A Meditation for Wednesday after the Third Sunday in Lent

By The Rev. Jeff Stubbs, SSC (‘09)

Come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat of the fat of the land. (Gen. 45:18)

For those keeping score at home, our selection today occurs after Joseph has tested his brothers by placing his own silver cup in the grain sack of Benjamin to see if they have grown since they attempted to kill Joseph by throwing him into a pit and then selling him into slavery because of their jealousy over his favored status. Benjamin, who, like Joseph, was the son of Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, was also favored above the others, but this time by Joseph. Yet, when Benjamin’s life is threatened for possessing the cup, rather than abandoning him, Judah offers himself in his brother’s place—thus proving to Joseph the changed heart of all the brothers. Through joyful tears, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers and has now made provision for them to live in the land of Goshen because there are still five years remaining of the seven-year drought. Egypt is able to provide because they had prepared based on Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams. 

When Pharaoh hears of the reunion of the brothers with his most trusted advisor, Pharaoh gives them the best of the land of Egypt and the fat of the land to eat. They are to go home with donkeys laden with the good things of Egypt, and with food for their journey to their father and back. The news of this is brought to Jacob, their father, which then brings him from the land of death into the land of life—both literally and figuratively. Literally, in that he was dwelling in the drought-stricken and dying land of Canaan but is now being brought to Egypt, where there is plenty of food and water. And figuratively, in that he was mourning the loss of his son Joseph and wished to go down to Sheol, the land of the dead, to join his assumed-dead son, but now is called back to the land of the living, where he need not mourn because his son is very much alive and bids Jacob to dwell with him.

We can feel the joy of the family of Israel in this scene. It repeatedly speaks to us of resurrection—of the call to new life—new life as a result of the willingness of one man to be sacrificed in place of his brother. Because Judah places himself as his brother’s keeper, he undoes the punishment of death and brings all of Israel into the joy of the Lord, into a land free from death, where the only tears are happy tears. This is of course a type of the sacrifice of Christ (who, no surprise, comes from the lineage of Judah). Judah’s offer of sacrifice gains his family access to the livable land of Goshen. Christ’s sacrifice is that which gains us access to the undying land of heaven.

Yet, this scene is also sad because it brings Israel into the place of their eventual enslavement—Egypt. This is even foreshadowed in the next chapter, where they are to be shepherds in the land of Goshen, yet “every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians” (Gen. 46:34). They are given a land in which to dwell that is not the land promised to Abraham. It is a good place for a time and for what it is, but ultimately it is the land apart, where they are enslaved and in need of a savior. The world is given to them as their oyster: money, access to power, food, a land in which to be fruitful and multiply, and everything they could ever want. Yet all those things are eventually turned to dung as these are the very things the Egyptians see as threats to their own well-being when a Pharaoh arises who knows not Joseph (Exod. 1:8). The good gifts of the past are the very things which land them in slavery in the future.

This story, then, is a mixed bag. It speaks to us of victory and resurrection—all the things that we as Christians want to read about in the Bible. But it also speaks to us about the dangers of being given everything we want but outside of the Promised Land. Look beyond the fact that God had a hand in all of this and allowed the evil acts of Joseph’s brothers to bring about their salvation. On second thought, do not look beyond that, for the way God brings about good from evil too is the Gospel, but instead put that aside for a second. They were given everything they wanted yet in a land outside of the Promised Land. In this land they had access to power, but it was a power not of their own, nor of God, but of one who would eventually enslave them. 

It must be noted that, in this story today, Pharaoh is indeed helping the children of Israel. It is not until much later in the narrative that Pharaoh becomes an enemy of Israel, and indeed, it is an entirely different Pharaoh, “who knew not Joseph.” Yet, this is not how the majority of Scripture views Pharoah, as a figure. Pharaoh, as a figurehead, is usually seen corporately as the enslaver of Israel. And in this role as enslaver, the Prophet Ezekiel unmasks Pharoah and calls him by another name: “the great dragon that lives in the Nile” (Ezek. 29:3). In John’s Revelation, he finally reveals the true name of the great dragon: “the devil and Satan” (Rev. 12:9). This eventual unmasking is understandable since the good gifts given by Pharaoh outside the Promised Land seem good but end up enslaving them. This sounds a lot like the good gifts promised to Jesus in the wilderness as he was tempted by Satan. They look good initially, but they bring ruin.

And so, dear reader, our reading today is very much a Lenten reading. We have the giving of a bittersweet gift that initially is a call for rejoicing but ultimately results in producing the necessary circumstances for their enslavement. Be wary of gifts that seem to be everything that could be desired yet occur outside of the promises of Christ. They are not freely given but meant as a trap for later. But, because we do not mourn as the world mourns, we also see in this reading types of the sacrifice of Christ and the resulting gift of access to the land of life. So, take joy in this reunion of Joseph and Jacob. Be wary. And then remember the resurrection which completes this gift and redeems any negativity that is found in the gift of Pharaoh.

The Rev. Jeff Stubbs, SSC (‘09) has served as the Rector of St. Paul’s in Gainesville, Texas, in the ACNA diocese of Fort Worth for twelve years, during which time St. Paul’s has established a healthy relationship with the poor in their community through food and supportive outreach. Fr. Jeff loves teaching and sharing his love of the Old Testament through a typological lens. Fr. Jeff is currently working on the Masters in Sacred Theology with a focus on the early church fathers. He has been married to his wife Becca for almost twenty years, and they have three daughters. The readings for the preceding devotional may be located here from Forward Movement.