Joseph Cartoons - Dream Big or Go Home
The Life and Impact of Joseph are captured between Genesis 37-50
SAY JOE... WHAT DO YOU KNOW? Let me share with you the Back Pew collection of Joseph Cartoons
A COAT OF MANY COLORS
Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son and is given a COAT OF MANY COLORS as a special gift. This did not sit well with his older brothers Genesis 37:3 and they are tired of Jacob bragging so they tossed him into a pit, then sold him into slavery to Egypt and told their father he was eaten by wild animals
Judah and Sons
As Joseph goes to Egypt, we learn the story of Judah, his sons, and his daughter-in-law Tamar. Judah's son Er marries Tamar, but God takes his life because he is so wicked.
No details are offered, but when God took a life in the Old Testament, you were more than your garden-variety sinner. So Judah tells his next son, Onan, to sub in for Er and be ‘husbandly’ to Tamar. Well, let’s just say Onan did not ‘completely’ obey, and so God took his life, too. Fascinating family heritage we have brewing here. It is not the easiest chapter in the Bible to read, and even dream of saying AMEN or HAL-E-LOO-YA YOU-ALL!! This is one of those shake my head with my mouth hanging open look passages. Genesis 38
Judah & Tamar
While Joseph is going to Egypt, I must share one more JAW DROPPING side step. It concerns the story of Judah, his sons, and his daughter-in-law Tamar. Judah's son Er marries Tamar, but God takes his life because he is so wicked.
No details are offered, but when God took a life in the Old Testament, you were more than your garden-variety sinner. So Judah tells his next son, Onan, to sub in for Er and be ‘husbandly’ to Tamar. Well, let’s just say Onan did not ‘completely’ obey, and so God took his life, too. Fascinating family heritage we have brewing here. It is not the easiest chapter in the Bible to read, and even dream of saying AMEN or HAL-E-LOO-YA YOU-ALL!! This is one of those shake my head with my mouth hanging open look passages. Genesis 38
Life in the Big House
So Joseph, at this point, is living your not so typical BAD DAY gone worse doing jailtime. Here, we find Joseph interpreting dreams again. His brothers were not amused by his ability to interpret dreams, so I don’t know why he thought he should continue, but he does. In fact, I don’t know how a person knows they can interpret dreams.. but Joseph does.
So the well-known story of Joseph interpreting the dreams of the Pharaoh’s Cupbearer and the ‘Royal Baker’ now occurs. The cupbearer is restored to his former position, and the baker… well, he will not be buying. NECK TIES. Genesis 40
However, even though the cupbearer is restored to his position, he forgets to tell Pharaoh about Joseph UNTIL Pharaoh starts having troubling COW DREAMS. In these dreams, seven skinny cows eat seven fat cows Genesis 41
Carl, the Cup Bearer, finally remembers to tell Pharaoh about Joseph and his dream-telling prowess, so Joseph interprets the dream as relating to 7 great years of crops, followed by 7
So Judah, who sees a pattern here, does not want to lose any more sons to marriage to Tamar.. so he sends her back to her parents. Well, sometime later. Judah’s wife has died, and he is traveling and comes to the city of Enaim, where he meets this young woman who he thinks is a prostitute and so asks her price for a ‘date.’
This woman is actually Tamar (his daughter-in-law). Now Tamar and Judah agree that the going price for sex will be ONE GOAT Genesis 38:17
Okay, this sounds to me more like another Monty Python skit than scripture, but it is not.
Meanwhile Back in Egypt
Genesis contintues, where we find Joseph working as a slave to Potiphar until he literally runs from the repeated advances of Potiphar’s beautiful young DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE. Joseph is falsely accused and imprisoned for making advances on the above-mentioned lovely Mrs. Potiphar.
Joe, Large & in Charge
Pharaoh decides to follow Joseph's interpretation. He releases Joseph from prison, and he becomes COO (chief operating officer). And while Joseph is running the show in Egypt, Pharaoh sips Margaritas on his yacht, running up and down the Nile.
Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream came true, of course. 7 years of good crops are followed by 7 years of drought and famine.
An Unexpected Family Reunion
Then this drought finally reaches his long-lost family. So his older brothers travel to Egypt to buy food, unaware that their brother Joseph is alive or that he runs Egypt. When the brothers arrive in Egypt, they do not recognize Joseph, but he recognizes his brothers. This brings up a series of moments when Joseph messes with his brothers. I don’t have cartoons YET to capture the awkward, devious fun that Joseph puts his brothers through. But it all leads to a great moment much like when Darth Vader spoke these words to Luke Skywalker…. “Luke, I am your father.”Genesis 45. It is what they used to call… A Kodak Moment.
A Lesson Learned (Then & Now)