Make Up: December 11th, 2011

On December 11th, we had a lesson on the wilderness to land (the wandering in the wilderness). Please take time to read the scripture, highlights and the video and in the comment section; answer the big question.

Wilderness to Land

Bible Text:

Exodus 16:1–15

Joshua 24:14–18

Deuteronomy 6:4–9

Lesson Focus:
We should focus our lives on God.

Big Question:
I have so many important things in my life; why should I focus on God?

Key Words:
PROVIDE, OBEDIENCE, FAITHFULNESS, PROMISE

Definition of Key Words

PROVIDE: to supply or give what is needed to meet or sustain one's needs.

OBEDIENCE: complying with the guidelines that have been given to you.

FAITHFULNESS: allegiance and loyalty, especially to God, family, and friends.

PROMISE: a pledge or declaration that one will do what is declared.

Highlight

Once out of Egypt, the people begin to grumble; God provides food for them.

The people worship the golden calf and so must wander in the wilderness for 40 years. During that time the Lord provides for them.

Moses is not allowed to enter the promised land, and Joshua becomes the new leader of the people.

The faithfulness of God in spite of the erratic behavior of God's people is a prominent theme in these stories.

Moses' audience for many of his sermons is a new generation of Israelites. Moses is concerned that they know the history of their ancestors and the history of God's direct involvement in their lives.

Moses preaches with the backdrop of the Exodus and his sight set forward to the fulfillment of the promise of a marvelous land for God's chosen people.

Moses, and later Joshua, expands and clarifies the law throughout the people's journey, always emphasizing the grace of the law that leads to the fulfilled life that God intends for the chosen people.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9, especially verses 4–5 (called the Shema), is foundational for Jews in a very profound way to this day. All obedience, it claims, flows out of a sense of love toward God and dependence on God.

Connecting

This week, we watched two videos. One was a music connection and one was a movie connection. Here is the music video and some background:

Home By Daughtry



In this lesson, we learn that the Israelites are on a long journey to the promised land. Through Moses's many speeches, the people learn that their special relationship with God is based on love. The Israelites feel that the promised land is to be their home. Chris Daughtry sings about a journey home: a place where love is. Even though he is not always the best man, the love that abides at home is always there.

Debrief the movie clip with these questions:

• How does it feel to go home after a long journey?
• What do you consider "home"?

Make Up: December 4th, 2011

On December 4th, we had our lesson on Exhile and Return. We ask you to read the scriptures and take a look at the lesson focus, key words and the highlights. Then, click on the comment section and answer the big question. For comments, you can choose annonymous and oplace first or last name or initials and we will record it; thanks.

Exile and Return

Bible Text:
Ezekiel 5:5–8; 36:22–32; Zechariah 1:1–6

Lesson Focus:
Even when we feel separated, God always welcomes us back.

Big Question:
How can I be sure that God is really with me?

Key Words:
EXILE, BABYLON, JERUSALEM, FAITHFULNESS, PROPHET

Definitions of Key Words

EXILE: removal from one's homeland for an extended period of time. God's people were in exile for more than 50 years.

BABYLON: a city in the area now known as Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. King Nebuchadnezzar exiled several thousand of God's people from their homes in Jerusalem to Babylon from 597 to 539 B.C.E.

JERUSALEM: the home of God's people and the city where they returned after the Exile.

FAITHFULNESS: the demonstration of loyalty or allegiance. God remained faithful to God's people, even while they were exiled in Babylon. God's people also demonstrated their faithfulness to God during this time.

PROPHET: a person who is called by God to preach and speak fearlessly for God.

Quick Overview

The Babylonian exile of the Jews from their homeland was a turning point in the life of God's people, reshaping them for new life with God. This forced exile happened over several years and lasted for about 60 years.

The prophets who served during the exile and the return emphasized God's presence and purpose among the people and in all events—even painful and tragic ones. Ezekiel recalled the people to a life dedicated to Yahweh.

