Something that has been brought up in class on a regular basis, and more so in relation to the bible, is the notion that all humans operate under the law of free will. This law makes it where you and I are able to think the thoughts that we feel like thinking and make the choices that we want to make. Free will is supposed to be one of the many qualities that adds to the goodness of God. Yet the bible, the record regarding Joseph and his dreams shows instances where it’s hard for free will to take place. Joseph recants another dream to his father in which “the sun and the moon and the eleven starts made obeisance to [Joseph]” (Chapter 37, Verse 9). His father replies by saying “What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth” (Chapter 37, verse 10) Of course, later Joseph gains extreme prominence in Egypt and we know later that during the famine, Joseph’s family eventually comes to Egypt where Joseph does have rule over them. Doesn’t this sound a great deal like a prophecy, which is a form of pre-destination? Why would a prophecy like this be so well documented in a collection of stories that are supposed to be based or have some connection to free will? What are your views on free will in relation to Joseph’s story, or free will in general?
-Sierra
Recent Comments