Joseph Looks Forward

Joseph laughed as he told stories in his brothers' company, with all of his Hebrew-Egyptian household surrounding him. His grandchildren cheered him as he pretended to bring an ornery camel to a fresh stream of water. The adults maintained a respectful silence in the presence of Egypt's savior. He was both the Hebrew Patriarch and a Prince of Egypt. Joseph sat at the center of a series of concentric circles: his brothers and their wives and families, his Egyptian relatives by marriage, friends and servants, all artfully spread across the space in front of his palace. Joseph's palace was Pharoah's gift for his years of loyalty and service. But it was also Pharaoh's palace. Pharaoh supervised building the largest and most splendid palace for Joseph, it mocked all other palaces. It was a sign and warning: a sign of Joseph's solitary greatness and a warning to others - THIS IS THE LIMIT OF AMBITION IN EGYPT. Years of uncertainty and false imprisonment had humbled Joseph, he was not the master of men his titles proclaimed, he was still the shepherd boy who prayed to his God at night, on the hilltops where the flocks slept, under the burning light of a multitude of stars. Even in his old age Joseph was still a Child of God. As he aged, he grew silent about dreams and prophecies and the Voice of God in his heart. Beneath the precious gowns and lavish jewelry, Joseph was simply a Man of Prayer. Each morning he prayed in his heart, "Lord God, this is your day dawning. Make me an instrument of your Will" Each night he prayed, "Lord God, this is Your day sinking into darkness. Make me an instrument of Your Will." The end came quietly during a time of prosperity. Joseph reclined on a couch with sweet incense swirling in the air, and soft sounds of female harpists cushioning thoughts, and peace was as palpable as silence. Joseph gently stroked the fur of an orange cat nestled in his lap. He suddenly spoke: "My prophecy is the Good Life in God's World. My way of life has that which should accompany old age, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends." He stopped stoking the cat. The cat looked up into his face and saw the light fall out of his eyes as his body slumped. And Joseph sleeps in Abraham's bosom... And GENESIS closes in calm and confidence....