The release from exile came in stages, beginning with the edict of Persian King Cyrus in 538 B.C.E. that allowed exiles to return and reestablish their worship of God.

Ezra and Nehemiah were concerned with religious reform, organizing the returning community around Torah, and rebuilding the temple. Both Ezra (a priest) and Nehemiah (a political leader) had a strong sense of God's working in history and God's ability to use whomever God wills.

The prophets of the post-exilic period (including Ezekiel and Zechariah) laid the basis in language and imagery for the development of biblical apocalyptic writing. Unlike much popular apocalyptic literature today, biblical apocalyptic literature was written to reassure oppressed people of God's power and abiding presence and mercy.

Make Up: November 20th, 2011

On Sunday, November 20th, our small group lesson was King David. Here is the lesson highlights below. We ask you to take a look at the scriptures, read the material and comment below on what it means to you. Thanks.

King David

Bible Text:
1 Samuel 16–17; 18:10–16; 2 Samuel 2:1–7; 5:1–10; 7:1–17; Isaiah 9:6–7

Lesson Focus:
God uses imperfect people to do amazing things.

Big Question:
Do we have to have David-like courage and trust to be useful to God?

Key Words:
CHOSEN, HUMBLE, TRUST

Definition of Key Words

CHOSEN: a person or group of people selected for a special purpose. David was chosen by God to be a leader and to be the ancestor of Jesus.

HUMBLE: not arrogant, haughty, or overly assertive. A low, unpretentious ranking. David was a humble shepherd when God called him to do great things.

TRUST: to rely on someone or something; to place confidence and dependence in someone. Because David trusted in God's word, guidance, and strength, he was blessed with the ability to lead the nation of Israel.


Quick Bullet Highlights

The Bible has two versions of King David's life, one in 1 Samuel 16–31; 2 Samuel; and 1 Kings 1–2; and one in 1 Chronicles.

Even after being chosen by God to be king, David had to overcome several obstacles before being recognized as king of Israel.

A brilliant strategist and mediator, King David united the nation, centralized power, and established a national capital at Jerusalem.

In David and his descendants we see that God chooses and uses whom God will—raising up a lowly shepherd to be king and using a deeply flawed human being for God's purposes.

David reigned as king approximately from 1000 to 961 B.C.

Jesus is descended from David.

Our leaders are flawed human beings just like us. It's important not to idealize leaders. It's also important to consider what attributes are truly important in leaders.

Going Deep

The Bible portrays David as a brilliant strategist and mediator. We have two versions of King David's life. One (1 Chronicles), likely composed in the fifth century B.C., celebrates David's leadership in uniting north and south, establishing the national capital and spiritual center at Jerusalem, centralizing power, and focusing the people on praising God. An earlier version (1 Samuel 16–31; 2 Samuel; 1 Kings 1–2), likely composed during the exile in the sixth century B.C., is a more complex story of personal and political intrigue. David's association with many of the psalms reflects his concern for worship of Yahweh (2 Samuel 23:1).

The New Testament attests that Jesus is descended from David. Almost invariably those who cry to Jesus for mercy do so calling him "Son of David" (see Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30–21; Mark 10:47–48; Luke 17:13; 18:38–39). Old Testament prophecies reiterate the promise of Christ coming from the family of David (Isaiah 9:6–7).

Like many important biblical figures, David was of humble origins, the youngest son of "a Bethlehem farmer" (1 Samuel 16). With God's help and David's trust in God, David became Israel's most powerful king and accomplished great things while yet a human being who made some terrible mistakes. David, through sin, crime, and repentance, still trusted and believed in God, and God repeatedly forgave him and remained with him.

In David and his descendants we see that God chooses and uses whom God will. David, like other important biblical figures, such as Mary and Joseph, was a lowly person raised up by God to become a person of great importance. God made a shepherd the patriarch of a dynasty.

