The story of Joseph is probably one of the most well known stories of the Old Testament. As a story alone, it has all the makings of a great narrative. Joseph teaches me many things. One of them is how to deal with the injustices of life. The whole story has twists and turns, few of them which favour Joseph. Yet God uses his servant, Joseph, for incredible good. The good of the people he ultimately served and the good of his family. His father didn't help things by playing favourites with him. His brothers needed to repent of their evil deeds and Joseph provided a way for that to happen. The reconciliation at the end speaks of God's providence and care in the midst of a world filled with evil, some that we perpetuate, much that is just thrust on us.
The evil things that happen in our life God can use to incredible good. How many people have looked back on a bad event like losing a job, getting sick, or any number of other things that can happen, as the best thing that ever happened to them. Sometimes this is how God gets
our attention because it is the most effective way to help us see
that something is radically wrong in our lives.
There is a Christ-like nature to Joseph. As Christians reading the story it is hard not to see this. Joseph is
righteous, wrongly rejected by his people, but God works through all of this to bring a restored and better life to those who first rejected him.
What do you think? What is in the Joseph story that appeals to you? Why has this been one of the favourite stories of the Bible for generations?
