Skip to main content

Take 3: Joseph

Do you ever have a conversation then immediately think, "I wish I would've said that?" I feel that way almost every Sunday. So this blog will be a place where I share things that I didn't say in the sermon.

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent the last night of his life in room 306 of the Lorraine Motel. Outside that room is a plaque with verses from our story today. Those words are haunting.

Joseph also was a dreamer. He dreams of a future where the family has survived and thrived. In the end, God did something with those dreams. But before that happens, Joseph faces tragedy.

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary says, "The exact meaning of the Hebrew word translated a coat of many colors is uncertain. Some translate it 'a long garment with long sleeves.' One scholar finds in ancient clay tablets a clue which suggests that it was something of a ceremonial robe with costly ornaments of gold sewed into it. In any event, it was the distinctive garment of royalty."

The only other mention I found of an ornate robe is in 2 Samuel 13:18. There Tamar "was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore."

If this robe represents royalty, then it foreshadows the end where Joseph basically is royalty.

The thing we know for sure is that this robe marks Joseph as different from his brothers, and the coat is probably fancy.

In Joseph's dream, he sees wheat. Most people focus on the brothers bowing down. But wheat actually is how Joseph is going to rise into power. Also, this dream is not fanciful imagination. The dream reveals part of what is to come.

Joseph doesn't know where this is headed yet. As readers, we don't know where the story is headed yet, but we know the brothers' jealousy is real. And in their limited perspective, they've had enough.

So they plan to sell Joseph into slavery. The irony is that this horrible event is an important step that leads to Joseph's dreams being fulfilled. 

The life of Joseph has tragedy, betrayal, deception, and false accusations. But even with those things happening God is at work. That's what makes this a story of hope for those grasping for God's hand in the dark.  


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Advent: The First Season of the Church Year

  “Advent begins in the dark” - Fleming Rutledge Advent means arrival. This is the time of the church year where we prepare for the arrival of Jesus. Our colors are purple for the dawn of the early morning—when it’s dark and you’re waiting for the sun to rise, for God’s new day to come. ‌ Thursday was Thanksgiving, so if you watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown that’s a beautiful illustration of Advent. Linus is out in the field waiting for the Great Pumpkin. For Advent, it’s like we, as Christians, are out in the field—and everyone else thinks we’re crazy—but we’ve been given the faith to believe and know that because our Lord came once, he will come again. So, like Linus, we wait and we watch. And, surprisingly, Jesus continues to meet us until he comes in final glory. Here is the prayer for the first Sunday of Advent from The Book of Common Prayer: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Conquering the Grave: The Hope and Assurance of Christ's Resurrection (Article 3)

 Greetings, dear friends! I’m so glad you are still with me on this theological journey through the Articles of Religion. Today, we set our sights on Article 3, a profound statement about the redemptive work of Jesus. So, let’s dive in. Article 3: "Of the Resurrection of Christ" We believe and proclaim that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, truly died, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. His resurrection is not a mere legend or a symbolic tale; it is a historical event of profound significance. In the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, we witness the culmination of God's redemptive plan. Jesus chose to carry the weight of our sins upon the cross, offering himself as the perfect sacrifice. But death could not defeat him—on the third day, he victoriously rose from the tomb. The resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal event that seals our hope and secures our salvation. In Jesus' resurrection, we find the assurance that sin and death do not have the final w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Surprised by Mercy: Advent 2

  Matthew 3:1-12 My favorite way to start a sermon is with a song.  Let’s see if you know this one, it’s a little more recent than the one I used last Sunday. “Me and all my friends / We’re all misunderstood / They say we stand for nothing and / There’s no way we ever could / Now we see everything that’s going wrong / With the world and those who lead it / We just feel like we don’t have the means / To rise above and beat it / So we keep waiting / Waiting on the world to change.” Yes, you can add John Mayer to your Advent playlist because this season is all about waiting. John Mayer isn’t the only one waiting for the world to be different. John the Baptist says, “Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!” He’s looking forward to something that has not happened yet. He’s looking forward with anticipation and excitement to the moment when God breaks onto the scene in the coming of Jesus. I remember when Rachel was pregnant with Ella, people would ask, “Are you ready?” And I would s...
Post a Comment
Read more