David was the preeminent king among all ancient Israel's kings and was chosen by God (1 Samuel 16:1–13), but he was nonetheless a deeply flawed human being. Having won King Saul's affection, David subsequently became Saul's rival, married Saul's daughter, and established a separate power base from which David rose to become king following Saul's death. David was a brilliant and trusted leader, for example, gathering to himself "everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented" and becoming "captain over them" (1 Samuel 22:2). But David was also abusive (2 Samuel 11–12), and his legacy of abuse was the terrible inheritance of his children (2 Samuel 13).

David's reign is estimated to have been approximately from 1000 to 961 B.C. David's kingship contrasts with that of Saul, who was the first king of ancient Israel, beginning a generation earlier. David's reign transformed the feuding tribal confederacy under Saul into a more coherent—though not completely united—nation. Elapsed time and the change in political environment, notably the Philistine threat, helped make possible David's consolidation and centralization of power (2 Samuel 21:15–22; 23:8–39). David was anointed twice, first as king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4) in the south and then as king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3) in the north. As a sign to unite the nation, David brought the Ark of the Covenant to the newly established capital of Jerusalem, located between north and south. David used the Ark—a sign of God's sole sovereignty—to consolidate his own power as king over the nation.

What do we expect of our leaders? We fall into a trap when we think our leaders are not flawed human beings just like ourselves. Setting leaders on a pedestal can dangerously lead to unquestioning loyalty. At the same time, a leader must be a model to others. What is reasonable to expect of leaders? They must possess attributes that enable them to lead effectively. They must have the ability to listen, a character and personality that can hold people's trust and respect, vision, the ability to see the big picture, organizational skills, and integrity. Is it important that a leader have a sense of humor about herself or himself? Is compassion important? Is physical health important? Or the ability to say no? What is the relationship between a leader's public life and personal life? In what ways is a person's personal life relevant or irrelevant to the person's capacity to lead in society or in the church?

Make Up: November 13th, 2011

We want to encourage you to read through the format that Carrie's class followed. When you are done, please take a moment and comment in the comment box. Please remember to sign your name or initials; so you can get credit.

Small Group: Prophets of Judah 11/13/11 Week 9

Our Lesson

Bible Text:
Isaiah 5:1-7; 9:2-7; 10:1-2; 1:16-20; Jeremiah 31: 31-34; 7:1-15, 23-26

Lesson Focus:
Though the people were not always faithful to God, God was always faithful to them.

Big Question:
Who will I always be able to count on?

Key Words:
JUSTICE, HOPE, CONFESSION

High Level View of Judah and the books of Isaiah & Jeremiah

Assyria was asserting itself against Judah & Israel. We learned last week that Israel fell to Assyria and Judah narrowly avoided being similarly swallowed up. Judah, the Southern Kingdom, led also with kings, mostly who failed to be faithful to Yahweh. Its primary prophets during this period were Isaiah & Micah, however Jeremiah’s prophecy was the most extensive.

Two kings represent the ends of the spectrum. At one extreme, Manasseh was regarded as the most brutal & faithless king Judah had ever known. At the other extreme, Josiah was regarded as the best king next to King David. Josiah instituted religious reforms but was not adept in international relations.

So why was Judah so sinful? (Bad King = Bad People)

King Manasseh’s reign began when he was 12 yrs old and lasted several decades from 687 to 642 B.C.E He spat on covenants, built altars and a temple to other gods and was murderous, even sacrificing his son to an Assyrian deity. He was unjust and had faithless leadership, causing Judah’s sinfulness, destruction and subsequent exile.

Opening Prayer

LEADER: Lord, we have failed to worship you and recognize the grace that you have freely given to us. Help us look to you for guidance, love and acceptance. Help us see your grace and mercy in all that we do and say. Lead us out of temptation and into your loving arms.
ALL: Amen

Prophet-Isaiah

In a vision, Isaiah saw God enthroned in the temple and surrounded by angels. God was seeking a rep, but Isaiah was acutely aware of his sinfulness & the sinfulness of his people. An angel took a live coal from an altar & touched it to Isaiah’s lips explaining that “your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for”.
Isaiah is a good model for how to remain part of the community of faith while at the same time acknowledging and dealing with its faults.

