Put This In Your Pipe And Smoke It

Okay, so I'm thisclose to being done with my first semester of grad school. Tomorrow night is my final final (heheh) and praise be to Jesus my Shakespeare final was cancelled on Monday night ne'er to be rescheduled. I'm totally okay with that. Aye, forsooth.

In preparation for this final paper I'm writing, I have to read an article and then comment on it. The article discusses a typological approach to the Bible, specifically the Old Testament. That is to say, most stories in the OT can be seen as symbols or 'types' of other stories. So, the story of the Exodus, for example, could be a typological representation of the story of how Jesus came to save us all and set us free, et cetera.

The thing that blew my mind was her discussion of Joseph. As a refresher, Joseph was known as the dreamer. He had the coat of many colors, was seduced by Potiphar's wife, son of Jacob, blah blah blah. Anyway, the author of this article suggests that Joseph can be seen as a typology for the text itself. Stay with me because I promise it will blow your mind.

Joseph's story was one of forgetting and remembering. He grew up with his brothers, was sold into slavery and was forgotten. Likewise, the creation of the Old Testament resulted from a series of events occurring and then being forgotten and then being remembered again. Remembered and then written. Eventually, Joseph's brothers remembered him and he rewarded them with sustenance. The result of the stories of the Bible being remembered is that we, the readers, have spiritual sustenance.

Now, think about Joseph's life in between the time that he was forgotten and then remembered by his brothers. He was sold into slavery and was imprisoned. While he was in prison interpreting dreams, what was the one thing he asked the prisoner who was set free? Remember me to Potipher. And what did the prisoner do? He forgot him. So, again, Joseph was forgotten and then remembered. It was a pattern for him. But, during those times, he never stopped dreaming and interpreting.

With the Word, it's the same way. The events that are written about in the Old Testament were created from someone's memory and interpretation of those events. It's up to you whether or not you believe the final product is divinely inspired. I happen to believe it is. But that doesn't make the process any less magnificent. These events, in between the time of their being forgotten and remembered, were constantly being interpreted, like Joseph's dreams.

Joseph's story ends with him being remembered by his brothers and the reward that came from that. The formation of the Bible is the same way. The stories were remembered, transcribed, and then divinely transformed into the Word of God, which, I'm sure you will agree is a reward for anyone who ravishes it.

man. that's some coooool shiz if you ask me. Hope it made sense.