Joseph provides a welcome respite from the tragedy of Genesis. The book ends on a high note; a family reunites, forgiveness abounds, and a Holy God leads in a pagan land through the hands and feet of young Joseph.
My favorite piece of the whole story actually occurs when Joseph is in prison. He proves himself to the guards and they put him in charge of the place. The account reads: “The keeper of the prison did not look into thing that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.”
That verse is highlighted in blue on page 73 of my Bible. I’m not sure when I highlighted it the first time, but it definitely stood out as I came across it the other night. That passage resonated with me once again. This year I have been feeling very blessed in my work. Yet this blessing has come with tremendous pressure and stress. I wonder if Joseph felt overwhelmed by his responsibility. I wonder if he laid awake thinking to himself “I’m way too young for this, what are they doing putting a twenty-something in charge of a prison full of criminals?” When Joseph turned thirty (the same age that Jesus was upon beginning his ministry) he became the second in command over all of Egypt. His job was to keep the nation from starving. I’m sure this required him to sort through a myriad of logistical and bureaucratic hurdles. Having no formal training in management, Joseph must have encountered his share of sleepless nights. (Ok, maybe I’m starting to read my own insomnia into this story)
Joseph was young and inexperienced, yet he served the Lord with a purer, steadier heart than his father and grandfathers. He stood his ground when tempted; he never went chasing after false gods, he worked hard, and as far as I can tell he remained faithful to one wife.
In short, Joseph’s story is inspiring. I don’t have the livelihood of Egyptians on my shoulders (definitely wouldn’t want that job right about now), but I do have nearly two hundred young minds and fragile souls to teach and coach and hopefully motivate. Some days when I think about it that way it’s kind of scary; but then I remember Genesis 39:23 – it’s the Lord that makes our work prosper.
…and that is only half of what I have to say about Joseph…the real point of the story is still to come. Stay tuned.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Genesis 29 & 30: Thoughts on Patriarchy
One day in the Garden Adam awoke to find Eve. He probably thought she was perfect (let’s hope so, because she’s the only woman that ever was). Eve was created as a companion for Adam because there was not a “helper comparable to him” (Gen 2:20). I like the NKJV phrasing because it depicts gender roles so carefully. It alludes to a balance between submission and partnership. Unfortunately there are few marriages in the Bible that stand out as good examples to follow.
Reading through Genesis quickly discourages me. The deeper in you get, the more you see sin creep into every human relationship. By the time you get to Jacob women have become a commodity. Chapter 29 talks of Jacob “loving” Rachel, but I often wonder what this means. Throughout the story you see little real interaction between the couple. Rachel is often manipulating various situations and competing with her sister for the attention of their shared husband. Then both ladies offer up their maids as the childbearing contest intensifies. I wonder if Jacob valued Rachel for anything other than her beautiful “form and appearance” (Gen 29:17b). I wonder if he valued Leah for anything more than the kids she could produce.
Where did that role of “helper” break down? I do not blame Jacob entirely (although he comes from a long line of weak men). The women were manipulative and unsupportive, merely seeking ways to sabotage each other and win the approval of the patriarch. At the same time however, you can’t help but sympathize with them. After all, how would it feel to sit back in the ladies’ tent while your sister sleeps with your man?
In the West the pendulum has swung to the other direction. While I hate patriarchal systems I am not a feminist - at least not in the Betty Friedan sense. I believe that the feminists of the latter twentieth century shot themselves in the foot. Rather than attributing value to women's roles, the feminists claimed that a woman’s natural strengths were of little value and they must dress, act, and think like men. Climbing up the career ladder became the only way to achieve worth. Families should take second place. Today, families are more like an expensive hobby to prove that you can, in fact, do it all.
I know that striking the balance and finding that God-ordained partnership is exceedingly difficult. It is impossible without grace. While women are not meant to lead the family, they must be the “comparable helper” which does involve submission. However, their intellect and unique abilities should be highly valued and made essential to the functioning of the household. Their role is to support, encourage, and share the burdens of life - whether that means cleaning the house or bringing home a paycheck. You see little of this in the women of Genesis. Christ’s lineage is filled with dysfunctional families. It is full of humans crying out for love and value and not finding it in one another. This is why we need a Savior.
Reading through Genesis quickly discourages me. The deeper in you get, the more you see sin creep into every human relationship. By the time you get to Jacob women have become a commodity. Chapter 29 talks of Jacob “loving” Rachel, but I often wonder what this means. Throughout the story you see little real interaction between the couple. Rachel is often manipulating various situations and competing with her sister for the attention of their shared husband. Then both ladies offer up their maids as the childbearing contest intensifies. I wonder if Jacob valued Rachel for anything other than her beautiful “form and appearance” (Gen 29:17b). I wonder if he valued Leah for anything more than the kids she could produce.