He used the image of the people as God’s vineyard to call the nation to repentance. He also articulated a vision of a king (Josiah) who would be faithful and compassionate and would lead the people in their understanding of the sole sovereignty of Yahweh.

And saving the best for last…he predicted the Messiah’s coming! He saw a vision of the Messiah’s (Jesus) virgin birth, his character and his crucifixion.


Read- Bible Text: Isaiah 9:2-7

In a time of great darkness, God promised to send a light that would shine on everyone living in the shadow of death. This message of hope was fulfilled in the birth of Christ and the establishment of his eternal kingdom. He came to deliver all people from their slavery to sin.

Prophet- Jeremiah

He had both a deep understanding of human sin and a deep trust in God’s constancy and determination to do whatever was needed to renew and sustain relationship with the people.

God’s message through Jeremiah was that his once-devoted people were no longer faithful. Like Isaiah, Jeremiah proclaimed the promise of a new king who would be righteous and compassionate, a leader who would fulfill God’s purpose. (Jeremiah 23: 1-8)

Definitions of Key Words

JUSTICE: the principal of right action and fairness as related to treating people fairly and honestly.

HOPE: trust in or reliance on someone or something.

CONFESSION: the act of admitting your wrongdoing or sins.

The Big Question:

Who will I always be able to count on?

The people of Judah were not faithful to God, yet God remained faithful to them. God could have abandoned the people, let them suffer the result of their sin, yet God did not do that. God is the model of faithfulness for us.

Baptismal Connection

Today’s lesson focuses on the clause “to strive for justice and peace in all the earth”. Working for justice and peace is central to the call to follow God. Prophets like Isaiah & Jeremiah made it clear that what God wants from His people is for them to work in this world on behalf of those who are in need. Working for peace & justice is one of the most important ways we can share God’s love with the world.

Best/Worst (hi’s / low’s) from your week?

Closing Prayer

LEADER: Lord, even though your people turned their back on you,
GROUP: You were faithful.
LEADER: Even though we were in sin,
GROUP: You sent your Son to die for us.
LEADER: Even though we don’t deserve it,
GROUP: You give us your grace.
LEADER: Be with us as we tell others of what you have done in our lives.
GROUP: Thank you, Lord
ALL: Amen.

Make Up: November 6th, 2011

Carrie Lucas created a student sheet for her class. We wanted to share it with you for the class make up time. We ask you to read the material and then comment in the section below so we can know that you did the make-up. Thanks.
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Our Lesson

Bible Text:
1 Kings 11:1-13, Amos 1:1; 5:21-24; 8:1-18; Hosea 1:1-9; 4:1-3; Jeremiah 11:18-23; 15:15-21

Lesson Focus:
When the rulers of Israel ignored God’s prophets, Israel was lost.

Big Question:
What would a prophet say to us today?

Key Words:
PROPHET, JUDGEMENT, JUSTICE

High Level View of the Book of 1 KINGS, AMOS, HOSEA, & JEREMIAH:

The once great nation of Israel turned into a land divided, not only physically, but spiritually. God had warned Israel that kings would cause more problems than they solve. Evil kings led the nation deeper into idolatry and destruction.
During this period, there were 2 kingdoms. Israel was the Northern Kingdom & Judah was the Southern Kingdom. We’ll be focusing on the Northern Kingdom. Throughout history, the people of Israel had disobeyed God. They rejected the prophets and didn’t take care of those who were poor and powerless. They were mistreating the poor and worshipping other gods, such as money and power, instead of God. They enjoyed luxury while the poor suffered. Because they rejected God and the prophets and didn’t take care of those who were poor, Israel was abandoned by God and became exiled. During the exile, the Israelites wondered why, since they were God’s chosen people, they felt so abandoned. Remembering the words of God’s prophets, like Amos & Hosea, helped.

