November 28, Genesis 42
"Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die." - Genesis 49:2
It's been true since tales were told in family circles gathered around a fire. People who put their stories in words on paper or images on film know the same truth. That truth is that good storytelling, regardless of genre, employs basic building blocks to make the story work and keep the audience interested.
If you can "see" the images of the stories in Genesis as if watching a movie or reading a novel, it's because the narrative employs those age-old basics of good storytelling. Today's chapter models two of them.
One device of a good story is: “Things are not what they appear to be.” The omniscient narrator knows, one or more characters may know and even the audience may know something that other characters in the story don't yet know. It's why the masquerade motif has come up in Genesis again and again. It's Jacob dressed in Esau's clothes and goatskin to fool blind Isaac. It's Leah veiled and substituted for Rachel on Jacob's wedding night. It's Tamar dressed as a prostitute to deceive Judah. And here it's Joseph, governor of all Egypt dealing with his brothers he still recognizes after 20 years. But the brothers don't know that the "Egyptian" they're bowing to is really their little brother. Joseph had dreamed it would happen more than 20 years earlier. They hated him for it then. But now, without knowing it, they are living Joseph’s dream.
Why do you think Joseph didn't reveal himself to his brothers at once? Was he rough with them because they had been so much rougher with him? Was he testing their hearts? Did he have to put on the show for the Egyptians around him who might not understand why the governor was being lenient and friendly with alleged spies? We're not sure why Jospeh did it, but it's great fun to watch him do it. (Yes, I said "fun." The main purpose of the Bible is not to entertain you. But it's fine to enjoy the masterful presentation.)
Of course, Joseph was more gracious than rough with his brothers. After holding them for three days, he let nine of them go. He sent them home with the grain and their money back in their sacks. Maybe it was from overhearing how Reuben tried to save him from the others back then. Maybe it was so they could get more food back home to their hungry families. Maybe he kept Simeon for being the author of the idea to sell him that awful day. I think he wanted Benjamin to return with them, not only to see his little brother, but to get him to a place of safety. Joseph did not want the brothers' jealousy to hurt Benjamin as it had hurt him.
It was hard for Joseph to hide his emotion when the brothers were so desperate. They didn't know they were talking to the very one whom they'd described as "one is no more." They had told the lie so many times and lived with their guilt so long they had come to believe it was true. Joseph understood what they were saying, even though he spoke to them through an interpreter. Their fear and tormenting guilt brought tears to his eyes.
When the brothers got home, Jacob was predictably self-focused when he heard his sons' story. He sensed he might lose Benjamin, his only living (as far as he knew) connection to Rachel. His preference for Rachel's sons over all the others still showed: "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left." Can you imagine how his other ten sons felt when they heard that?
Oh, I mentioned two secrets of storytelling, didn't I? The other one here is: Use the beats of the story to build tension with each passing scene or chapter until the story reaches its emotional climax. This sixth scene from the "generations of Jacob" turns up the tension to its highest level yet. But don't go away now! There's lots more to come.
Copyright © 2021 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—November 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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