Women of the Word, March 10

Genesis: 39, 40, 41

Despite the opening of the heavens and the resulting parking lot pond, most of us were in our places for this morning's microscopic look at the continuing chapters of Genesis where ancient memories were originally written in continual text on the scrolls, no chapters nor verses. The story scribes were sometimes one voice, other times many voices intermingled. The scriveners just kept on going, babblers on paper.

Barbara taught us that the Age of Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) was biblically no longer the ultimate power and what became important during these ancient times was community and plurality; society was no longer a party of only men. (Unfortunately, there have been more patriarchal societies since then.) These chapters were written to illustrate the beginnings of Joseph's rise to power.

Last week we left Joseph as a slave who had arrived in Egypt and today we learned that he was immediately hired by a Pharaoh, who feeling the grace of the Lord in Joseph, made him the man in charge of the household. A wicked temptress, who also happened to be the Pharaoh's wife, decided that she was going to lure favored (as in~one handsome hunk) Joseph into her bedchamber while her husband and the other house servants were away. (Unfortunately it is the plot of every soap opera plot in today's television line-up.) She was one determined floozy and constantly attempted to lure Joseph. She (who was not given a name, probably the ultimate insult by the scribes) grabbed Joseph's coat one day (he had obviously found a replacement from his time in the sink hole) but wisely, Joseph fled again. (Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned William Congreve 1670-1729. But I digress. Apologies, it is just an English-major thing.)
The wicked woman was so furious that Joseph rebuked her sultry advances (and this is about as titillating as it gets in these chapters) that she made up a story and told her husband about Joseph being the perpetrator, using his coat as proof. (If Google existed back then, she would have benefited from a site that teaches women about Nine dangerous mistakes women make that men find totally unattractive). Her deceitful scenario, and the false accusation of the no-name female of wickedly loose morals, landed Joseph in prison (probably just a creepy dungeon in the basement). The Lord was with Joseph and he was so favored by the head guard that he was given guard duty of other inmates. Joseph prospered in his new role.

The Pharaoh became angry with both his chief butler and chief baker, so down into the dungeon they went, joining Joseph. The butler and the baker claimed strange dreams and Joseph offered to interpret them. In the butler's dream there were vines with three branches that bore ripe grapes, which the butler pressed into the Pharaoh's cup. Joseph told the butler that in three days the Pharaoh would restore the butler to his former office. The baker told Joseph that he dreamt that he had three white baskets upon his head that the top basket was full of bakemeats”upon which birds were feasting. Joseph told the baker that in three days, on the Pharaoh's birthday, his head would be severed by hanging and placed on a tree branch to feed birds (what a lovely celebration). Both of Joseph's interpretations came true.

Two years later, the Pharaoh had a dream about lean cattle devouring fat cattle and ugly heads of corn devouring healthy heads of corn and Joseph was recommended to be the interpreter of these dreams by the butler who remembered Joseph's ability to translate dreams. According to Joseph the Pharaoh's dream meant seven years of agricultural bounty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph instructed the Pharaoh to store the extra bounty of the first seven years so that his people would have something to eat when the famine occurred which was established by Godand shall be very grievous.
Joseph's interpretation became true and the Pharaoh rewarded him, saying, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art only in the throne will I be greater than thou.  Joseph, no longer his father's on-site favorite, nor a slave, begins to make it on his own God-given merits.  Joseph married and had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim about whom Joseph rejoiced that the births of the boys allowed him to forget about history in his father's house and caused him to be fruitful in the land of affliction.  Just as Joseph prophesized, famine arrived over all the earth, except in Egypt, where the bounty had been stored. The famine finally impacted Egypt and the Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the stores. The people from all countries came to Joseph for corn. And guess who shows up for corn?
To be continued in Genesis: 42
Submitted by Jill McGrath