Sermons On The First Readings
Turn the page, and the story is suddenly different.
When we close the book of Genesis, the descendants of Jacob -- that is, the children of Israel -- are comfortably situated as honored guests in the land of Egypt. And the very best part of the land of Egypt, at that. Jacob's son, Joseph, is a local hero, having navigated the nation (and much of the region) through a devastating period of famine. The Egyptians, along with his own kin, mourn his passing.
But turn the page, and the story is suddenly different.