I Think I Like Joseph Now

Verbal Easter eggs and the Exodus score on Spotify

Hello! I do hope you’re well. Here’s the latest:

In Conclusion

Hot off the press this week is Episode 4 of Season 5: “The Companion and the Right-Hand Man (part 3)”. It’s the final part of this season’s trilogy devoted to Joseph, and man—spending this long in his story has been really rich for me.

I LIKE HIM NOW

Am I the only one who’s struggled to like Joseph over the years? His early “Hey listen to my crazy dream where all y’all bow down to me; isn’t that crazy how you bow down to me? Probably has something to do with the fact that I’m dad’s favorite” posture is certainly a part of it. But even his admirable refusal of Potiphar’s wife’s advances somehow made Joseph feel a bit…inhuman? I’m not sure.

BUT. I think I can safely say that I’m a reformed man. These episodes have nurtured a new-found empathy (dare I say, affinity) for Israel’s second-youngest son. I’d love to know if spending a bit more time with him this way has done the same for you.

BITS AND BOBS

A series like this always provides some fun storytelling opportunities. Here are a few of the ones I took advantage of, along with some other details of interest:

God in the Shadows - The whole Joseph narrative (Genesis 37-50) is startlingly short on explicit appearances from Yahweh. Have you noticed this? He’s giving dreams and enabling their interpretation, He’s on the tip of Joseph’s tongue (Jacob’s too), but we don’t see Him or hear His actual voice at all. Not once in a story that lasts fourteen chapters. Curious, no? From a narration perspective, the strongest mention of Yahweh is the famous refrain, “Yahweh was with Joseph”—a refrain which, by the way, occurs only in Genesis 39.

So what are we to make of this? Perhaps one takeaway is this: God being quiet is not God being absent. This is why I’ve chosen to refer to Him with the word “Companion” in the title of these episodes (and S2E9)—it’s a nod to the invitation of awareness extended in Chapter 39. Even before the Incarnation, He was Emmanuel. God with us.

Joseph Shares the Gospel - From the way he names his children, it’s clear Joseph shares the good news of Yahweh’s identity, presence, and love with his Egyptian wife Asenath. Astute listeners will notice that I’ve given voice to Joseph’s sharing by using the words Paul employed in the Areopogas. (By the way, here’s a picture of me at the Areopogas last year, reading Paul’s sermon! So incredible that the Parthenon would have been right behind him as he said that God does not dwell in temples made with human hands.)

On Famine - As I researched and meditated on the widespread famine described in Genesis 41-47, I found this firsthand account of the 19th century Irish Potato Famine instructive.

Musical Hyperlinks - I’ve used the score to draw a few lines in this series, tying scenes in different episodes together. Here are a few examples:

• “Nebulous Dream” by Mattia Turzo:

  • S2E9: Joseph’s dreams — grain bowing and stars falling before him

  • S5E3: The cupbearer’s dream — a grape vine, wine passed to Pharaoh’s hand

  • S5E4: The fruit of Joseph’s interpretation — Yahweh enables survival during the years of famine

• “A Little Luck Along the Way” by Shimmer:

  • S5E2: Joseph is promoted in prison

  • S5E3: Joseph is given an opportunity to interpret the baker & cupbearer’s dreams

  • S5E4: Joseph is given an opportunity to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams

  • (I especially like the piano bit at the very end of this piece—it sounds to me like Yahweh tipping a domino at each of these moments, setting a new aspect of his plan in motion.)

• “Heretic” by Kings & Creatures:

  • S5E2: Joseph is propositioned by Potiphar’s wife

  • S5E3: The chief baker is impaled

  • S5E4: The world is decimated by famine

  • (This song, to me, speaks to Satan’s chronic presence and influence throughout this story. The negative image of Yahweh’s companionship.)

• “Broken Key” by Cody Martin:

  • S2E9: Israel weaves Joseph’s multicolored robe

  • S5E4: Joseph lies in the dungeon remembering his father’s love, while Israel lies in Hebron remembering his lost son

• “New Beginnings” by Alistair Sung (no link available):

  • This one’s different, in that it links another story with this one—it’s the song that plays in the final Esther episode, when Mordecai emerges from the palace (35:01) clothed in purple and crowned in gold. I’ve repeated the song in this episode when Joseph is promoted by Pharaoh (16:07), clothed in fine linen and adorned with gold. yahweh has a penchant for elevating his people in shadowy places—after all, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?”

