NOTES for Gen 37:2-36 — February 26, 2020

NOTES for Gen 37:2-36

Another new genre stands before us. It is an ancient novel, where in one narrative, taking up about ten biblical chapters, an adventurous, suspenseful story, an instructive tale, legends about famous ancestors, and sacred history are intertwined. It is a kind of insertion of an artistic biography, the story of a person, into the story of a people and of God's promise. Through the personal fate of Joseph and his brothers, the story of Abraham's people continues to unfold and the promise of their great future is fulfilled. Here, on the personal level, we will see many noble and base actions, human resourcefulness, and help from God: the Bible comes down from the exalted legend of the patriarchs into the thick of human life, with all its falls and rises, hopes and failures, tears and happiness. Embracing the full range of literary genres, Scripture also embraces the whole life of the reader, tying adventures and trials together with a higher, more-than-human meaning.

For now, we are offered a kind of prologue: a boy with an unusual prophetic gift ends up in a foreign country because of his brothers' envy. The chief hero of the novel, God, is already at work, saving Joseph's life and guiding him along a path known to Him alone...