The prophets whose voices carry throughout these stories in the bible are the real meat & potatoes of the story, not the kings, for it’s the prophets who call the people of the Northern Kingdom back to faithfulness to the God who still loves them.

Read- Bible Text: 1 Kings 11:1-13
After David died, Solomon (the wisest king in the history of Israel), became King. Solomon was wealthy and wise, but disobeyed God in a number of ways. The kings and leaders of God’s people were to help the people stay faithful to God. Under the influence of his many wives, Solomon began to worship other gods, thereby, leading the people to do the same thing.

Important to note: Solomon was led to idolatry.
We, as Christians, may have strong faith, but we also have areas of weakness. Those areas are usually where temptation strikes. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link—so strengthen & protect yourselves where you are weak.

Opening Prayer LEADER: Lord, you spoke through your prophets of old.
GROUP: Now you speak through us.
LEADER: You call for peace where there is war.
GROUP: Make us instruments of your peace.
LEADER: You call for justice where there is despair.
GROUP: Make us instruments of your justice.
ALL: Amen

Definitions of Key Words

PROPHET: a messenger for God who speaks out about acts of injustice.

JUDGMENT: an accusation about a person’s actions. The prophets pronounced judgment on the king and people because of their poor actions.

JUSTICE: living in relationships of love and caring & upholding the powerless, goes beyond obeying the law.

Prophets

Amos – He was a man of God and spoke with brutal frankness in denouncing sin. He was just a humble Shepard, who God gave a vision of the future to. The vision was that Israel would be conquered by Assyria and the rich would become slaves, themselves. Amos pronounced God’s judgment upon Israel, the northern kingdom, for its complacency, idolatry, and oppression to the poor. He collided with the false religious leaders of his day and was not intimidated by a priest or a king. He continued to speak his message boldly.

Hosea (means “salvation”)- The book of Hosea is a love story – real, tragic and true. God told Hosea to wind a wife (Gomer) and revealed to him ahead of time that she would be unfaithful to him. This book tells of God’s love for his people and the response of His “bride”. A covenant had been made, and God had been faithful. But Israel, like Gomer, was adulterous and unfaithful, turning to false gods. Hosea warned that unless they repented of their sin and turned back to God, they were headed for destruction.

Jeremiah – The basic theme was “repent and turn to God”. Jeremiah was God’s spokesman, but nobody listened. He was rejected by his neighbors, his family, false priests, friends…everyone. He often felt he stood alone as he predicted the destruction of Jerusalem. He predicted that after the destruction of the nation, God would send a new Shepard, the Messiah (JESUS). Jesus would lead them into a new future, a new covenant, and a new day of hope…and he would accomplish this by changing their sinful hearts into hearts of love for God.

Prophets of Today

God sent prophets to warn the people of Israel. The teachings of these prophets in the biblical tradition help us to understand & listen to the voices of present-day prophets. Prophets today provide us with guiding lights. People like Martin Luther King Jr., John Paul II, and others are recent prophets who have spread God’s message of peace, love, and justice.

Baptismal Connection
Today’s lesson focuses on the clause “to strive for justice and peace in all the earth”. Working for justice and peace is central to the call to follow God. Prophets like Amos made it clear that what God wants from His people is for them to work in this world on behalf of those who are in need. Working for peace & justice is one of the most important ways we can share God’s love with the world.

Best/Worst (hi’s / low’s) from your week?


Closing Prayer

LEADER: Lord, you sent your prophets to speak up for the poor.
GROUP: Help us to speak up for the poor.
LEADER: You sent your prophets to speak to government leaders.
GROUP: Help us to guide all world leaders to do what is right.
LEADER: You sent your prophets to remind your people to put you first in their lives.
GROUP: Help us to put you first in our lives.
LEADER: For all you do for us, we thank you.
GROUP: Thank you, Lord
ALL: Amen.

