Narrative Analysis on the Story of Joseph part 1

n the beginning of this story we quickly get a feel for who Joseph is and what others think about him. His Father, and just about everyone else loves him dearly. He is given a beautiful, colorful robe that stands out because of how great it looks. Joseph is smiled upon by everyone except his brothers. They claim to"hate" him, they are full of sinful manner because of all the love and attention he receives, they are consumed by their sin and blinded by it. This stands out to me because I know I speak for myself when I say I have been there. I have been jealous of others and it has taken me over into a very angry and selfish person in which my only goal is to take them down and in the process I hurt myself and everyone else along with that. I think we've all been there in times like that, our sin just gets the best of us.

As the story continues Joseph has two dreams in which both times it appears that everyone around him is bowing down to him, that he has the power over all around him. It was odd to me that he shared these dreams with his Father and Brothers, especially because they kind of got the idea that Joseph was saying to their face that he was better than them. I do not think that was his intent by any way but that is just how they perceived it to be.- keep in mind they were so full of their own sin that of course they would, in any circumstance, find a way to be negative about it.

 As Joseph is trying to relocate his brothers as his Father had asked him to he finally gets within distance of them and they immediately make plans of how they can kill him. Wow. His own brothers plotting ways to KILL Joseph... that is sin. It completely takes his brothers over to the point where they are so desperate to escape the sin that is consuming them that they think by killing Joseph it will all go away. All the jealousy, the anger, etc.

Before they finalize plans to kill Joseph one of the brothers Rueban speaks up and gets them off the topic of killing him but more of just trapping him in a well. Believe it or not I think that is very significant. Rueban is standing up for someone who (in the group/situation) is much less than him yet he goes against the grain, he goes against what "society" wants and does this to potentially save his brother's life. I think we should look at this and ask ourselves if we do that? Do we stand up to the bullies that hurt others, sometimes it doesn't even have to be a true bully in life to make others hurt. I am so encouraged by what Rueban does to stand up for those who are hurt. Yes, Rueban made continuous mistakes and without a doubt "hated" Joseph but that is the cool thing about God, his love is so deep that he overlooks that and I think that is why Rueban changes the plan and potentially saves Joseph's life.

So they throw Joseph in this well not sure what to do with him when all over the sudden merchants from Egypt come along and with goods and merchandise and they immediately come to the thought of selling him as a slave, and so they do. They sell their youngest brother, a 17 year old boy, for 20 shekels of silver. Ouch. Take a quick second and imagine what Joseph must be going through. He has had a tough time growing up with all of his brothers always looking down on him, he has tried to love them and get on their good graces, he has obeyed his father and been a good son, and just like that his brothers turn their back on him in a heart beat and sell him away. He is scared, surprised, hurt, in disbelief, probably anger was on the way after those.

As his is taken away his brothers shred his colorful coat and put goats blood all over it in order to fool their father that it was Joseph's blood and that he was shredded up by a wolf. THAT IS CRAZY. Joesph's BROTHERS attempted the thought of killing him, they sold him to slavery, they shredded his coat up and killed a goat to make the biggest lie be fulfilled. His Father did not question them, he just wept and mourned for the loss of his youngest son. The passage ends with Joesph being sold to a man named Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials.