#Joseph Interpreting Pharaoh's Dream

[pmamtraveller]

THE ART OF EXOTICISM BY REGINALD ARTHUR

Someone requested I look into REGINALD ARTHUR'S work and after some research I have something here, i had so much fun making this. REGINALD ARTHUR was a BRITISH painter who was active in the late 19th century. Not much is known about his early life or education, but records show that he was active as a painter between 1881 and 1896.

ARTHUR is best known for his dramatic historical paintings, particularly his depiction of the death of CLEOPATRA. His painting, titled "THE DEATH OF CLEOPATRA: THE STROKE OF DEATH," depicts the moment when CLEOPATRA takes her own life by allowing a venomous snake to bite her. The painting is a powerful and emotional portrayal of the tragic event, with CLEOPATRA shown in a state of agony and despair.

Aside from his painting of CLEOPATRA, Arthur also painted other historical scenes, such as 'JOSEPH INTERPRETING PHARAOH'S DREAM, 1893' and 'PHAROAH'S DAUGHTER, 1896.' He was known for his attention to detail and his ability to capture the emotions and drama of his subjects.

In 'JOSEPH INTERPRETING PHARAOH'S DREAM' The painting depicts the biblical story of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers and eventually rose to become a powerful advisor to the Pharaoh of Egypt. In the painting, Joseph is shown interpreting Pharaoh's dream of seven fat cows being devoured by seven skinny cows, foretelling seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.

ARTHUR'S style was heavily influenced by the PRE-RAPHAELITE MOVEMENT, with its focus on detailed and realistic depictions of historical and mythological scenes. He also incorporated elements of the Romantic style, with its emphasis on emotion and drama.

Despite his talent and success as a painter, little is known about ARTHUR'S personal life. It is believed that he may have lived and worked in LONDON, as some of his paintings depict scenes from the city.

Today, ARTHUR'S paintings are held in private collections and are highly sought after by art enthusiasts. His portrayal of CLEOPATRA'S death remains one of his most famous and enduring works, capturing the tragedy and drama of the event in a way that continues to captivate audiences.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river. And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows.

Then Pharaoh woke up, but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.

In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard. One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning. Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually. And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”

So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt! Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first. When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke.

In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind. And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones.

I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning. Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.

It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.

Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.

Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities. This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.”

This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck. He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”

Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.

Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully. During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it. So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.

Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt. When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth. — Genesis 41 | The Reader’s Bible (BRB) The Reader’s Bible © 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. All rights Reserved. Cross References: Genesis 12:10; Genesis 17:6; Genesis 28:12; Genesis 37:2; Genesis 37:36; Genesis 38:18; Genesis 39:9; Genesis 40:1-2; Genesis 40:8; Genesis 42:6; Genesis 43:1; Genesis 45:6; Genesis 46:20; Genesis 47:24; Genesis 48:1; Genesis 48:5; Genesis 50:18; 1 Kings 3:15; 2 Kings 8:1; Esther 10:3; Job 8:11; Job 32:8; Psalm 105:20; Psalm 105:22; Psalm 109:24; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 9:11; Daniel 2:11; Daniel 2:28-29; Daniel 2:45; Daniel 5:11; Hosea 12:1; Matthew 2:1; Luke 15:22; John 2:5; Acts 3:12; Acts 7:10-11

Genesis 41 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (complete)

[christliche-kunstwerke]

Joseph deutet den Traum des Pharao von German School (colour lithograph)

[tom4jc]

Genesis 41:16 Don't Take The Credit

So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Genesis 41:16 Taking credit for accomplishing something is what most people are willing to do very quickly. Everyone wants recognition for what they were able to do. People like to be honored for what they did and will rarely hand that honor off to someone else when it appears that they did all the…

[walkswithmyfather]

Genesis 50:20 (NLT). “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

Genesis 50:20 (ICB). “You meant to hurt me. But God turned your evil into good. It was to save the lives of many people. And it is being done.”

“All for Good” By Wendy Richmond:

“Sometimes when you are going through difficult things it’s hard to see the good. What good can come out of a bad situation? Surely that’s what Joseph was thinking. Things started out quite innocent. He was just a 17-year-old boy with a dream when his brothers threw him into a pit and then sold him into slavery.

For the next thirteen years, Joseph experienced one difficult situation after another. He was lied about, thrown into prison, and forgotten. But God’s favor was on Joseph and the Lord gave him a special ability to interpret dreams.

At the age of 30, Joseph was summoned from prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Because God gave Joseph the ability to interpret the dream, he was made second in command in all of Egypt. Then the famine came.

Enter Joseph’s brothers. They came to Egypt looking for food and bowed down to Joseph just like they did in the dream he had as a youth. You would think Joseph would have been furious. They were the ones responsible for all his hardships. It was their actions that landed him in prison.

But instead of being angry, Joseph recognized the sovereignty of God. “You intended to harm me,” Joseph tells his brothers, “but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

Even though God did not cause the difficulties in Joseph’s life, He used them for good and for His glory. You may not see the good right now but don’t lose hope. God turned things around for Joseph and He can turn them around for you.“

[apesoformythoughts]

‘The text goes on: "And Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old." Why did it indicate to us his age, too? For you to learn how long he had been entrusted with the control of Egypt. He was seventeen when he went down to Egypt, and it was when he reached the age of thirty that he appeared before Pharaoh and interpreted his dreams. He then held complete control of Egypt for eighty years. Do you see how the rewards were greater than the hardships and the recompense manifold? For thirteen years he struggled with temptations, suffering servitude, that illicit accusation, ill-treatment in prison. Since he nobly bore everything with thankfulness, accordingly he attained generous rewards even in the present life.

Consider, after all, I ask you, that as a result of that short period that he endured servitude and imprisonment he occupied a royal position for eighty years. For proof that it was by faith that he did all this and for the same motive gave directions about the transfer of his bones, listen to [the words of the Letter to the Hebrews]: "By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites" (Heb. 11:22).’

— St. John Chrysostom

[j3ss3jam3s85]

Evidence of Exodus

Many often wonder if there is any factual evidence proving the Bible being true.   What if I told you that not only can I point you to strong evidence of the old testament Exodus being real, I can point you to a person in Exodus who has a real life replica of himself. Being possibly the only person mentioned in the Bible that we can truly see how they appeared.  (With the exception of Vladimir Putin's recent 2024 claim that he has an original painting of Jesus Christ that has been in Russia).

bNow, if you're not familiar with the book of Exodus (chapters 1-14), I suggest you taking a moment to read it. Otherwise, what I'm about to say may not make much Sense. Or, read this and then read Exodus, and things might make more sense to you as it's being read.  Either way, I highly recommend reading it.

Archeologically, we're able to prove many things within the Bible, however, Exodus is not one of them. Matter of fact, some of the things are extremely questionable.  For example, where are all these Israelites coming from mentioned? There are no records of a man named Moses in Egypt. Many movies depict the enslaved Israelites were building the pyramids, however, The pyramids were built long before the Israelites were enslaved. There are many things that people question in the book of Exodus, you might as well. Maybe I can help with any doubt that you may have. In hopes to open your eyes as to the possibility that these things really could have, and did indeed happen.

Let's go back to the story of  Joseph. Joseph is one of the 12 sons of Jacob, also named Israel. (Remember God changed his name to Israel because of his faith in willing to sacrifice his son). They fell into a Great famine Aunt resources grew very slim, so they went searching for a better life elsewhere. Can you guess where they ended up? That's right, Egypt! This is where we get "The children of Israel", also known as, the Israelites.

Joseph's gift from God was the ability to interpret dreams. In doing so, he was able to interpret the Pharaoh's dream which ultimately helped save Egypt from a great famine.  So how did his people, his family, end up in bondage?  Answer is, the Israelites were living and the delta and we're living a pretty prosperous existence. Up until the moment a new pharaoh becomes in charge. This Pharaoh knows nothing about Joseph.  For none other than narcissistic  reasons, the new pharaoh is upset that the Israelites are living such a lavish life.  He ordered task masters to watch over them, which is when they became enslaved.  This Pharaoh is historically documented saying  to his midwives, "watch the two stones." Meaning, Egyptian women often give birth while sitting straight up to let gravity help them with the birthing process. Often, they would sit on two stones to help assist them during  labor. This correlates with the Bible when pharaoh ordered the death of all the Israelite males that were being born.  This is around the time that Moses was born. With Moses's mom afraid of him being murdered, she sent him away, down the river, for a chance at life.

Another questionable biblical text says that the pharaohs daughter finds Moses and the river and takes him in as her own. An Egyptian naming their child Moses, which is Hebrew is not very likely. Leaving some skepticism. Let me push that skepticism aside. 

Remember, Moses is sent down river, so when he's found, he's found in the reeds. Now the Hebrew word massa (משא) means brought out.  However Moses, Moses is actually a pure Egyptian name, which means Born. Just think about Ra-Moses, Ra means God and Moses means birth in Egyptian, God is Born. Another common Egyptian term is  Toth-Moses.  So therefore, just because the name Moses doesn't appear as someone's name being an actual person, it does not mean he did not exist. Moses literally means birth and Egyptian. Something someone would say or call a newborn baby. 

Moses later has an encounter with God through a burning bush. God tells Moses that he is going to be the one to help set the Israelites free and lead them into the promised land. Moses, brings his brother Aaron with him to go speak to the pharaoh. Moses performs many miraculous wonders and so do the pharaohs magic wielders. So it's like they're in competition for a moment. Moses has a staff and he throws it down and it turns into a snake. Then Pharaoh has his people throw a staff and they also turn into snakes.  It was almost like this was something that they've seen before, and we're unimpressed.  Now you can take it exactly how it was written and think that a staff was thrown down and turned into a snake and both parties were able to do so. What I think happened is, the staff happened to be a cobra snake that was stiff like a staff with the head as the handle. When you throw the snake down onto the ground it then is able to slither away. This is a known practice and Egypt then and even today which would explain why people wouldn't be impressed.  Moses and Aaron came back time and time again with  9 different plagues. Trying to convince Pharaoh to let his people go. Pharaoh gets annoyed and Now orders that the Israelites are no longer going to be given prepared straw to mix with their bricks. Leaving them to cut their own straw to mix with clay in order to make their own bricks. Giving double work with the same deadline. None of the plagues presented so far didn't seem to phase the Egyptians whatsoever. By this point, God says enough is enough and lets the pharaoh know that if he does not cooperate, he will take all the firstborns of families who do not have a blood sacrifice over their door frame.  Of course Pharaoh did not take this threat seriously, so there was no blood sacrifice and he ended up losing his son. This is what makes pharaoh say okay, You can have your freedom, you can go.

When the Israelites leave, the Egyptians are all mourning the deaths of their firstborns. So, when the Israelites asked for gold and silver upon leaving, they just handed it over with no issues. So the Israelites are able to leave rich with gold and silver.  Rightfully so in my opinion. They just spent approximately 430 years, in slavery and are now heading to the promised lands.

As the Israelites were on their way, Pharaoh quickly changed his mind and decided to go after the Israelites and bring them back. This is when the famous part of Exodus happens that most people are familiar with. Did the Israelites really cross the Red Sea on dry land? While the Egyptians get swallowed whole by the water? There is a lot of skepticism about rather or not they truly did part the Red Sea.

Here the Israelites are leaving on foot with all this gold and silver. We know that they lived in the Delta part of Egypt so we can kind of figure out the route that they took. They don't take the Philistine route because Palestine is highly guarded with watchtowers. So what they do is go through the marsh. Now the misconception lies with where exactly they crossed at. Which they actually crossed through the Sea of Reeds and not the Red Sea. Now in the Bible it says that  Pharaoh's chariots were clogged. Sounds like they were going through mud. If you ask me. Which if I'm on foot I can get through but if I'm in a chariot I cannot. So Pharaoh's men ended up perishing while God helped the Israelites make it through safely.

In playing devil's advocate, if this story is true then why is there no record other than what is mentioned in the Bible of this particular situation? The answer is Egyptians were horrible at record keeping in general. Their record keeping is mainly made up of what is written in tombs or on Stella's. Which never mentioned anything about any of their defeats. Egyptians only kept records of victories. Honestly, this entire situation only really mattered to the Israelites. No one else really cared. But this was the beginning of their entire religion.

Biblically they never say who the pharaoh actually was. Historically, Egypt didn't even have a pharaoh at this time. Who ever was in charge would technically be a king. So where does the Bible get Pharaoh from?  It's actually a conjunction of 2 Egyptian words, that meant house, great. Which Pharaoh meant the one who lived in a great house. Fitting for someone living in a palace.

A clue in the Bible as to who this pharaoh may be is when they speak of the Israelites building the store cities  with bricks. Is it a coincidence that one of the cities names is Pi-Ramess?  They are using bricks, which historically we can narrow down the time frame in which bricks began being used to build the storehouse in these 2 cities mentioned.

i'm going to agree with Bob Brier, an egyptologist who suggested the Pharaoh in the book of Exodus is...... Ramesses the Great. Why?

Ramesses' built his capitol right beside the Delta, which would be close enough to the Israelites. Especially during the times Moses and Aaron were traveling back and forth trying to convince him to let his people go. The Israelite slaves built the city of Ramesses out of brick and he was the one who built these cities.  There is a sentence written on a Papyrus that explains grain ratios to be handed out to the soldiers and apperu (now I know I butchered inthe spelling of this word, but I spelled it the way it sounded).  Which The translation is thought to mean Hebrew. Many scholars believe that this is our Israelites. Other scholars believe that Merneptah was the ruler over The Exodus. They believe this because the first time Israel is mentioned is during the reign of Merneptah, which is Rameses 13th son and his successor. However, when Merneptah mentions Israel on his Stella. It is referred to as a people and not a country or a foreign land. Meaning around this time the Israelites were still wondering. Therefore, if they are wandering at this time, that means they must have left right before he began his reign.  Biblical scholars believe The Exodus happened in year 20 of rameses reign.  Guess what else happens right around this time? Ramesses loses his firstborn son, Amonhirkhopshef.