Make Up: October 23rd - Moses & Pharaoh

On Sunday, October 23rd, our lesson was on Moses and Pharaoh. Below, you will see the outline of the lesson in small group. We ask you to read through it and then comment on what stood out to you. By commenting, we will know that you have read through the material and interacted with the lesson. You can comment as "anonymous" and list your initials and we will know who it is; thank you.

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Moses and Pharaoh

Bible Text:
Exodus 2:23–24; 5:1–9; 6:1–9; 7:14–12:32; 12:33–42; 14:21–31

Lesson Focus:
God delivers the people from suffering.

Big Question:
Why doesn't God fix all the injustice in the world?

Key Words:
PLAGUE, PASSOVER, DELIVERANCE

Definition of Key Words

PLAGUE: any large-scale calamity.

PASSOVER: a Jewish festival commemorating the deliverance of their people from slavery in Egypt.

DELIVERANCE: the act of releasing or rescuing.

The Highlights

Moses serves as God's mediator and the Hebrew people's enfleshed liberator and leader.

The fantastic plague narrative shows that the God of the Israelites is sovereign not only over the Hebrew people, but over the Egyptians (i.e., the world) as well.

Yahweh is a God who rescues, makes relationships, and establishes covenants.

Yahweh is powerful, and divine power is shown not in domination, as exercised by Pharaoh, but through deliverance.

God's purposes continue to be achieved through people—reluctant ones, even!

God is involved in the sociopolitical world in profound ways.

The story of the Exodus undergirds everything that comes after it in scripture. From now on, God is known as the creating, redeeming, and sustaining God.


DEEP THOUGHTS

The setting of the Exodus undergirds everything that comes after it in scripture. God's action in this world to save his people from bondage to slavery becomes the story. God becomes known as the creating, redeeming, and sustaining God. And Moses becomes God's flesh-and-blood liberator, leader, and lawgiver.

God has already called Moses in the famous scene of the burning bush. His "call narrative" is wonderful on many levels, not the least of which is that he argues and argues and argues with God. And God listens. God responds. There is discussion. The plan is modified somewhat. Finally God says, "Go!" And Moses goes. The divine trait of listening to the people is highlighted throughout this story. It is not only Moses God listens to, but the people in general. "Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them" (Exodus 2:23–25). God is identified as the God who entered into the covenant with their ancestors. This is our clue that the promise of blessing will be furthered yet again.

The plague narrative is always interesting. It is so fantastic and surreal! The point of it is not found in Bible notes or late-night TV documentaries insisting that scientific evidence of natural disasters around this time in history exists. The point is that it is fantastic. This God of the Israelites is sovereign not only over the Hebrew people, but over the Egyptians (i.e., the world) as well. These are not magic tricks Moses brings on in the name of the Lord—Pharaoh's magicians cannot match them when the ante is upped. This is the power of the one true God. From this story comes the tradition of Passover, with its obvious links in the New Testament. This is the historical background of the celebratory feast that takes place each spring in the homes of our Jewish friends and neighbors. And it is our story too.

God shines from the pages of scripture in this story. As the people begin their wilderness wanderings after their miraculous crossing of the sea, Moses begins to talk with them more about the God who saved them. The themes are unmistakable, and they will continue to be spelled out again and again through the wilderness wanderings. Yahweh is a God who rescues, makes relationships, and establishes covenants. Yahweh is powerful, and divine power is shown not in domination, as exercised by Pharaoh, but through deliverance. God's purposes continue to be achieved through people—reluctant ones, even! God is involved in the sociopolitical world in profound ways. These are the claims of a rescued people. Though the chosen people do not always confess it—rather, they complain much of the time—the setting of the Exodus undergirds everything that comes after it in scripture. From now on, God is known as the creating, redeeming, and sustaining God.

Make-Up: October 16th, 2011 - Joseph

On Sunday in small group, we took a look at Joseph. It is a long story (14 chapters). One of the groups had a great discussion on favortism and if/how parents show it to their children. At least how the students in the group felt there is favortism shown to their siblings. We asked you to familiarize with the story, read the descriptions below and comment on what/how the story means/relates to you.

