Joseph is not only Yahweh's favorite, but he should be Yahweh's favorite, because, by nature and by conscious intention, he will to be spiritually and morally good, and to walk in God's footsteps. Joseph is good because he transcends the desire for revenge over wrongs done him, and he builds a better life for his family, the two nations and for himself. He forgives his brothers their transgressions against him.
His brothers are naturally lesser men, but they also compound their genetic inferiority to Joseph (He is not that much smarter or better than them, and they are not innately that much more dim-witted and more corrupt than he is: In other words, all humans, if they work hard to be smart, good and self-realizing, they can still accomplish wondrous things, most pleasing to God and the Good Spirits. These brothers of Joseph may not have been able to accomplish what he could, if all were functioning at their high highest level, at full capacity, but what they were able to achieve would still remain really quite remarkable if they willed themselves to so accomplish great things, working on self-advancement and self-improvement over a lifetime. The effort of every individuator, or the lack thereof, impacts reality in a serious way, and the Divine Couple keep track. It is unwise to slight them and ignore them.) by freely willing to not do good, and not individuate.
Having rejected good living, they then compound their evil: they actively turned wicked. They plotted to murder Joseph, jealous of his superiority and excellence (Which is actual but is based far more on willing to be good and willing to work hard to achieve excellence--merited superiority--very little based in innate superiority) and jealous of his being favored by Israel, their father.
Jealousy, negative competitiveness, and a desire to wipe all that is good and loving would lead these thugs to consider murder, to kidnap Joseph and to lie to their father that Joseph was dead.
Here is the quote from The New American Bible that reveals their anxiety over how Joseph will treat them, now that their father is deceased: "Now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers became fearful and thought, 'Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!' So they approached Joseph and said 'Before your father died, he gave us these instructions: You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers, who treated you so cruelly. Please therefore forgive the crime that we, the servants of your father's God committed. When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears. Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him and said, 'Let us be your slaves!' But Joseph replied to them, 'Have no fear. Can I take the place of God? Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people. Therefore, have no fear. I will provide for you and for your children.' By thus speaking kindly to them he reassured them."
This quote is very rich in meaning. His dastardly brothers think that Joseph will not treat them despicably as they still would have treated him, if they were in with the Pharaoh as Joseph was. They betrayed Yahweh and their father, but now begged for forgiveness by citing whom they previously betrayed.
All they want to do is survive, so they degrade themselves by obsequiously throwing themselves at his feet, and are willing to serve him as slaves, not proud, independent, self-assured shepherds from Canaan.
Joseph the tender=hearted saint forgives them wholly. He is wise, and responds that judgement and divine justice must be meted out by God, so Joseph must not usurp this divine role--if only so many aristocrats, rulers, despots and kings were as humble as Joseph, knowing their place, it would be a more peaceful, less bloody historical story.
Let us see this same quote from the Holy Bible: "And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall you say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin, for their did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Now therefore fear you not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."
Notice that this quote refers to his brothers as willing to be his servants and not his slaves, and this a strong different interpretation.
The author of the Bible also notes that humans, like the brothers of Joseph, do wicked deeds of their own free will, and yet, God's long-range plans are fulfilled through their malign efforts. So does good come from evil?
It is impossible for a human inquirer to make sense of these contradictory Biblical claims, so I like others just accept the mystery on faith that some rationale for what happens or happened will eventually make sense.
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