Dreams

Genesis 37.

A while back, as we started the series on Moses, I told you that would be part of a larger series of going back to the basics.

What I truly feel led to do, is to continue walking through the stories many had the opportunity to learn about when we were kids in Sunday School and children’s church

why?

well, when we were kids we usually didn’t always get the entire story

it’s not usually kosher to tell the story of David and Goliath to 6 years old and explain that he cut Goliath’s head off.

These stories also tend to get the rap of being a kids story

I’ve got news for you, if it is in Scripture, it is for all of us.

Sadly, since these stories are ones that resonate with kids, many have tried to capitalize on them and make money off of the stories.

in doing so, they change parts to make it fit what is best for them

then the story is so different, we no longer know the truth of God’s Word.

What I am called to do as a believer and as a pastor, is to share the truth of the word of God.

So let’s get in to this one

turn with me to Genesis 37

we are going to move to look at Joseph the dreamer.

let’s start in verse 1

The New International Version Chapter 37

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Favoritism with Jacob’s family is nothing new

Here we are, favorite wife, favorite son

i will go ahead and tell you, I have a favorite wife and a favorite daughter, and if you don’t get that, i only have one of each.

So since Joseph is his favorite, He made an ornate robe for him

which is always good right.

if kids are already jealous of one of their siblings because they are favored, adding to that by giving them nicer things than the rest is always going to work out well right?

So they hated him and just couldn’t bring themselves to be nice to him.

vs. 5

The New International Version Chapter 37

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

I wonder how difficult it was to share these stories.

you already have brothers who don’t like you

dad just made it worse by giving you stuff to make them jealous

Then he has these dreams that he feels he needs to tell them, that point to him ruling over them.

Have you ever worked at a job and someone was shown favoritism to and you and other coworkers didn’t like it.

Then that person gets a promotion when you felt like it wasn’t deserved?

We can draw comparisons to that from Joseph here.

vs. 10

The New International Version Chapter 37

When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

It’s not mentioned to this point that these are prophetic dreams

Jacob asks if this was the meaning that they would all bow down to him.

the answer is an absolute yes, Jacob will.

God had given Joseph these dreams and he planned for Joseph to lead.

This wasn’t to happen immediately, as Joseph has some things to face first.

As a youngest child, that was accused of being my parents favorite, I understand a small amount of what he faced with his siblings.

So I can understand how difficult it might be to tell your brothers who are already jealous of you, and your parents that, hey, I had these dreams that you will all bow down to me.

Joseph had to step out on a limb to do this, and we will see soon that he paid the price.

Sometimes, we serving God means, stepping into some uncomfortable situations

sometimes its doing or saying things to make people who already don’t like you, hate you more.

sometimes it just doesn’t feel good because of the hate, the rejection and the angry that we recieve.

The important thing is that we don’t stray

Serve Him no matter what.

Not because Joseph did,

because He deserves nothing less than our obedience.