Joseph the Dreamer Part 2

1. In the Beginning Joseph was a little Braggadocious!

We looked at this last week how Joseph told on his brothers and then had the nerve to tell them his dreams concerning him and them.

Genesis 37:5–11 ESV

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

Because he was a little boastful about his dream, his brothers hated him and even his father rebuked him. We also saw that because of he dream his brothers wanted to kill him but decided to sell him into slavery. He became a servant of Potipher who was a captain of Pharoah’s guard. After being falsely accused by Potipher’s wife Joseph was thrown into prison but because God was with Joseph he was put in charge of the other prisoners and the warden didn’t have to worry about anything because of Joseph. Thats where we’ll pick the account of Joseph the Dreamer from. We will see how God uses adversity to fine tune Joseph and how we grow through adversity into what God intends us to be in the first place.

2. Joseph becomes an interpreter of dreams!

Genesis 40:1–23 The Message

1 As time went on, it happened that the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt crossed their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the head cupbearer and the head baker, 3 and put them in custody under the captain of the guard; it was the same jail where Joseph was held. 4 The captain of the guard assigned Joseph to see to their needs. After they had been in custody for a while, 5 the king’s cupbearer and baker, while being held in the jail, both had a dream on the same night, each dream having its own meaning. 6 When Joseph arrived in the morning, he noticed that they were feeling low. 7 So he asked them, the two officials of Pharaoh who had been thrown into jail with him, “What’s wrong? Why the long faces?” 8 They said, “We dreamed dreams and there’s no one to interpret them.” Joseph said, “Don’t interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams.” 9 First the head cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: “In my dream there was a vine in front of me 10 with three branches on it: It budded, blossomed, and the clusters ripened into grapes. 11 I was holding Pharaoh’s cup; I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh.” 12 Joseph said, “Here’s the meaning. The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days, Pharaoh will get you out of here and put you back to your old work—you’ll be giving Pharaoh his cup just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 Only remember me when things are going well with you again—tell Pharaoh about me and get me out of this place. 15 I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. And since I’ve been here, I’ve done nothing to deserve being put in this hole.” 16 When the head baker saw how well Joseph’s interpretation turned out, he spoke up: “My dream went like this: I saw three wicker baskets on my head; 17 the top basket had assorted pastries from the bakery and birds were picking at them from the basket on my head.” 18 Joseph said, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days; 19 within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, impale you on a post, and the birds will pick your bones clean.” 20 And sure enough, on the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday and he threw a feast for all his servants. He set the head cupbearer and the head baker in places of honor in the presence of all the guests. 21 Then he restored the head cupbearer to his cupbearing post; he handed Pharaoh his cup just as before. 22 And then he impaled the head baker on a post, following Joseph’s interpretations exactly. 23 But the head cupbearer never gave Joseph another thought; he forgot all about him.

Joseph now becomes concerned about other peoples dreams. God is transforming Joseph’s attitude. From a boastful young kid consumed with only his dreams, Joseph is now listening to the dreams of others. Remember, God can fine tune us through the adversities we face and we see it happening to Joseph right here. the dreams of the cup bearer and the baker are rightly interpreted by Joseph and he tells the cup bearer who would be restored to his position to not forget about him because he was wrongly accused. But the cup bearer forgets all about Joseph. Do you sometimes feel that everyone, including God has forgotten about you? It’s these adversities that causes us to have to really hone into God and seek Him!

3. It takes two years but Joseph now has an audience with Pharaoh!

Genesis 41:1–14 ESV

1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.” 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.

Joseph has to be in prison two more years before the cup bearer remembers that his dream was interpreted by Joseph. Sometimes we want God to do things instantly but God is not really concerned with time, He’s concerned with our heart attitude. If we get everything on our terms, we become spoiled brats. God needed to make sure Joseph was mature enough to handle the dream God gave him without the chance of him blowing it by being proud. So Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams.

Genesis 41:15–36 ESV

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” 25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

4. It took a while but Joseph rises to second in command!

Genesis 41:37–40 NLT

37 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

When God knows you’re ready He can take you from the dungeon to the throne. He is able to move mountains when He knows that you are ready. A lot of times that is determined by how much you trust God and walk by faith in the midst of adversity!

5. Joseph’s dream comes to pass!

Genesis 42:1–9 NLT

1 When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? 2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.” 3 So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. 4 But Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him. 5 So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well. 6 Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.” 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him. 9 And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”

Joseph’s brothers, the ten that were there when Joseph was sold into slavery cam to him not knowing who he was and they bowed before him just like he said they would from the dreams that God gave him. It has come full circle and through various scenarios he finally reveals himself to them.

6. Instead of revenge Joseph takes care of his brothers!

Genesis 45:1–5 NLT

1 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. 3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.

Genesis 50:19–21 NLT

19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

That’s how God’s dreams work. The dream that God gives is not for our personal gain or reputation. God’s dream is to be a blessing to everyone! God always comes out with good for everyone. So when we go through adversity just remember the dream God has given us and know that through all the trials He is refining our dream.