The Bible Undressed

            You may know the story of Joseph and his brothers; it is one of the best known in the Bible, and I think one of the most entertaining stories in the Bible. It was even made into the first performed musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice: Joseph and  the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1972).

♫ It was red and yellow and green and brown
And scarlet and black and ochre and peach…♫

            Let me summarize the story so I can get to the title question. Muhammad also tells a slightly different version of the story: see post Q012 in the Quran section.

            Joseph is one of twelve brothers, born to Jacob (aka Israel) via two wives and two concubines (yes, the tribes of Israel are said to descend from a five-way). He is second youngest, his full brother Benjamin being the youngest (the others are half-brothers). Joseph is favored by Jacob and given a beautiful coat of many colors. To make matters worse with his brothers he then has a dream that eleven stars and the sun and the moon will bow down to him. The family sees this as Joseph saying they will bow down to him. So, the brothers plot against him. They put him into a pit and take his blood-stained coat to Jacob, saying he was killed by a wild beast. They sell Joseph to a caravan on its way to Egypt.

Joseph sold by his brothers by Antonio del Castillo, ca. 1660

            In Egypt Joseph is sold to a man named Potiphar. Joseph is very handsome, so Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him. He resists. The resentful woman accuses Joseph of attacking her. So he ends up in prison. (Muhammad tells a more elaborate version of this, with some interesting added details, see Q012.)

            In prison two fellow inmates have dreams, the former cupbearer and baker for Pharaoh. The cupbearer sees himself squeezing grapes into Pharaoh’s cup, and Joseph interprets this as him being restored to his position. The baker sees himself carrying bread on his head and the birds are pecking at it. Joseph tells him that Pharaoh is going to hang him on a tree and the birds will peck at his flesh. Ouch! Well, that’s what happens to the two men. But the cupbearer fails to mention Joseph to his master at that time.

            Later Pharaoh has a dream of seven lean cows swallowing up seven fat cows, and seven lean ears of grain swallowing up seven plump ears of grain. The cupbearer remembers Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams. So Joseph is brought forward to interpret the dream: there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of scarcity, so they need to start storing up. (In the Quran Muhammad also has Joseph being exonerated of the accusation from Potiphar’s wife.) So Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of this effort. I’ll come back to that in a moment.

Joseph Interpreting Pharaoh’s Dream, Reginald Arthur, 1894

            When the famine comes, Joseph’s brothers are forced to come down to Egypt to get grain. Joseph plays some tricks on them to force them to return to Egypt with Benjamin (Joseph’s one full brother). Eventually Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, telling them, “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” (Genesis 45:5) There is a tearful reunion, and then they bring Jacob down to Egypt as well. They all live happily ever after. A great story!

            Now, let’s examine how Joseph managed the famine situation. Here’s what he did during the seven years of plenty:

During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly. So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.  Genesis 41:47-49

 So, the people are growing grain and their surplus is gathered into government storehouses in the various cities. Then what happens during the famine?

            First, Joseph sells grain, grain that the people grew and harvested, back to the people: “Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.” (Genesis 47:14)  So now the government (Pharaoh) has all the money in Egypt. Next: Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone.” (v.16)  So now the government gets all the livestock. But the famine continues, “So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s.” (v. 20)  Now the government also has all the land. And the government relocates the people from their former land to the cities: “As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.” (v.21)  However, the (pagan) priests are exempted. Collusion between government and religion has a long history, you see. This happens in many cultures, where the priests tell the people that the ruler is ordained by God in exchange for special favor from the ruler. You even see it happening in America today. But back to the story.

            Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.” So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” (v.23-25)

            So, Joseph has used the famine to acquire all the money in Egypt, then all the livestock, and then all the land. He then relocates the people and turns them into sharecroppers, giving them back grain they had harvested as if doing them a favor, and has them tend Pharaoh’s land for a fee of 20% of their produce. And how do the people react? “You have saved us! We will be your slaves!” It was the people’s grain, their money, their livestock, their land and now their labor, but HE saved them! I’m not sure if this is more of a commentary of how government works or how people allow themselves to be used. Or both.

            There’s a terrible irony in the Joseph story. He is sold as a slave into Egypt, but once in charge there he causes the people to become virtual slaves of Pharaoh. And by centralizing power and wealth under Pharaoh he sets the conditions that cause his Hebrew descendants to become slaves as well. So, in a way Joseph is to blame for the later enslavement of his own people.

            This is why I ask the question, “Was Joseph a Communist?” Under the guise of “saving” and serving the people he gave all the wealth and power of Egypt to Pharaoh (the government). Now, Joseph was a man who was gifted wisdom from God. Who are we to argue with him and his methods? Is this the way God wants government to be run? Is the government meant to be our savior, and we its slaves? If not, how do you interpret this story?

            Now, lest you dismiss this as an “Old Testament” story not relevant to today, I would remind you of the Book of Acts (story of the early Christian church) where it says: “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.” (Acts 4:32)  In fact, it says “for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.” (4:34, 35)  So, as in the Joseph story, there is centralized control and redistribution. That sounds a bit like communism, doesn’t it? In fact, two members were executed for lying about their contribution: Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1f. They sold some land but held back some of the money, so Peter, the leader of the congregation at that time, oversaw their executions. (It doesn’t really specify how they died, does it?) And the result was that “great fear came over all who heard of it.” (5:5)  Think of that next time you give your tithe! So actually we see centralized control, redistribution and threat of severe punishment. The Soviet Union would be proud.

Death of Sapphira, Poussin, c. 1652

            So, what do you think of this God-ordained method of government? Whether the Joseph version or the Jerusalem church version? Should we incorporate it into our governmental and economic systems today? Hey, if it’s from God, it must be right, no?

(scroll down to make comments and ask questions)

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Thinking exercises:

1. Do you think it was right for Joseph to demand payment for grain the people themselves had grown and harvested?

2. If the government saves you from starvation but turns you into a slave, is that a fair deal?

3. Why did the apostles in Jerusalem take control of the money and redistribute it, rather than simply telling the people to share with one another? Did they think centralized control was better than the ‘free market’?