In the Egyptian museum, you can now see the mummy of Ramesses the Great. Which very well may be the only face you can look upon that is a real biblical figure.  I love it when science, history and the Bible correlate. 

References:

Brier, Bob. The history of ancient Egypt. (2013). The great courses.

Exodus 1+14

[artandthebible]

Joseph Sold by his Brothers

Artist: Balthasar Beschey  (Flemish, 1708–1776)

Genre: Religious Art

Date: 1744

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp

Description

Joseph was the second youngest of twelve brothers born to Jacob, who was called Israel. In Genesis 37:3–4 we read, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” The same passage also discusses two dreams Joseph had that angered his brothers; the dreams indicated his brothers would someday bow to him. Joseph’s brothers also despised him due to their father’s overt favoritism toward him.

One day, Joseph traveled to check on his brothers while they were watching their sheep. His brothers plotted against him, threw him in an empty well, and later sold him as a slave to some traveling Midianites. Applying animal blood to his “ornate robe,” they returned home and made Jacob believe his son had been killed by wild animals.

In the meantime, Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to the captain of the guard, Potiphar, as a household slave. Joseph was later falsely accused of attempting to rape Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison. While in prison, Joseph accurately interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants, who were also incarcerated. Later, Pharaoh had a disturbing dream no one could interpret. One of the servants Joseph had previously helped then suggested to Pharaoh that Joseph could interpret the dream. Joseph was summoned from prison, and he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream in such a powerful way that he was appointed second-in-command over Egypt.

Pharaoh’s dream predicted seven years of famine. During the famine, Joseph’s older brothers came to Egypt to buy food. They did not recognize Joseph, now twenty years older, and he treated them harshly, pretending that he thought they were spies. Joseph kept one brother in prison until the others brought their youngest brother, Benjamin, back to Egypt to prove they were not spies. They brought Benjamin with them on a return trip, and, after a series of twists that included his brothers bowing before him—in fulfillment of Joseph’s dream of long ago—Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. They were shocked, yet soon glad to be reunited. Joseph sent word for the entire family to join them in Egypt until after the famine.

Later, when their father, Jacob, died, Joseph’s brothers feared that Joseph would take revenge against them for their prior treatment of him. They came to Joseph and begged for his forgiveness, appealing to a request their father had made before he died (Genesis 50:16–17) Joseph wept when he heard their appeal. Revenge was the last thing on his mind. Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19–20).

[eretzyisrael]

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION

Parashat Miketz

(At The End Of)

In this Torah portion, Pharaoh has two troubling dreams, and at the suggestion of his cupbearer, who remembers Joseph from prison, Pharaoh brings Joseph to interpret them. Pharaoh is so impressed by Joseph that he makes him his adviser. There is a famine, and Jacob sends his sons, minus Benjamin, to Egypt to buy food. The brothers do not recognize Joseph when they meet him, and Joseph tests them by accusing them of being spies. Joseph arrests Simeon and demands the brothers bring Benjamin to Egypt to prove they are not spies. When Benjamin arrives, Joseph puts a goblet in Benjamin’s bag and accuses him of stealing it.

TORAH READING

Genesis 41:1-44:17; Numbers 7:24-29

[mysterious-secret-garden]

Alexander Bannerman - Joseph Interpreting the Dreams of Pharaoh's Chief Butler and Baker.

[lea-sbian]

*skitters over* Hi :3 Opinions. Give. Hand 'em over (pls)

Lmao of course, I’ve got plenty in stock, what flavor you lookin for?

If this is about the prince of Egypt post then:

Overall a great movie with incredible music, animation, and characters. And although it’s a retelling of a bible story, I think it’s also a really interesting way to approach as a work of fiction, like you would an old Epic like the Iliad. One where god isn’t all good and all powerful, but a character with his own biases and flaws.

An example of what I mean is how god isn’t all good is how he punishes the people of Egypt, (making crops fail, spreading disease, and killing the firstborn of every family, many of whom could be innocent or too young to understand the evils of slavery). You could make an argument of the ends justifying the means but then we’ve hit a place where we could argue about ethics, which is a morally grey area instead of ‘all good.’

And an example of how he isn’t all powerful is how he can’t even seem to change the mind of the one guy who’s mind he needs to change. How can god not just make himself known to rameses himself?