Bible Text:
Genesis 37–50

Lesson Focus:
Joseph trusted God, in the good and bad times.

Big Question:
Why should I trust God?

Key Words:
DREAMS, SLAVERY, FORGIVENESS

DEFINITION OF KEY WORDS

DREAMS: thoughts, visions, or mental images that occur during sleep and can relay a message. Joseph interpreted his dreams and the dreams of others.

SLAVERY: a condition of bondage when a person is in servitude to another; drudgery, toil. Joseph was sold as a slave by his own brothers.

FORGIVENESS: relief from a debt or a weakness; pardon; wiping the slate clean. Joseph forgave his brothers when they thought that would never happen.

DEEP THOUGHTS ON JOSEPH

The story of Joseph is a masterpiece of Hebrew and world literature. With a fabulous plot, intrigue, and suspense, it is a story suitable for reading on a lovely or rainy (confirmation) afternoon! Children love it, composers of music love it, artists love it, and clearly, the biblical writers found it to be a rich source of teaching about God and humanity. In terms of the biblical story line, it provides a bit of a bridge between the books of Genesis and Exodus, beginning with the ever-increasing chosen family in Canaan and ending with the family-turned-nation residing in the best part of Egypt.

Again, we find the familiar themes of deception, favoritism, and the pain of family relations rearing their ugly heads. But in this story, God retreats a bit (not in the sense of vanishing from the story)—God's actions are more providentially inclined rather than interventionally inclined. There are no extraordinary theophanies or dramatic revelations in this story—no visits from angels, no long talks with the Divine, no mysterious wrestling in the dead of night. Instead, God appears indirectly in the claims made about Joseph and in the divine communication Joseph has via his dreams. Joseph is considered to be wise, and that indicates that God is with him, we are told. He also has both the gift of having dreams filled with portents of the future and divine communication and the gift of dream interpretation. The meaning of this is ambiguous in the text. Clearly God is working with Joseph in these more hidden ways.

Just as Jacob loved Rachel to the disappointment of Leah, he now loves Joseph, Rachel's son, to the pain of Joseph's siblings. Joseph is given a special robe and special favors, and his brothers hate him for it. They come up with a plan to rid themselves of their pesky little brother who was always telling them of the dreams he had of his own greatness and their lack. Once Joseph is gone, however, their father is never the same, and Joseph's fate turns out far differently than they supposed. Again, providentially so.

Joseph is sold into slavery, but his intelligence and rather charmed life gets him out of that quickly. He is favored by others and enjoys quick success. His only setback is a time in prison, falsely accused of behaving improperly with Potiphar's wife. But even in prison, God is with Joseph, and Joseph remains faithful to God. He waits patiently for things to be righted; and they are, in rather dramatic fashion. Joseph rises to second place in the land of Egypt, a position of amazing power, gained because of his gift at dream interpretation (i.e., because God is with him).

The story is long. In the end, Joseph preserves the lives of the Egyptians (and therefore the world) and his family, God's chosen ones, with his economic plan designed to keep everyone eating during a long famine. God's promise for goodness doesn't happen off in a corner, but plays itself out in the world at large. Throughout the story, the narrator is careful to have us know that it is not Joseph himself who works these wonders, but rather God working through Joseph.

To what degree is God involved in personal, familial, or national history? The story of Joseph makes its claims. All of us have stories as well. The Bible's claim is that God is at work in the ugly places of jealousy and heartaches and breaks. God works with our neighbors' and our own shortcomings and sins. Most importantly, this story emphasizes that divine intent is always for good, as Joseph says at the end, even when our intent is not.

The stage is set for Exodus. The chosen family-nation is in Egypt. They are enjoying the best and most fruitful land. There has been some degree of reconciliation. There are 12 sons and probably many wives and nearly countless children. God's promise to Abraham continues to be realized. Soon Old Abraham will have as many descendants as the stars and grains of sand. What will this mean for the world? What does it mean for us today?