Through his early years, Joseph had no control over his life. It wasn’t his fault that his Dad (Jacob, now Israel) “loved him more than his other sons,” Genesis 37:3, or that his Dad “made a richly ornamented robe for him,” or that his brothers “hated him for it and couldn’t speak a kind word to him” (4).
Already by age seventeen, then, Joseph was learning that life isn’t fair. It wasn’t fair for his brothers that he was their Dad’s favourite, but neither was it fair that they made life miserable for him.
But that’s life as much now as it was in Joseph’s day. “Equity” is the great cry being demanded today by those who also feel life is unfair. They hate the notion of some being more privileged because of their race, or their gender, their looks, or because they grew up in a rich family that opened the doors to the best schools that led to lucrative careers. “Justice,” they believe therefore, demands a more level playing field, and the imbalances corrected – which if not corrected justify protest and violence, especially when the privileged don’t listen or care.
We live in such a world, where anger and frustration against the unfairness of it all is increasing. Which in the light of what happened to Joseph is frightening, because his brothers felt justified in killing him (20) – especially after he told them about his two dreams, one of which had his brothers bowing in submission to him (3-9).
They were incensed, just as people are today when those in power flaunt their untouchable status and their entitled position to justify their superiority.
But God allowed Jacob to play favourites and Joseph to be the privileged one. He allowed the unfairness to happen, and the hate, rage and jealousy it created. Because that’s our history. It’s always been this way, with the privileged few ruling over the many, and the violent reaction it creates against them. It’s been a long and hard lesson for us to learn, that equity, justice and fairness are beyond our ability to create.
But, Psalm 96:10, “The Lord reigns,” and “he will judge the peoples with equity” (also Psalm 9:8). So we have his promise that one day there will be justice and fairness for all, but meanwhile, “How do we survive injustice now?”….(next blog)
