It's Part Of The Plan
Drama
Graduation Is Not For Angels
Contemporary Christian Dramas
Object:
This drama centers on the relationship between Joseph, Pharaoh's second in command, and Joseph's brothers who many years before sold him into slavery, bringing home the struggle and the immeasurable reward of forgiveness.
* * *
Setting: Joseph faces his brothers as they come to Egypt to buy grain. Dialogue takes place in two different areas, left and right of stage
Characters:
JOSEPH: A strong man who carries himself with authority
SERVANT: Joseph's servant
RUEBEN: Joseph's brother
JUDAH: Joseph's brother
Costumes:
Rueben and Judah: Simple Hebrew dress with head coverings, sandals
Joseph: White or light-colored plain robe tied with a brilliant sash, silver or gold band across forehead, eyes highlighted in black with slant toward the outside to appear Egyptian, sandals
Servant: Plain-colored shorter robe, eyes similar to Joseph, sandals
Props: Empty grain sacks
Scene: Joseph and his servant are standing to the right of stage. They are surveying the vast multitudes before them coming to buy grain
* * *
JOSEPH: (Gestures with his hands) Look at the line of people begging for grain. Thousands and thousands of them.
(Two brothers enter from right)
SERVANT: (Nods head) I do not know when Egypt last saw such hunger. Day after day we have seen no rain. Nothing grows. (Pauses, then points in direction of the two brothers) Look, master, Hebrews. I can tell by the way they dress. The famine must reach even into the land of Canaan.
RUEBEN: (Along with JUDAH kneels with face to the ground in front of JOSEPH) Oh, Mighty and Great One, we, your humble servants, have traveled far. We come from a land where there has been no rain for many months. Our fields are parched; our flocks, our wives, our children are starving. We are here because we heard there was grain in Egypt.
JOSEPH: (Remains stone-faced, silent, then abruptly turns and walks to left of stage. He is obviously shaken as he begins to pace) I am Joseph, second in command to the great Pharaoh, ruler of the mightiest kingdom on earth. I have power to bless, and I have power to curse. A snap of my finger and those who oppose me are dead by my command. I, and I alone, decide who receives grain during this seven year famine that the Almighty God prophesied would come. It was he, and he alone, who showed me what to do that the world might not perish. I am great, I am mighty. And I am shaken.
Suddenly, my brothers are before me. It's been many years, but I'd recognize their faces if they were in a multitude of people as many as the sands of sea. I thought I had left that ugly page of my life behind. I had finally made peace with myself ... being sold into slavery by ten jealous brothers who never so much as flinched at my cry for mercy. (With much pain and emphasis) How does one get over being sold, like a lifeless slab of salt, to a traveling caravan? They didn't love me. They hated me! And I was even their blood brother!
I've been through slavery, slander, dungeons ... and now, second in command in the land of Egypt. And my brothers come on begging knees pleading for bread. Just like my childhood dream, when their sheaves of wheat bowed down to mine. They laughed at me when I shared it with them. (Angrily) They laughed at me! Well, we'll see who laughs now!
JOSEPH: (Returns to his brothers, speaks accusingly and with authority) Where are you from?
JUDAH: (Afraid, he has not moved) From the land of Canaan. We have come to buy food.
JOSEPH: (Points an accusing finger) You speak lies, for you are spies! You have come to search out the undefended parts of our land.
RUEBEN: (Frightened) No, my Lord. Your servants have come to buy food for our starving families and flocks, no more.
JUDAH: We are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. Behold, the youngest is with our father, and one is no more.
JOSEPH: (With eyes of steel) You are spies and must be punished! But, because I fear God, I shall give you a chance to prove what you are saying. Go and bring your younger brother to me, so I shall know you are telling the truth. Meanwhile, one of you will remain here as my slave.
RUEBEN: (Speaks to JUDAH) This is all happening to us because of what we did to Joseph, I know it. How could you have sold him to that traveling caravan when I wasn't around? Sure, I went along with the joke of tossing him into that deep pit. I figured a little fear would tame down the little bragger. Later, I planned to rescue him ...