You could say “free will” and all but here’s the thing:

In some interpretations of the original story, there’s also a line akin to “The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” which implies some level of control over the mind that god has (also this line is referenced in the movie during the song ‘the Plauges’). And even if we interpret it as Pharaoh hardening his own heart, how does god now know that most of the things he’s done to punish him have only made his resolve to keep the slaves worse? Only when Ramses’ only son dies does he allow the slaves to go free, so why didn’t god just do that from the beginning?

And despite all of this, why doesn’t god just strike down the one guy keeping people from being free? Why make all of Egypt suffer for it?

You also could look back even to the other movie dreamworks made adapting a bible story: ‘Joseph king of dreams,’ where at the end of the film, Joseph invites his Jewish family into Egypt before the events of ‘Prince of Egypt’ which kind of implies that Joseph unknowingly helped facilitate the ability for Egypt to make them slaves, which is something that God could definitely of warned him about like he does with the famine. (Unless god didn’t know how the Jewish people would be enslaved by the Egyptians, which would mean he’s not ‘all knowing’ either. In fact Joseph himself was a slave? Idk how he didn’t see that coming honestly)

But even without alll that, there’s the scene in ‘prince of Egypt’ where god confronts Moses about going back to Egypt to free his people, in which Moses essentially asks “why me?” And then god proceeds to raise his voice and basically says “because I said so.” I’m definitely oversimplifying the scene here but that’s kind of how it reads to me now, a parent demanding something be done and when questioned, doesn’t give a real answer, but just “I made you so you gotta do what I say.”

It actually reminds me a lot about how the church I grew up with taught me to just trust in the church and god even if my questions went unanswered. Why can’t women have the priesthood? Why can’t I marry a woman?

There were some vague answers to these questions, but most of the time it boiled down to just “that’s what god said” which didn’t make a lick of sense to me.

I dunno man, if you have a different take I’d love to hear it, but this is kind of how I process Christian media now, seeing how in a lot of ways, God is just a parent who’s parenting style sucks sometimes. He did a good thing freeing his people in the end, but he fumbled as fuck getting there imo.

[painterlad71]

Ok so its very talked about how, when the yj girls eat jackie, jackie is jesus and the girls are the disciples and coach ben is judas. And while this is brilliant, (brilliant also at expressing the homosexuality of the act), I think there might be a better biblical story to draw parrallels to.

OFFICIAL JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT AND YELLOWJACKETS HYPERFIXATION POST.

Yes so:

Joseph is one of the most famous prophets of the bible, primarily interpreting dreams. After having caught the eye of the Pharaoh, joseph interprets his dreams particularly one which had been disturbing him for days, a dream about cows. Seven fat cows had been grazing peacefully for a while, when seven skinny cows came up out of the river and ate them, but disturbingly stayed skinny. I've been thinking about this a lot recently in relation to yj, particularly as this dream was interpreted as prophesising a famine over Egypt. I'll explain my thoughts on this more clearly in another post

Second of all, nat and javi. The choice between killing nat and letting javi die is similar to the choice between killing joseph and selling him into slavery. Ofc the yj and the 12 brothers do this for very different reasons but comforting themselves by choosing a "more merciful" option under the guise of being given a sign is something I find striking between the two situations.

I might be delusional with this one but one of the most shocking things in joseph's story is that its not enough to sell him into slavery, but the brothers dip his special coat, a symbol of his optimism and individuality in blood to prove to his father that he's dead. When javi goes missing, nat does the same thing to prove to travis his brother is dead. Despite nat doing this to help travis cope with what she thinks is javi's death she, like the brothers feels guilty in this deception, which is why she is furious when lottie still says javi is alive. The act of lying about someone's death to a loved one kills even the memory or the hope that person might have left in their wake. This is especially interesting in the light that nat will later let javi die, and the brothers have already sold joseph into a life of misery.

Another parallel; to test if the brothers have changed since their betrayal, joseph doesn't reveal who he is to the brothers after twenty years apart and instead decides to challenge them. After inviting them to feast with him, he plants his golden cup in benjamin's sack. When it is time for the brothers to leave, he stops them, accusing them of theft. When benjamin is caught with the cup, the brothers vouch for him, and joseph decides they've changed and forgives them. And while this ending neatly swerves the catastrophe which would have occurred had the brothers not changed, it also shows some similarities between javi and benjamin which make this especially interesting. They are both the youngest, viewed as the baby of the group and more kind and individualistic than the others. Which makes this part of the biblical story the complete opposite of the corresponding episode of yj as where the girls sacrificed their youngest to eat, the brothers refuse to do this once they have eaten and are satisfied.