Where did that role of “helper” break down? I do not blame Jacob entirely (although he comes from a long line of weak men). The women were manipulative and unsupportive, merely seeking ways to sabotage each other and win the approval of the patriarch. At the same time however, you can’t help but sympathize with them. After all, how would it feel to sit back in the ladies’ tent while your sister sleeps with your man?
In the West the pendulum has swung to the other direction. While I hate patriarchal systems I am not a feminist - at least not in the Betty Friedan sense. I believe that the feminists of the latter twentieth century shot themselves in the foot. Rather than attributing value to women's roles, the feminists claimed that a woman’s natural strengths were of little value and they must dress, act, and think like men. Climbing up the career ladder became the only way to achieve worth. Families should take second place. Today, families are more like an expensive hobby to prove that you can, in fact, do it all.
I know that striking the balance and finding that God-ordained partnership is exceedingly difficult. It is impossible without grace. While women are not meant to lead the family, they must be the “comparable helper” which does involve submission. However, their intellect and unique abilities should be highly valued and made essential to the functioning of the household. Their role is to support, encourage, and share the burdens of life - whether that means cleaning the house or bringing home a paycheck. You see little of this in the women of Genesis. Christ’s lineage is filled with dysfunctional families. It is full of humans crying out for love and value and not finding it in one another. This is why we need a Savior.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Easter: Forget the Bunny, Remember the Snake.
It has been awhile since I've read through the Bible. I did it in college, but that was for homework and the only surefire way to secure an A in various Bible courses. With that in mind I've undertaken a new initiative - to read and blog my way through the Bible. I have no intention to get this done in a year and quite honestly I'll probably be more diligent in the summer and during school breaks. Most importantly I'm not doing this to get an A, to win heaven-points, or even to get internet followers. I just want to chronicle where God has led me, and if there are others in cyberspace who care to read about it, then I'm happy to share.
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My high school English teacher once said that the Christian God started out as a God of wrath, but His plans failed and He had to change his strategy. That has always stuck with me. I knew at the time that I was supposed to disagree, but a small part of me wondered if he was right. While the Old Testament justifies holy war and bloodshed, the God of the New Testament does seem like a much nicer deity.
I've since come a long way in reconciling this God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament, but I'll admit that I'm not wholly there. Thus, whenever I read the Old Testament literature I'm always looking for pictures of Christ and the message of the Cross. I have found that grace is on every page.
The good news is, you don't have to get in very far to find Jesus. The first direct reference to the Savior shows up in Genesis 3:15:
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel."
I love good foreshadowing. (This too is probably thanks to my high school English teacher) I love that right after God issues the curse He delivers the Promise. We live under the curse every day, sometimes we do not even realize it is there. We get so caught up in the busyness of our lives that it takes a holiday like Easter to remind us that Christ came to Earth, that He suffered the "bruising" of the snake, and arose in triumph.
I'm not sure if the "head crushing" refers to Christ's resurrection or Christ's Second Coming. It could be both, since God's understanding of time is different from our own. Either way, here we have the God of Wrath, juxtaposed against the God of Grace. He condemns Satan, while paving the way for a new Eden, a new Heaven and Earth once the snake is completely destroyed.
Easter is not cute and fluffy - but I suppose having a vanquished "Easter Snake" rather than an Easter Bunny would make a rather disturbing holiday mascot.
----------------------------------
My high school English teacher once said that the Christian God started out as a God of wrath, but His plans failed and He had to change his strategy. That has always stuck with me. I knew at the time that I was supposed to disagree, but a small part of me wondered if he was right. While the Old Testament justifies holy war and bloodshed, the God of the New Testament does seem like a much nicer deity.
I've since come a long way in reconciling this God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament, but I'll admit that I'm not wholly there. Thus, whenever I read the Old Testament literature I'm always looking for pictures of Christ and the message of the Cross. I have found that grace is on every page.
The good news is, you don't have to get in very far to find Jesus. The first direct reference to the Savior shows up in Genesis 3:15:
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel."
I love good foreshadowing. (This too is probably thanks to my high school English teacher) I love that right after God issues the curse He delivers the Promise. We live under the curse every day, sometimes we do not even realize it is there. We get so caught up in the busyness of our lives that it takes a holiday like Easter to remind us that Christ came to Earth, that He suffered the "bruising" of the snake, and arose in triumph.
I'm not sure if the "head crushing" refers to Christ's resurrection or Christ's Second Coming. It could be both, since God's understanding of time is different from our own. Either way, here we have the God of Wrath, juxtaposed against the God of Grace. He condemns Satan, while paving the way for a new Eden, a new Heaven and Earth once the snake is completely destroyed.
Easter is not cute and fluffy - but I suppose having a vanquished "Easter Snake" rather than an Easter Bunny would make a rather disturbing holiday mascot.
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