JUDAH: (Trying to defend himself) But we were so tired of his boasting. His strutting around like a ruler over us. (Pauses. Sadly) And, yet, every day I still feel his distress. Rueben, you haven't had to live with seeing his pleading eyes ... hearing his screaming voice as that rough crew of men chained him to the camels and led him away. (Pauses) Joseph's probably dead by now ... beaten lifeless at the hand of some slave trader. We've all paid a tormenting price for our selfish actions.
RUEBEN: And now God is punishing us for our intolerance. After all, Joseph was just a young boy, we were older, wiser. And now we and our families will pay for his blood. I am the oldest. I shall remain.
JUDAH: No, brother, since I showed no mercy at his pleading, I will remain. I must remain!
JOSEPH: (Bolts to left of stage) Why must the past come back to haunt me! (Pauses) They do not know that I understand their language. If it was not for a deep desire within my heart to see my youngest brother, Benjamin, once again, I'd have them destroyed. (Folds arms in angry cunning) Perhaps I should forget the past, my family, and still have them destroyed. The whole clan would starve in that miserable land of Canaan, and my past would be over. I am an Egyptian now, a son to Pharaoh, not the son of a miserable sheep herder. (Pauses as he continues to pace)
Yet, what my brothers meant for harm, the God of Jacob ... Jacob, my father ... meant for good. Who else could have heard the voice of Jehovah in this God forsaken land? These people worship idols made of stone, the moon, the stars. Who else could have known that this seven years of famine were upon us? (Waving arms) Without this vast storehouse of grain, multitudes would have perished. (Stops pacing, becomes thoughtful) I had to be here. Would I have come willingly? No ... And now, can I destroy my brothers who were part of the plan? (Pauses. Continues pacing)
Oh, God Almighty, in my heart, I'd like to wipe my brothers off the face of this earth, the anger and resentment in my heart is so great. (Stops) But I fear you. I reverence your holy name. Can I return evil for what you turned out for the good? It's been your plan -- a painful plan. But it's over now. There are good days ahead. (Paces as he makes a difficult decision)
Because I fear you, because I reverence your holy name, I will go back to my family. (Pauses) Because you are my God, I will return good for evil. (Walks to brothers who are still on their knees. Offers his hand to them and helps them to a standing position, then embraces them passionately)
* * *
Setting: Joseph faces his brothers as they come to Egypt to buy grain. Dialogue takes place in two different areas, left and right of stage
Characters:
JOSEPH: A strong man who carries himself with authority
SERVANT: Joseph's servant
RUEBEN: Joseph's brother
JUDAH: Joseph's brother
Costumes:
Rueben and Judah: Simple Hebrew dress with head coverings, sandals
Joseph: White or light-colored plain robe tied with a brilliant sash, silver or gold band across forehead, eyes highlighted in black with slant toward the outside to appear Egyptian, sandals
Servant: Plain-colored shorter robe, eyes similar to Joseph, sandals
Props: Empty grain sacks
Scene: Joseph and his servant are standing to the right of stage. They are surveying the vast multitudes before them coming to buy grain
* * *
JOSEPH: (Gestures with his hands) Look at the line of people begging for grain. Thousands and thousands of them.
(Two brothers enter from right)
SERVANT: (Nods head) I do not know when Egypt last saw such hunger. Day after day we have seen no rain. Nothing grows. (Pauses, then points in direction of the two brothers) Look, master, Hebrews. I can tell by the way they dress. The famine must reach even into the land of Canaan.
RUEBEN: (Along with JUDAH kneels with face to the ground in front of JOSEPH) Oh, Mighty and Great One, we, your humble servants, have traveled far. We come from a land where there has been no rain for many months. Our fields are parched; our flocks, our wives, our children are starving. We are here because we heard there was grain in Egypt.
JOSEPH: (Remains stone-faced, silent, then abruptly turns and walks to left of stage. He is obviously shaken as he begins to pace) I am Joseph, second in command to the great Pharaoh, ruler of the mightiest kingdom on earth. I have power to bless, and I have power to curse. A snap of my finger and those who oppose me are dead by my command. I, and I alone, decide who receives grain during this seven year famine that the Almighty God prophesied would come. It was he, and he alone, who showed me what to do that the world might not perish. I am great, I am mighty. And I am shaken.
