Faith In The Odyssey

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is based on the biblical story of Joseph, who was born in Canaan, or ancient Israel. In the musical version, he is listed as the last of the sons of Jacob. His brothers are jealous of Joseph and when they were in the fields, they beat him up and sold him into slavery to a group of Ishmaelites. The Ishmaelites take Joseph to Egypt, where he first serves the house of Potiphar, one of the richest men in Egypt. He is accused of attacking Potiphar’s Wife and sent to jail. After several years in Jail, Joseph is sent to interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh. Joseph predicted Pharaoh’s dreams were a premonition about seven years of good crops and climate, which were followed by seven years of drought and

So when Joseph came to them, they took off his beautiful robe and they threw him in an empty well. Then they sold him to people that were going to Egypt. The brothers took the robe and dipped it in animal’s blood and brought it to their father. They told Jacob that an animal killed him. Jacob was really upset. Joseph was now in Egypt working as a slave. He was Potiphar’s helper and made him mandated of everything he owned. Then the Pharaoh sent him to jail. After some time in jail a cupbearer and a baker’s Pharaoh had a dream that he was going to get out of jail soon. Joseph told them to tell the Pharaoh about him but the cupbearer forgot. Two years later the Pharaoh had a dream, but nobody could understand it. Then the cupbearer remembered what Joseph did for him, and Joseph was brought to Pharaoh. Joseph explained him and the Pharaoh believed all that he told him, and put him in charge of all the land of Egypt. People came from all over to buy grain from Joseph, including Joseph's brothers. When his brothers came, Joseph was able to recognize them, but they did not. Joseph told them that he was their brother and even thought they were afraid Joseph was not mad at them because he knew that God had a better plan for him. After it his entire family moved to Egypt

He was accused of wrongdoing by his master’s wife. He was imprisoned and forgotten about by the people whom he helped. And all during this time he was separated from his family and in a foreign land. Joseph faced severe persecution and opposition from all that he met, but still was faithful to God.

Joseph learned from his father, Elias’ mistakes in both his community leadership and personal life. This is why he became a more powerful leader, as well as a family member. In the beginning of the novel, Elias is introduced, he was the leader of Waknuk, the community that they lived in. He taught and inspired Joseph to lead the community, but he was also a good example for Joseph to learn how to alter his leadership styles to be more effective, this is why Joseph was a much more strict leader. In the beginning of the novel, there is a jump back in time to explain how Joseph was raised.“Elias had never a moment’s doubt of the proper pattern for his heart. My father’s [Joseph’s] faith was bred into his bones, his principles were his sinews, and both responded to a mind richly stored with examples for the Bible and from Nicholson’s Repentances. In faith father and son, were at one; the difference between them was only in approach, the evangelical flash did not appear in my fathers' eyes; his virtue was more legalistic" (16-17).

In the epic Genesis, Joseph is a character who endures countless hardships only to discover that his suffering was all part of God’s plan. This realization, along with many other crucial plot developments, is made possible by the actions of Judah. Judah begins the story in a place of envy and selfishness, but later he shows great moral development by committing the ultimate sacrifice in the name of his father.

Joseph: The favorite of his father, Jacob, and was sold into slavery by his brothers because they were jealous of his father’s favoritism. Later on Joseph meets with his brothers and forgives them. When in Egypt, the Pharaoh permits Joseph to interpret his dreams and later leads him to rule over Egypt in place of the

Joseph was the fourth and final outstanding person that we encountered in this week’s reading. Joseph was the eleventh and most favored son of Jacob. Joseph’s older brothers despised him. They despised him so much that they beat him and sold him into slavery. Another reason Joseph’s brothers hated him so was that he had dreams that one day his entire family would bow down to him. Joseph may not have known it at the time, but God gave him the gift of interpreting dreams which later saved his life as well as made this dream he had as a young man come true.

