James Sanders, one of the greatest of Hebrew scholars, once referred to Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, as “an obnoxious imp.” In the 37th chapter of Genesis, we enter the cycle of stories about Joseph that continues for 14 chapters to the end of the book. This month the lectionary lifts out two stories about Joseph—one in which he faces death at the hand of his brothers because of his obnoxious dreams, and the other in which he saves his father and brothers from starvation because he has finally experienced—not dreamed—the hand of God at work in his life.

The last two Sundays of August bring us two very intriguing stories about Moses. The first is about his birth with its familiar scene of the mother putting the baby in the basket in the bull rushes. But that scene is dependent upon the subterfuge and subversive activity not only of Moses’ mother, but of several other women in the story, including the Hebrew midwives, Moses’ sister and even Pharaoh’s daughter. What they do amounts to a subtle form of civil disobedience that allows Moses to grow up even in the face of the ruthlessness of Egypt’s new ruler.

The other episode involves Moses encountering an angel in the fire of a burning bush. On this “holy ground,” Moses is introduced to the God who observes, hears and knows the suffering of Jacob’s offspring in slavery, and who takes the initiative to deliver them.

The New Testament passages parallel the themes of the Old, showing Jesus’ deliverance of the disciples from fear, God’s unbounded mercy, the transformation that comes when we open ourselves totally to God’s presence, and the eternal power of genuine love even in the face of enemies, evil and persecution. Paul’s words from Romans 12:17 set before us both the goal and the challenge of following God’s call as it echoes throughout the Bible: “Take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.” The word “noble” carries overtones of what is “excellent,” “choice,” “select,” “goodly,” “pleasant,” “delightful,” “honorable,” and “distinguished.” That’s the direction God points us. Let us press on.