“Don’t Quarrel on the Way Home”

Jealousy and Wisdom

Were you a younger brother or sister who was frequently jealous—chided by older brothers and sisters about their activities, what they knew or didn’t know, and about how smart they were?

Back in January, I shared how I had decided to read at least a chapter a day from the Bible. I say this not to brag but to maybe inspire others to get back to this amazing book, or even how startling the Bible is.

I was nearly finishing the book of Genesis (what an astonishing book in terms of the persons, mostly men, I’m guessing), who wrote it and at what time etc., and the precious true history it contains. How human these people were who lived in that time! And sometimes—who were a lot like us.

I won’t review here the various trips Joseph’s brothers made to Egypt to seek food when famine was gripping the land. Potiphar (one of Pharaoh’s officials) had bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites (remember how his brothers were jealous of Joseph’s coat and bragging) which ultimately ended up being a gold find for Joseph. Eventually he become a leader in Egypt, partially in interpreting dreams, and guessing (maybe?) what was ahead and knowledge about how to help. (Read Genesis chapters 41-45. It’s interesting!) You can skip the chapters about how Potiphar’s wife flirted endlessly (and uselessly) with handsome Joseph until the woman got fed up with Joseph NOT flirting and he ended up being jailed for a couple years. And then she lies and tells her husband that Joseph tried to sleep with her, which of course wasn’t true. (So very like so many things going on in the world today!)

Then comes a famine and Joseph again is very helpful for Pharoah and indeed in helping Egypt survive seven years of famine.

What made me smile about these chapters was when Pharaoh told Joseph to “bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy ‘the fat of the land.’” Joseph, who was no longer the “little” brother who was always bragging about his dreams, probably took advantage of the situation a bit when reminding his brothers not to “quarrel on the way home.” He may have added a winking smile. That’s my guess.

At any rate, the stories in Genesis are rich. And worth re-reading if it has been a while. Maybe Joesph has a message and reminder for us in the 21^st century!

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One more thing. I’ve always thought it pretty cool that I grew up near Goshen, Indiana, and fascinated that the writers of the Bible mentioned “Goshen” or the Land of Goshen frequently. We went to a church named “North Goshen” (there was also East Goshen, and I don’t know how many other churches might have had the name.)

Since it is mentioned quite frequently, I decided to look up how many towns are named Goshen in the U.S.

Hmm. Not that many. Here’s my list, for what it is worth. I was also intrigued by which states were “downhome” enough to use the town name of “Goshen” in their states. Just 11.

Cities or towns named Goshen are in: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Utah, Wyoming, and finally Virginia, where the town Goshen has 338 people. More or less.

(I was a little surprised to find to find out how few “Goshen” towns there are!)

For what its worth. ….

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How about you? You may not want to reveal what town or area you live in but towns/cities are important to us and our journeys, or homes, or for those who must move repeatedly – some who enjoy the newness and others who would rather stay put!

Right now, I’m enjoying the splendor of sunlight almost every day and beautiful mountains not very far away (45 minute drive?). And if you want gorgeous photos, check out Bruce Stambaugh’s blog, Roadkill Crossing – Writing generated from the rural life and great photography, and learning about birds you didn’t know.