The story of Joseph in the Bible begins with explanations of Joseph’s youth and innocence and how his brothers were jealous of him because he was the “blessed son”. It involves a lot of specifics, like it mentions that Joseph was seventeen years

As an important fiqure, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers due to jealousy. However, God showed Joseph that he would never abdonded him by resucing him. Instead of slavery Joseph found himself in a postion of power due to his great wisdom. During an unfortunate turn of events famine engulfed all of Egypt and Canaan causing Joseph to send men to Egypt. Eventually Joseph meets with his brothers again and invites them to live with him. During this story Stephens points out the jealousy of Josephs brothers which was being committed by the counsel of Sanhedrin.

The story of Joseph and his family is complex, it is full of conflicts, great stress while at the same time we can see how in the worst of situations forgiveness and hope is always present and living, should we choose to see. But most of all, if we choose to allow God walk along us during all days of our life. After reading the scripture and reflecting upon the Family Joseph, all eight concepts of Bowen’s Family Systems can be seen and applied, however sibling position is an important aspect of this story. As I read the story, I cannot help but see that the reason for Joseph’s inheritance is because Jacob loved Joseph’s mother, Rachel, more than his other wife or other women he laid with. He was in fact, deceived into marrying Leah. Additionally,

One of the inherent conflicts in the story of Joseph is the tension between Joseph and his brothers. The tension between them is caused by both Jacob and Joseph. First, Jacob shows favoritism toward Joseph, because he is the son of his favorite wife Rachel. Second, Joseph brings back bad reports when he is out pasturing with his brothers. However, what truly increased the hatred and jealousy was the Joseph’s dreams. The author notes that when Joseph recounts the dreams, “they hated him even more (Gen. 37:8).” Their jealousy for Joseph is strong enough that they are willing to murder him. However, they decide to instead sell him into slavery, and convince Jacob that he was killed.

There are thousands of stories in the Bible, but one stands out in particular; the story of Joseph. The Hebrew meaning of the name Joseph is “may Jehovah add, give increase.”1 Through the life of Joseph we see God add meaning and purpose to his life, just as God adds meaning and purpose to all our lives. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”2 Joseph obediently followed God’s plans through trials and tribulations whereas many other figures in the Old Testament faltered in their faith. Joseph, son of Jacob, is the single most important human being in the Old Testament because of his impeccable faith to the one true God and his story of forgiveness that set the stage for God’s chosen people.

In each of these biblical characters, the change of names gives them a new sense of self. Joseph is also given an Egyptian wife, Potiphera. This intercultural marriage affirms that Joseph’s descendents will now become Egyptian not only by title, but by blood, furthering his identity as an Egyptian. An additional argument that supports his full assimilation is the tremendous authority that is given to him—the whole country of Egypt. Because he becomes the second highest ruler in the land, the remaining pieces of his Jewish identity are swept away. Even the language that he learns becomes so infused in him that he uses a translator, although he does not need one: “They did not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke with them through an interpreter” (Genesis 42.23). One of the most major traits that show how much Joseph has assimilated to the Egyptian culture is found in the last sentence of Genesis: “And Joseph died… he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50.24). Embalmment was not a Jewish custom and Joseph requests that he does not be buried in Egypt. He wants his bones to instead be carried from Egypt back to where his forefathers were buried in, the cave of Machpelah in Canaan, but his wish is not granted.

The Joseph narrative can be found in the book of Genesis chapters 37-50. It is slightly interrupted “by the story of Judah and Tamar (Gen. 38) and by the so-called Blessing of Jacob (Gen. 49:1-28)” (Skinner, 438). The story of Joseph is seen as unique because it has different characteristics than its counterparts in Genesis. Other writings in Genesis seem to be short, brief incidents, about family and tribal affairs. The Joseph narrative, on the other hand, is lengthy in nature “comprising some 300 verses” (Barton & Muddiman, 60). In fact, Joseph is “second only to Moses in the attention given to him in the Torah” (Spring & Shapiro, 260). Some scholars consider the Joseph