Joseph/the wilderness inviting 12 starving people to feast. At a price.

And of course being jacob/the wildernesses favourite and thus being given a special coat to signal status.

"i like ... your pilgrim hat"

ps: yj has been trying to tell me this with misty's musical obsession

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan

1 And when Ya‛aqoḇ saw that there was grain in Mitsrayim, Ya‛aqoḇ said to his sons, “Why do you look at each other?”

2 And he said, “See, I have heard that there is grain in Mitsrayim. Go down to that place and buy for us there, and let us live and not die.”

3 And Yosĕph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Mitsrayim.

4 But Ya‛aqoḇ did not send Yosĕph’s brother Binyamin with his brothers, for he said, “Lest some harm come to him.”

5 And the sons of Yisra’ĕl went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the scarcity of food was in the land of Kena‛an.

6 And Yosĕph was the governor over the land, he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Yosĕph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.

7 And Yosĕph saw his brothers and recognised them, but he acted as a stranger to them and spoke to them harshly, and said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Kena‛an to buy food.”

8 So Yosĕph recognised his brothers, but they did not recognise him.

9 And Yosĕph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

10 And they said to him, “No, my master, but your servants have come to buy food.

11 “We are all one man’s sons, we are trustworthy, your servants are not spies.”

12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”

13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Kena‛an. And see, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.”

14 And Yosĕph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’

15 “By this you shall be proven: By the life of Pharaoh, you do not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

16 “Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you are kept in prison. So let your words be proven to see whether there is any truth in you, or else, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies!”

17 And he put them all together in prison for three days.

18 Now Yosĕph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear Elohim:

19 “If you are trustworthy, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house, and you, go, bring grain for the scarcity of food of your houses.

20 “And bring your youngest brother to me, and let your words be confirmed, and you do not die.” And so they did.

21 And they said to each other, “Truly, we are guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the distress of his life when he pleaded with us, yet we did not listen, that is why this distress has come upon us.”

22 And Re’uḇĕn answered them, saying, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen? And see, his blood is now required of us.”

23 And they did not know that Yosĕph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself away from them and wept, but came back to them and spoke to them. And he took Shim‛on from them and bound him before their eyes.

25 And Yosĕph commanded and they filled their sacks with grain, also to put back every man’s silver to his sack, and to give them food for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and went from there.

27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his silver, for there it was in the mouth of his sack!

28 And he said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned, and there it is, in my sack!” And their hearts sank and they were afraid, saying to each other, “What is this that Elohim has done to us?”

29 So they came to Ya‛aqoḇ their father in the land of Kena‛an and reported to him all that befell them, saying,

30 “The man, the master of the land, spoke to us harshly, and took us for spies of the land.

31 “But we said to him, ‘We are trustworthy, we are not spies.

32 ‘We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Kena‛an.’

33 “And the man, the master of the land, said to us, ‘By this I know that you are trustworthy: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for the scarcity of food of your households, and go.

34 ‘And bring your youngest brother to me, then I know that you are not spies, but that you are trustworthy – I give your brother to you, and you move about in the land.’ ”

35 And it came to be as they emptied their sacks, that look, the bundle of each man’s silver was in his sack! And when they and their father saw the bundles of silver, they were afraid.

36 And Ya‛aqoḇ their father said to them, “You have bereaved me – Yosĕph is no more, and Shim‛on is no more, and you would take Binyamin! All this is against me.”

37 So Re’uḇĕn spoke to his father, saying, “Take the lives of my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I myself bring him back to you.”

38 But he said, “My son is not going down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any harm should come to him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my grey hair with sorrow to the grave.” — Genesis 42 | The Scriptures (ISR 1998) The Scriptures 1998 Copyright © 1998 Institute for Scripture Research. All Rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 9:5; Genesis 11:7; Genesis 12:10; Genesis 24:25; Genesis 33:3; Genesis 34:10; Genesis 35:24; genesis 37:2; Genesis 37:6-7; Genesis 37:8; Genesis 37:26-27; Genesis 37:30; Genesis 37:33; Genesis 39:9; Genesis 40:4; Genesis 42:31-32; Genesis 42:33-34; Genesis 43:9; Genesis 43:12; Genesis 43:14-15; Genesis 43:23; Genesis 43:33; 1 Samuel 17:55; 2 Samuel 10:3; Jeremiah 31:15; Acts 7:12; Acts 42:2; Romans 12:17

Genesis 42 Chapter Summary

[freebiblestudies]

Lesson 041: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

Genesis 41:16 - So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

After languishing in prison for two years, Joseph was finally given a golden opportunity.  Pharaoh had a dream no one could interpret.  The chief butler finally remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh what Joseph did for him when he was in prison.

