Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” –Genesis 45:1-15 (NIV) Of the Genesis stories, Joseph is a well-known classic. Whether from children’s books, the 1970s musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, or the 2000 animated movie Joseph: King of Dreams, odds are, you know (at least some of) the plot of the story. And it’s truly an incredible story! Even by literary standards, this story has it all: family drama, rooting for the underdog protagonist, and mystery. And now–in Chapter 45–a surprise “Joseph reveals all” episode and a moment of profound forgiveness. No wonder everyone knows and loves this story! While thinking about the layers of this literary masterpiece, I read a reflection by John Walton (Genesis NIV Application Commentary). He lamented that he was a horrible chess player. When he plays chess against the computer, he is amazed that it doesn’t seem like it matters what move he chooses–the computer somehow uses each of his moves for its own strategy. The computer always seems to win. (A lament which I know all too well!) [Read the rest on our Blog website at the link below]