Darash Chai Experiment

When we come to the book of Exouds, we read the name “Exodus” and so that is what we expect to find in this book, and we are not disappointed. But when we examine the entirety of the book, the events of the Exodus end in chapter 20. And yet there are 20 more chapters after this point. The exodus is only half of this story. Is there something more? A greater topic in play in this book?

As we close out the book of Genesis, one idea is readdressed. The concepts of Good and Evil. And if we look at scripture as a whole, we may discover that we have some ideas about God and about good that are not quite accurate. What does it mean to know good and evil and to live our lives according to these definitions?

Here at the end of the story of Genesis Jacob is near death. His life has been blessed and he has lived 17 years in the land of plenty. But upon his deathbed he calls all of his sons before him and does something unexpected to everyone. First an adoption. Then a blessing. Many blessings in fact. What can we pull from this without getting distracted?

What do the stages of grief have to do with Christmas? How can going through a significant life change cause a person to jump to conclusions and hurt those closest to them? Is it possible that a lie has been perpetrated on the people of God, and that both sides of the Christmas debate suffer from this lie? To discover the truth, we must go to the sources.

Unity has been achieved. The family of Jacob is reunited once again and finally, Jacob has found peace. His lost son has been returned, he has been granted security, not just physically, but financially, and all is well! But the famine still rages around them. The rest of the world is not yet safe. There is a transaction that must take place. The cost? Your life.

The test has reached its climax, but what possible defense can Judah offer for the release of his brother Benjamin? The same solution that has been present in scripture since the beginning. Covenant. The keeping of covenant supersedes all other concerns. And it is this that finally convinces Joseph of the change that has occurred in his brother’s lives.

The first challenge that Joseph laid before his brothers has been completed. They have returned with Benjamin, and now begins a test. Can the brothers handle being shamed? Will they sit idly by while Benjamin is honored above them? What will they do when Benjamin is charged with a crime? Have they truly changed, or is there jealousy and division lurking just beneath the surface?

Nearly 20 years ago Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Now he has been reunited with them. But Joseph does not trust his brothers, and this time, Joseph has all the power. Let the games begin. Have the brothers grown, or are they still the selfish violent brats of old?

There is a theme that we discover all throughout the Bible that can reveal our own role in light of our Messiah. This thematic element is not limited to the Bible, but is in fact one of the most popular tropes in any kind of literature. What is a reversal of fortune, and how do we see it applied in Scripture and in our own lives?

Two years in prison, and for what? Because of a forgetful servant? Because of a lesson in patience? Or could it be that there is more going on here? If there is one thing that Joseph had plenty of still it is perhaps pride, and there is something that is necessary to address this before Joseph can be elevated to the place that God has for him.