It may have been very tempting for Joseph to promote himself in front of Pharaoh.  After all, this was his best and perhaps only chance to leave prison.  Yet, Joseph gave all credit to God for the ability to interpret dreams.  Why did he do that?

Let’s read together Proverns 3:5; Psalm 118:8; and John 14:1.

Joseph had gone through many trials that tested his faith in God.  Joseph had found through personal experience that God was with him in those trials.  Joseph grew to trust God, even in trying times.

Let’s read together John 15:5 and Philippians 4:13.

Joseph knew that the ability to interpret dreams was not through his own power. Rather, it was a gift from God.  Joseph honestly gave credit where credit was due.

Let’s read together Psalm 108:1; Matthew 5:16; and 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Joseph acknowledged all the accomplishments came from God.  Joseph gave glory to God when he spoke to pharaoh.  When pharaoh elevated Joseph to the position of a governor, he acknowledged that “the Spirit of God” resided in Joseph (Genesis 41:38)

Will you give glory to God in all that you do?

[walkswithmyfather]

Psalm 103:19. “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.”

Genesis 39:2. “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.”

Genesis 39:21. “But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.”

“Piece by Piece” By Charles F. Stanley:  “We may not see the big picture of our life, but God does.”

“Does it sometimes feel as though your life is a mess of scattered puzzle pieces? Each situation seems to be an isolated event with no connection to what happened previously or what could occur in the future. Some pieces are beautiful moments of joy and blessing, but others are dark and painful. Perhaps you wonder why God allows these events or why He doesn’t intervene and relieve your suffering.

We can’t see what the picture will be once the puzzle is assembled, but God knows exactly how to fit everything together. When our situations look hopeless, this is our comfort: that a holy, perfect, all-knowing God is sovereign over everything in our life (Psalm 103:19). Nothing is random or meaningless when we belong to Him.

The story of Joseph is a great example of God’s omnipotent hand working in and through every situation (Gen. 37, 39-50). And by reading it, we learn four essential truths about the Lord and His sovereignty.

God is always with us. Joseph was hated by his 10 older brothers because he was the favorite son. When an opportunity arose to get rid of him, they sold him to a caravan of traders and told their father he’d been killed by a wild animal. This dramatic turn of events could easily have caused Joseph to feel forgotten by God. But throughout his various trials, one thing was constant—“The Lord was with Joseph” (Genesis 39:2, Genesis 39:21). 

Like him, we never walk through any situation alone. At the moment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us and seals us as God’s children (Ephesians 1:13). He’s with us in every circumstance whether we feel His presence or not. This is a truth we can count on because the Lord always keeps His word.

God has a purpose for everything. Joseph was only 17 when his ordeal began, and it didn’t end until he was 30. That’s 13 years of unexplained hardship and suffering, but the Lord knew exactly what was required to prepare Joseph for his future role as governor of Egypt, a position that made him second in authority to Pharaoh. 

What seemed like random and unfair events were the very things the Lord orchestrated to achieve His purpose. He used a father’s favoritism and brothers’ hatred to move Joseph from Canaan to Egypt. As a slave and prisoner, Joseph learned the skills required to wisely rule over a prosperous and powerful nation. God used Pharaoh’s dream and its interpretation not only to rescue His servant from prison but also to provide enough food to preserve a nation and save Joseph’s family from starvation. 

Although the events you experience may not be as dramatic as these, the principle still holds true. The Lord has a divine objective for everything that happens in your life. He’s promised to cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). You may not see a reason for what He’s doing in your life right now, but you can know this: His purpose is superior to any challenge you face.

God’s perspective is eternal and omniscient. When Joseph looked back at all the difficult events of his life, he assured his brothers of the Lord’s sovereign hand at work—even in their mistreatment of him. (See Genesis 50:20.) But what Joseph couldn’t see was God’s eternal purpose being worked out. Ultimately the hope for all humanity was tied up in these events because Jesus Christ was a descendant of that little group of Hebrews who were transplanted to Egypt and sustained by Joseph.

God is working awesome things of eternal value in our lives, but we can’t always understand, because our perspective is limited. The apostle Paul tells us that “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). When the troubles of this life weigh us down, we need to shift our focus from the temporal to the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). 

God’s timing is perfect. Perhaps the most difficult part of Joseph’s troubles was their duration. At one point, after correctly interpreting the cupbearer’s dream, Joseph saw a glimmer of hope and asked to be remembered to Pharaoh. But after two long years, he was still a prisoner. 

