The Inner Ring

Don't confuse celebrity with success. Celebrity usually involves talent. Success usually involves a special gift, a gift of charisma, good looks, exceptional skills and intelligence. This accounts for some achieving the inner ring so easily, they climb the ladder of success so rapidly. This applies not only to politicians but to men and women in every area of vocation or endeavor. You put flesh on the characters of history. When you put blood in their veins, you understand them much better. One of the the most interesting men in the history of the world, Joseph takes on new significance when you study him looking forward not backwards. Historians study biographies looking backwards. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph had no understanding of their walk through history.

You go back 3800 years to study the effect of Joesph on world history. His great, great grandfather, Terah, worshiper of idols, lived to be over 300. Joseph's great, grandfather, Abraham first Jew lived to be 175. His grandfather, Isaac preferred Esau over Jacob. Jacob was actually enslaved by his uncle in order to marry the women he loved. Rachel died in the child birth of Benjamin. The ten sons of Leah, wife of Jacob, who he did not love, future leaders of the tribes of Israel, despised Joseph who was a brash, spoiled, gifted favorite son of Jacob.

Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers certainly, gifted in early reaching the inner circles in Egypt. His dreams led to the favoritism of a Pharaoh, he became ruler of Egypt BUT, underneath it all, he was a con man. During the seven years of “plenty” his gift for genius stored grain. Then, during the 7 years of “famine” the people wanting bread, he first had them buy grain with their money... silver and gold. The second year of the famine, they had no money so he took their cattle. During the famine, when they had nothing else to sell, they sold themselves. Jacob, who lived to be 130, and, books have been written on this subject. Through the brothers, eventually came to Egypt and to Goshen. The first Jewish laws and traditions were not given at Sanai. It is believed that Jacob instructed Joseph's sons and it is believed, that the mother of Joseph's sons was not Egyptian but one of earlier Jewish inhabitants of Egypt.

We do not know about Joseph's other dreams, but, supposedly, Joesph stored much of the Egyptian wealth in places as far as the Euphrates river. History and archeology have disclosed many engineering “feats” along the Nile which preserved the Jewish nation during their long enslavement as well as the mother of Moses, Jochebed her ark of deliverance. It was not just the coat of many colors. Joseph knowing that he was exceptional, “God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20)

He was a 17 year old boy, spoiled and gifted, but the circle of shackles around him on the enslaved caravan immuned him forever in his behavior and in his trust of God. Put flesh on Potafor, Potafor's wife, even the Pharaoh. The essentials of this history, the tales of Joseph's character, warts and all, evident now as always. The hymn writer says “God moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.”

Most of us have never been in the inner circle-ring. We know nothing of the sky box at sports events, inaugural festivities even the pomp and circumstance involving prestigious people, money of the elitists. Peasants, always onlookers. Like the Egyptians, forever eaking out subsistence from the ten miles of mud on either side of the Nile. In the famines, earthquakes, floods, droughts of history people sold all... even their very souls... for survival. God willing, in this age of technology we will not be faced with such but God has His methods of dealing with evil regardless of the wisdom of man. If you belong to Christ, your happiness comes from working and living in the lower areas not the inner ring.