Readers Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, September 27, 2012 Read – Genesis 41 & 42 The story of Joseph is familiar to most of us. In fact it is such a popular story that animated movies have been made of Joseph – the “Prince of Egypt.” In today’s reading we are introduced to dreams once again – Joseph dreamed two dreams that got him into trouble, the butler and the baker dreamed dreams that got one out of prison and the other executed, and now it is Pharaoh who has the dreams. Dreams are an important part of this story. Writers of the gospels, particularly Matthew, picked up on the notion of dreams of another Joseph, the husband-to-be of Mary the mother of Jesus, in telling his story about Jesus. When we are reading Matthew’s story Matthew wants us to be remembering and thinking of this Old Testament story of Joseph and his dreams. The important part dreams play in the story we are now hearing is two-fold – first it is the dream of Pharaoh that finally gets Joseph out of prison and more importantly it is through the dream and Joseph’s ability given by God to interpret that dream that Egypt and the rest of the world is saved from famine. And there is one more function that the dream will ultimately have in the story – Joseph’s brothers will come down to Egypt to buy food and to be reacquainted with their brother they sold into slavery so long ago. When these brothers arrive in Egypt they bow down before Joseph – just as Joseph had said would happen in his dream. And Joseph does not let his brothers off easy – he accuses them of being spies and threatens to send them home empty handed. In the end Joseph demands that one of the brothers – it turns out to be Simeon – remain behind as a hostage until they return with his brother Benjamin. The brothers go home but the story is not over. This is a delightful story and we should not miss that. Its creativity is worth celebrating on its own apart from its role within the Bible.