Why did God delay Joseph’s release just when he’d begun to hope again? Haven’t we all wondered that at one time or another? It looked as if the Lord was about to intervene, but then nothing happened. It’s easier to bear pain if we know the end is near, but when trials seem endless, we must rely on the wisdom of God’s timing. He knows exactly what He wants to achieve in our life and how long it will take. 

Instead of wrangling with the Lord over which pieces should be in the puzzle, let’s learn to accept that He alone knows how all the events of our life fit together. We can trust Him to choose the right pieces, even the dark ones, and place each one exactly where it needs to be, according to His good purpose.”

[Adapted from the sermon “Walking Through Dark Valleys” by Charles F. Stanley]

[nysocboy]

Gemstones Episode 3.3, Continued: A fire dance, a limp wrist, a phallic sword, and Balkan beefcake

 

Cousins' Afternoon:  The Gemstone siblings and their partners sit on cabana chairs, insulting their cousins, the Montgomery boys,  while they swim in the trout pond.   Kelvin lays on the femme stereotyping, even flashing a limp wrist.  This will be important later.

Keefe, who of course looks at men's crotches a lot, points out that Cousin Karl has a lot of pubic hair.  Kelvin quips "Looks like he's got a chinchilla up there!"  It sounds like he is making a mean joke to draw attention away from his interest in what men really have up there.

The Fire Dance: For their entertainment, Keefe performs a highly erotic fire dance in the waning light, near a path lit by a thousand fires.  I am reminded of Coleridge's "Kublai Khan":

A savage place! as holy and enchanted as e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted by a man wailing for his demon lover.

Keefe here is the demon lover, pure erotic energy, offering his mouth, butt, and penis simultaneously. He is the new Messiah of Muscle, rejecting cozy, tepid phileo, friendship, for the eros, erotic desire, that promises ecstasy or damnation.

Early in the episode, Kelvin couldn't admit that they were lovers. Now Demon Keefe shows him that they are.   He has never been sure if his desire for Keefe will lead him to heaven or hell.  Now he knows -- both. 

Background note: The dark, disturbing music playing is "Balkan Sex God" from A Serbian Film, 2010, which regularly appears on lists of "the most disturbing films of all time."  It features Srđan Todorović as a retired porn actor drawn into starring in a snuff film. 

Cousins' Evening:  A huge dining hall, with the family and cousins using just one table, Keefe and Kelvin sitting across from each other instead of side by side!  Why does the staging back off from depicting them as a couple?

Kelvin pours on the femme stereotypes thickly, limping his wrists constantly as if he's in a 1920s pansy act, and coincidentally or not puts his "wedding ring" on full display.

Uncle Baby Billy pretends he's the host of his Bible Bonkers game show, where families compete at Bible trivia. He goes around the table and asks  each of the "contestants" their name and what they do for a living.  The Montgomery boys work in landscaping.  Then it's Keefe's turn.  He is ready to speak, but Baby Billy skips him with a rude "nuh-huh," angering him.  But it's not a homophobic snub: Baby Billy skips over BJ, too: "You ain't family."  Only born Gemstones count. 

Next it's "the weirdo boy with the puffy muscles," the second and last reference to Kelvin's physique this season, and maybe a euphemism for "gay." But Kelvin refuses to participate. 

Lick his what?: Jesse and Cousin Chuck pair off for a question from Genesis 40, where Joseph, in prison, interprets the dreams of the Pharaoh's butler and baker.  It should be familiar even to non-Evangelical viewers from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,  but Jesse gets the answer wrong.  The trivia contest devolves into a knife fight, which ends when Cousin Karl begins choking.  Everyone rushes to help.  Jesse yells "Heimlich his ass!"

Keefe asks "Lick his what?" Of course he has misunderstood, but the line emphasizes the interest in backsides that he has displayed all season.  

You never disappoint:  As he evening ends, Amber and Jessie offer to give the Montgomery Boys a ride home, identifying them as friends.

 Then we see three couples heading home. 

 First Baby Billy and Tiffany.  They decide to stop on the way to have sex, followed by waffles. 

Next, Kelvin and Keefe.  Kelvin praises Keefe's sausage dip and fire dance, and gives him some loving glances.  Keefe raises his phallic swords from their hilt, suggesting arousal, while the darkness surrounding them makes the scene very intimate.  When Kelvin says "You never disappoint," it is nearly the equivalent to "I love you," as well as a precursor to what will happen in the next episode.

Then BJ and Judy hug while singing "Gonna have some hot sex tonight."   

The couples are presented in parallel.  Although Kelvin and Keefe don't mention sexual activities, they are bookended by couples who do, making it obvious that they, too, will be "having some hot sex tonight."  The marital problems are over, for the time being. The end. 

The full review, with nude photos and explicit sexual references, is on RG Beefcake and Boyfriends