypt began to starve. Hearing a mighy ruler had stored an overbundance of grain which he was willing to sell gave thousands hope for the future. Soon, families packed their belongings and invaded the bountiful country like hungry wolves. One such family, in the land of Canaan, had heard the rumors too. So Jacob, proud father of eleven sons sent the oldest ten into the land of plenty. Upon their arrival, they were introduced to Joseph, but did not recognize their brother. Joseph, however, recognized them and immediately called upon the Lord for advice, saying, "My brothers, the one's who tossed me into that pit, then sold me to the Ishmaelites were just here. They've traveled far and they need food. I cannot turn them away. What should I do?" God took Joseph's hand in his and squeezed gently. The young boy who had once been a pompous and cocky, spoiled teenager who'd thought about nobody except himself had evolved into a compassionate and forgiving man; a capable leader who had prospered despite the odds against him. "Though the reasons for your exile into Egypt seventeen years ago are many, the first and foremost was to reunite you with your family. But, your brothers still don't get the big picture. They regret what they did to you, Joseph, but if we tell them who you really are, they won't trust you. As a matter of fact, they'll fear you." Joseph fell silent and pondered what the Lord had said, though it brought little satisfaction. He didn't want his ten brothers to fear him, to burden themselves with guilt for a prank he'd long forgotten. Rather, he wanted to embrace them, to say he'd forgiven them, to show them how God had used the famine to bring them to Egypt. "So," Joseph asked, "what's the plan? How do we go from fear to trust?" "It's a no-brainer!" God said, lightheartedly. "We build their trust for them. Repetition, Joseph, is the only thing that works." And so, for the next two years Joseph set out to bridge the gap. He gave his brothers grain in exchange for their silver and livestock, offered them new clothes, invited them to dinner, and even gave them land. He showed himself to be fair and honest, upstanding and lenient, then he revealed his true identity. "You were right, Lord!" Jopeph announced joyfully after the tearful reunion. "My brothers were so happy to learn that I was alive, they bowed down to me, just like in my dream. But, wasn't there an easier, better, quicker way to accomplish all this?" "When it comes to freeing men of fear and guilt, wickedness and greed, jealousy and hatred, and the ridiculous notion that all life resolves around them, it's never quick and it's never easy. But I do whatever it takes for as long as it takes," God explained as he motioned for Joseph to sit beside him. His young protege was ready for his next assignment. "Remember when I said that I'd tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it? Well, it's sort of complicated, but your father who was once called Jacob, is now called Israel. Now, Israel is this teensy-weensy country northeast of here that needs our help. Your job, Joseph, should you choose to accept it, is to..." ------------ About the author: Christiane Leavenworth lives in North Idaho with her husband and son. She also writes mystery novels, enjoys singing and bicycling, hiking and playing the guitar. Email: christiane312@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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