•

issue of choseness

•

Jacob was renamed Isreal

•

Jacob is the chosen son over his brother Esau

•

poses problems for both men

•

important for the Bible's understanding of what choseness is all about

•

Joseph is the chosen son of his father

•

creates problems and challenges in the family

•

Joseph knows he is the privileged son and exploits this privilege to his own benefit

•

he informs his father of wrongdoing of others

•

makes him disliked

•

not just a problem of Joseph's immaturity, but a problem with the father, Jacob

•

as the paterfamilias, Jacob should be able to diffuse these tensions as they arrive

•

but he actually provides the groundwork for these tensions to rise in temperature

•

vests Joseph with a garment

•

so brothers are aware at all times of Joseph's special status

•

Joseph's dreams

•

Genesis 37:5-8

•

Joseph had a dream, and when they told it to them, they hated him more

•

we were binding sheaves

•

my sheaf arose and stood upright

•

and your sheaves gathered round and bowed down to it

•

are you indeed to reign over us?

•

so they hated him yet more

•

dreamed another dream

•

the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me

•

his father rebuked him

•

brothers were jealous of him

•

but his father kept the saying in mind

•

there are six dreams in three sets of two

•

the first two

•

the above mentioned dreams

•

introduce the cycle

•

the second two

•

the cup bearer

•

the baker

•

the last two

•

the dreams the pharaoh will have about plenty and of famine

•

only in the last four dreams that Jacob gives an authoritative interpretation of what the dreams mean

•

says comes to him by God

•

Joseph says that the significance that one individual had the same dream twice indicates that this dream is going to come to pass

•

in the Bible, with prophecies, there is also room for movement and change

•

the Prophet Jonah prophesied that in 40 days the city of Nineveh would be destroyed

•

but after the Ninevites repent, God rescinds this decree

•

it is also significant that Joseph had his dream twice

•

he knows that his dreams will be fulfilled

•

first two dreams, there is no authoritative interpretation

•

significant

•

the brothers give an interpretation, which seems logical

•

are you indeed to reign over us?

•

dreams are about power that Joseph will enjoy and exploit and which the brothers will lack and suffer from

•

dreams are enacted later

•

several times show how the brothers will bow down in front of Joseph

•

Genesis 42:6

•

the brothers' first arrival in Egypt after the beginning of famine

•

they bow down to an Egyptian official

•

he is actually Joseph

•

Genesis 50:18

•

brothers know now who Joseph is

•

"His brothers also came and fell down before him, and said, Behold, we are your servants."

•

why are the brothers angry about the dreams

•

could be seen as a weakness or failure on their parts

•

Joseph's story we learn by the end of the story, is order by God

•

Joseph we know must get to Egypt to assist the Pharaoh in devising a strategy to be saved from the family, and to save Joseph's family from the same famine

•

yet this is not the way to understand the story

•

even though these dreams are given providentially