Speaking of Lampstands… - In the final scene of this episode, I’ve drawn from Revelation 1:13—“…and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.”

Verbal Hyperlinks - In addition to using the score to connect various HGS scenes with one another, I often use verbal repetition to achieve the same effect. You’ll hear much of this within this Joseph series, but at one point in this episode I’ve reached outside of Joseph’s story to draw a line from this narrative to the Exodus.

Did you catch it?

When Joseph rides through Egypt during the abundant years, I’ve used exactly the same language to describe the land’s produce as I did in the first episode of the Exodus series when I described the abundance of the Nile delta (9:41). (In that episode, this description takes place just before I mention that Shiphrah and Puah’s people used to work the land as partners of Pharaoh—a reference to Joseph’s days in Egypt.)

“Emmer wheat, barley, sorghum, lentils, chickpeas, fava beans, onions, garlic, radishes, lettuce, parsley, olive groves, sprawling vineyards, watermelon vines, carob and pomegranate trees, apple orchards.”

Joseph Stopped Counting - I love the detail in the text (Gen 41:49) where Joseph stops cataloguing the grain because of its absurd abundance. If you’re looking for a visual companion to my description of Egyptian hieroglyph representation of one hundred and one million in that scene, here you go:

ON WITH THE SHOW

Okay—lots more from this episode to share, but I’m limited on time and so are you. So I’ll leave it at that. I hope it blesses you. Honestly, if I had it to do over I think I’d have spent a whole season on Joseph. We’re given such a luxuriously detailed account in the text, and any time Yahweh goes to those lengths to communicate something it’s bound to be rich. Alas. Perhaps some time in the future I’ll redo this story as an Exodus-style season.

Here’s the link if you haven’t listened yet:

Exodus Score Drop

Christmas has come early, my friends. Kendall Ramseur and our Season 4 sound engineer Joël Dolié have been hard at work on making the Exodus score available for HGS aficionados like you to stream to your heart’s content. Soon, it will be yours for the listening.

All ten albums’ worth of music.

The first five episodes drop this Thursday (November 2), and episodes six through ten will be available on Sunday November 19.

Check out the album artwork for the first four:

So many of you donated to make this season possible, and I’m delighted that you’ll be able to enjoy the score like this. Head to Kendall’s Spotify page on Thursday, or keep an eye out for a link on holyghoststories.org.

The Christmas Show

I’ve been blown away by the response to the first ever Holy Ghost Stories Christmas Show on December 5 in Nashville. Thank you! This is a wonderful way for you to support what I’m up to with HGS, and I’m confident it will be a magical evening full of festive cheer.

Two-thirds of the tickets are gone (you guys are amazing!), so grab yours while you can.

(Also, the show here in Northwest Arkansas sold out weeks ago. Amazing. But look out for a recap video later next month for a peek at the action.)

Asking For Prayer

As I approach the end of the budget year, I’ll be raising funds to continue Holy Ghost Stories into 2024 with the continuation of Season 5 and then Season 6. This is nerve-wracking, faith-testing stuff, and I’d greatly appreciate your prayers for Yahweh’s provision through the generosity of listeners.

Would you pray that God enables the financial continuation of Hazefire Studios and the work of Holy Ghost Stories? I’d be so grateful.

3 Cool Things

Ornithographies - Birds’ flight paths made into gorgeous art. Come on—this is epic.

Supper of the Lamb - I’ve mentioned this book-long lamb recipe (!) by Robert Farrar Capon before, but I’m re-reading it now and I had to share. If you’re a Kingdom person who likes food and words, it’s an absolute must.

Washington’s Dream - Loved this sketch with Nate Bargatze on SNL. “…There’s a little kicking.”💀

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That’s the latest! Do join me in Nashville for an unforgettable Christmas experience, won’t you?

Gratefully,
Justin