Suddenly, my brothers are before me. It's been many years, but I'd recognize their faces if they were in a multitude of people as many as the sands of sea. I thought I had left that ugly page of my life behind. I had finally made peace with myself ... being sold into slavery by ten jealous brothers who never so much as flinched at my cry for mercy. (With much pain and emphasis) How does one get over being sold, like a lifeless slab of salt, to a traveling caravan? They didn't love me. They hated me! And I was even their blood brother!
I've been through slavery, slander, dungeons ... and now, second in command in the land of Egypt. And my brothers come on begging knees pleading for bread. Just like my childhood dream, when their sheaves of wheat bowed down to mine. They laughed at me when I shared it with them. (Angrily) They laughed at me! Well, we'll see who laughs now!
JOSEPH: (Returns to his brothers, speaks accusingly and with authority) Where are you from?
JUDAH: (Afraid, he has not moved) From the land of Canaan. We have come to buy food.
JOSEPH: (Points an accusing finger) You speak lies, for you are spies! You have come to search out the undefended parts of our land.
RUEBEN: (Frightened) No, my Lord. Your servants have come to buy food for our starving families and flocks, no more.
JUDAH: We are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. Behold, the youngest is with our father, and one is no more.
JOSEPH: (With eyes of steel) You are spies and must be punished! But, because I fear God, I shall give you a chance to prove what you are saying. Go and bring your younger brother to me, so I shall know you are telling the truth. Meanwhile, one of you will remain here as my slave.
RUEBEN: (Speaks to JUDAH) This is all happening to us because of what we did to Joseph, I know it. How could you have sold him to that traveling caravan when I wasn't around? Sure, I went along with the joke of tossing him into that deep pit. I figured a little fear would tame down the little bragger. Later, I planned to rescue him ...
JUDAH: (Trying to defend himself) But we were so tired of his boasting. His strutting around like a ruler over us. (Pauses. Sadly) And, yet, every day I still feel his distress. Rueben, you haven't had to live with seeing his pleading eyes ... hearing his screaming voice as that rough crew of men chained him to the camels and led him away. (Pauses) Joseph's probably dead by now ... beaten lifeless at the hand of some slave trader. We've all paid a tormenting price for our selfish actions.
RUEBEN: And now God is punishing us for our intolerance. After all, Joseph was just a young boy, we were older, wiser. And now we and our families will pay for his blood. I am the oldest. I shall remain.
JUDAH: No, brother, since I showed no mercy at his pleading, I will remain. I must remain!
JOSEPH: (Bolts to left of stage) Why must the past come back to haunt me! (Pauses) They do not know that I understand their language. If it was not for a deep desire within my heart to see my youngest brother, Benjamin, once again, I'd have them destroyed. (Folds arms in angry cunning) Perhaps I should forget the past, my family, and still have them destroyed. The whole clan would starve in that miserable land of Canaan, and my past would be over. I am an Egyptian now, a son to Pharaoh, not the son of a miserable sheep herder. (Pauses as he continues to pace)
Yet, what my brothers meant for harm, the God of Jacob ... Jacob, my father ... meant for good. Who else could have heard the voice of Jehovah in this God forsaken land? These people worship idols made of stone, the moon, the stars. Who else could have known that this seven years of famine were upon us? (Waving arms) Without this vast storehouse of grain, multitudes would have perished. (Stops pacing, becomes thoughtful) I had to be here. Would I have come willingly? No ... And now, can I destroy my brothers who were part of the plan? (Pauses. Continues pacing)
Oh, God Almighty, in my heart, I'd like to wipe my brothers off the face of this earth, the anger and resentment in my heart is so great. (Stops) But I fear you. I reverence your holy name. Can I return evil for what you turned out for the good? It's been your plan -- a painful plan. But it's over now. There are good days ahead. (Paces as he makes a difficult decision)
Because I fear you, because I reverence your holy name, I will go back to my family. (Pauses) Because you are my God, I will return good for evil. (Walks to brothers who are still on their knees. Offers his hand to them and helps them to a standing position, then embraces them passionately)
