Moses gives Joseph lots of ink in Genesis. When one reads Genesis in one sitting, it becomes obvious that the Spirit had Moses slow the story down in order to tell it. It’s an epic tale with many twists and turns. It’s a riches-to-rags-and-back-to-riches story. The plot contains elements of a Hollywood blockbuster: lying, cheating, murder, adultery, injustice, hatred, and sibling rivalry.

A story of sin

Joseph could have been a poster child for dysfunctional families. His father had four wives and didn’t hide the fact that Rachel and her two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, were his favorites. Jealous brothers wanted to kill Joseph but compromised and sold him to Egypt-bound slave traders instead. They lied to their aging father, Jacob, and for years let him believe that Joseph had been killed by a predator. Years later it all came full circle. With Joseph a mere distant memory, the brothers came face to face with him in Egypt, where Joseph had risen to a role of power in the world’s superpower.

This story brings to light the destructive power of sin. Sin divides and separates. It divides spouses. It divides entire families. It divides churches. Sin separates people from God. Even for believers, sin stifles the growth of faith and can separate us from our Savior.

A story of grace

The story of Joseph is also a story of God’s goodness. It’s a classic example of how God doesn’t give up on his people . . . even when they fail him miserably. In fact, the Bible could be described as a big picture album of a large dysfunctional family. Page after page shows people who have failed God. From Adam and Eve to Peter . . . from King David to Judas Iscariot . . . all flawed family members to whom God reached out with his goodness and grace. You and I are members of the same flawed family, yet he hasn’t given up on us either.

The story of Joseph is a story of a gracious God who takes risks. Jesus is linked to Joseph, Jacob, and Judah. From sinful offspring after sinful offspring all nations on the earth are blessed because of one sinless descendant. God’s plan to save people was inherently linked to his bumbling and defiant creatures. The risks are breathtaking. Yet an all-knowing God accomplished the improbable. We are left amazed at the extent to which he would go to rescue us from our sins.