I’m currently reading parashat vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27). What an incredible story. This story, as the culmination of the various patriarchal episodes, has its finger on the pulse of the theological message, or “sermon”, of the book of Genesis—God’s sovereignty to redeem even in the midst of human debacle.
For a bit of background on the story, Joseph’s brothers, driven by envy and wrath, sell him into slavery—and not without lying about their activities to their father, Jacob. Their envy is stirred when Joseph is given special, but culturally unfair treatment by Jacob, the father of the house. This reminds us that there are complex social dimensions and dynamics at work within a community setting—Lord, help us be sensitive to these things. Their wrath is stirred when a young Joseph unwisely and insensibly shares two dreams in which his brothers are his slaves. Talk about throwing fuel on the fire. Dream interpretation will also play an important role in the elevation of Joseph over Egypt later in the story.
Hot with wrath and envy, Joseph’s brothers conceive of a plot to kill him. One of the brothers, in his compassion, talks them into selling Joseph into slavery rather than killing him. I suppose this is one form of compassion.
To make a long story short, after Joseph arrives in Egypt as a slave he arises to power over the nation of Egypt. He does this through a miraculous ability to interpret dreams. Joseph’s gift of dream interpretation grants him favor with the king and saves Egypt from the woes of famine, thereby securing the hegemony of Egypt.
Joseph’s family then arrives to Egypt looking to be saved from famine. And with the greatest irony, they come into contact with Joseph to plea for favor so that they may be saved. Interestingly enough, his brothers do not recognize Joseph, namely because they weren’t expecting him to be a king. Does not this compare to the story of Jesus of Nazareth but flipped on its head? They didn’t recognize him as the Messiah because they didn’t expect him to be a carpenter born out of wedlock. Funny how our expectations precondition our perception, isn’t it?
This is where parashat vayigash enters the story. Joseph takes advantage of the fact that his brothers do not recognize him and manipulates them all over the map. Eventually, as Joseph lays eyes on his younger and maternal brother Benjamin, he breaks down in tears and reveals who he is, forgives, and all is restored.
Here’s what I love about this story. It is absolutely FILLED with dimensions of broken human relationships caused by sinfulness. There is envy, anger, manipulation, revenge, lying, sadness, and then some—and it is in the midst of the chaos created by humans that God’s will is perfectly worked out. This is the story of the patriarchs—this is the story of Jesus—this is the story of redemption.
Knowing that humanity’s uncanny ability to turn things into a debacle often times tempts us to think that there is certainly no way that God can do his will with man who is there to mess it up. These patriarchal narratives, however, remind us that nothing is further from true. They remind us that nothing can thwart the will of God. In fact, all the human evil, brokenness, and sinfulness that pervades this story, God is able to use for good.
In the spirit of Paul, “Does this mean that we should go about doing what our carnality desires because God’s sovereignty shall abound?”. Never! The ends does not justify the means.
We should, however, find great comfort as we sojourn in a world that is crumbling around us due to human sin and darkness, in knowing that His Kingdom come and His will be done. The sovereignty of God transcends the mess of humanity.
When they (then or today) lay hands on Jesus to crucify him, his redemptive hand is at work. He can use the world’s very intentions for evil to redeem the world.
