I have to say that of all the stories in the Old Testament, this one gets to me the most. An epic tale of dysfunctional brotherhood and the anguish felt by the now elderly Jacob, juxtaposed against an unlikely front-runner: the unstoppable Israelite prisoner. Crafted to literary perfection, I seriously recommend reading this whole section in one go; feel the ebbs and the flow; grasp the literary tools and themes: cloaks (Jacob’s gift to Joseph, Jacob’s payment to Tamar and Joseph’s unwitting incrimination in the hands of Potiphar’s wife); dreams (Joseph’s, servant’s, King’s); being true to your word (Judah fails Tamar, the Cupbearer fails Joseph, Joseph keeps true to all his promises – though not without playing with his brothers’ honour!) In my opinion, this is the section that, out of the whole Bible, most reflects the feel of a contemporary novel. No wonder it makes a great musical!

But obviously the hero of this ancient-blockbuster is the unchecked dreamer, Joseph who proves resourceful and determined in even the bleakest of circumstances. It’s easy to find ways to criticise Joseph; his brash arrogance (37:5-11); his tell-tale sniping (37:2); but ultimately Joseph comes out the champion, not only because of his dogged commitment to excellence whatever the situation, but also because he learns humility through his trials, ultimately crediting God for all of his success (45:8).

There is something uniquely inspiring about Joseph’s work-life. Sold as a slave, he wins the trust of his employer, a senior Egyptian officer, and is duly promoted. Then after a false allegation which costs him his job, and would cost any average jobseeker their motivation, he still displays determination and trustworthiness. Even as a captive with almost no of hope of escape he earns the trust of more responsibility in management.

If you feel like giving up, throwing in the towel declaring ‘it’s just not worth it!’ then Joseph shows just what can be achieved by dogged perseverance and relentless creativity. When finally he is recalled for the interview of a lifetime, his confident proposal for both crisis-management and long-term forecasting wins him a 5-star appointment of which even he wouldn’t have dared to dream. If Joseph had not been up for it, Egypt’s fortunes would have suffered.

Sadly, however, his career is not all noble. Joseph’s allegiance towards his employer proves more powerful than his social and environmental responsibilities and he forces the hand of every client till they have no choice but to do business on his oppressive terms. The share price may have gone through the roof, but at what cost?

Most of us are not executive high-flyers like Joseph became; we have very average decision-making opportunities. Yet Joseph’s life still esteems the mundane and the ordinary. Before his years of extraordinary success, he just makes the best of his extremely difficult situation – as slave and then prisoner – by showing dedication in every aspect of his work. We might easily play down the significance of our choices, knowing full well they will not change the world. But Joseph inspires us to care about every decision, showing faithfulness in all things. In doing this, even the most lowly servant can be called a success.

However, Joseph’s controversial accomplishments also warn us ‘normals’ about the perils of success. For those of us who dream of a bigger and better future, the callous oppression of Joseph’s heady career acts like a mirror to the soul. At what price these things? At whose cost?

The dreamer, Joseph, dreamt of superiority and praise, and got it. The moral: check on your dreams; they might just come true.

Suggested task for reflection:

Make a list of all the things you dream of, from the shamelessly superficial to the deeply meaningful. Don’t stop to evaluate any, just get them on the page!
Then, in one sentence, try and answer the question ‘who do I want to be?’ Have a good think about it, using your list of dreams as inspiration. Maybe write down a few suggestions and then choose the best.
Consider, how must this priority-dream affect you? What must you do differently? What other dreams must be relinquished?
Pray about your dream. Share your dream with someone you trust. As you read the New Testament gospel accounts over the next few months, imagine bringing this dream to Jesus and his reaction to it. If you need to, change it or modify it.
Let Joseph caution you to get your dream right. Then let him inspire you to make your dream reality.