Joseph – a man of dreams

Story in Genesis 37 onwards (minus 38)

Gen 37:5-11 The dream – his family bowing down to him!

Those who know the story will know that this is indeed what happened many years later when he had become ruler of Egypt and his brothers came to buy grain from him

The dream was fulfilled, but not instantly and not without Joseph going through quite a process while he waited

God gives dreams to us all – sometimes they are amazing and unexpected like Joseph’s dream, other times they are desires of our hearts that are God given

Dreams are essentially possibilities – things that could be but are not yet seen

Some lessons from Joseph’s life to help us through the process from God given dream (literal dream, God’s word to us, gifting, desire) to fulfilment of the dream

1. Be careful with whom you share your dream

37:8 His brothers hated him

37:10 His father rebuked him

37:11 His father kept the matter in mind

His brothers represented those with no spiritual understanding – share your God-given dreams with people like this and you open yourself up to discouragement and trouble!

His father represents those with more wisdom and understanding.

Initially he was taken aback by the dream but had wisdom enough to consider that it might be God-given.

Share your dreams with this kind of person and it will do no harm but you still may not receive the encouragement you would really benefit from.

Imagine instead that many years later Joseph’s own son Ephraim had had a dream and shared it with Joseph – how much better to share with someone who knows what it is to dream himself

If God speaks things to you that are significant and potentially life changing share them with others who have had the same experience – those who know what it is to receive a dream

2. Don’t be dismayed by events

37:19-28 Sold!

What chance now of becoming ruler over the family – now that he was on his way to Egypt to live as a slave permanently separated from his family and country?

What had seemed like a possibility – albeit a remote one – now seems to be a total impossibility

If you have a dream it is very likely that there will be a time when events are telling you very loudly that the dream is not going to happen

Maybe God has spoken something about your children – the plans he has for them – shortly after you receive God’s word they announce that they want nothing to do with God and maybe even nothing to do with you!

Maybe You have been given a dream of a particular way in which you are going to serve the Lord and then you get ill, or lose a job, or find yourself becoming a full time carer for someone, or lose a loved one – there are so many things that can happen which seem to mess everything up!

We know the full story in Joseph’s case – he didn’t have this privilege!

God knows the full story in our case – we don’t – don’t let go of your dreams!

3. Serve well anyway

39:1-4 Sold as a slave – he could have lived with a lot of bad attitude because of his circumstances – he had every right to feel that life had dealt him a bad hand

He could have been the most miserable and unmotivated of slaves if he had dwelt on his circumstances

He served well in the situation in which he found himself – and God blessed all that he did

There will be times when life does not match the dream – times when you find yourself in a lousy situation – a lousy job with lousy conditions, no recognition, bad workmates and poor pay

Serve well anyway!

Too many people wait for conditions to be right before they do anything – actually need to learn to do well whatever the circumstances

Joseph spent time as a household slave and in prison – both times he was recognised as a person who shone above the crowd

The crowd is often made up of complaining people who speak of the reasons why their life does not amount to much – don’t join them – seek to do well at whatever you have been given to do right now

Eph. 6:5-8 The Lord will reward – yes he will!

Don’t wait another day for things to improve – improve yourself!

You can’t always choose your circumstances – you can always choose your attitude!

4. Pass the integrity test regardless of the immediate outcome

39:6b-20a Joseph did the right thing and ended up in prison because of it

The world is such that passing the integrity test will not always win you friends

Joseph could have avoided prison by submitting to the request of Potiphar’s wife

It is quite possible that she could have kept the affair from her husband and Joseph could have continued to enjoy a good life in Potiphar’s house

Joseph did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, not what was convenient or attractive

It is always right to do what is right, even when the immediate outcome is that things go wrong

Remember the parable of the two men building houses – one on rock and the other on the sand? Jesus said those who obey his word build secure on the rock

Joseph did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and the Lord saw:

39:20b-21 The Lord showed him kindness and granted him favour

The Lord will always honour those who honour him

There will often be the temptation to do what seems right in a situation rather than what is right in the sight of God

When temptation comes – as it surely will – you need to be active in choosing to do what is right even if everyone around you tells you that you are wrong

5. Don’t be surprised when God’s timing is not your timing

40:12-15, 20-23 What looked like the perfect opportunity to get out of prison proved to be a disappointment

Joseph was in prison but he had a dream – he was looking to the Lord to get him out – he probably had faith that he was going to be rescued by the Lord somehow

When the butler and baker situation came along he must have thought that this was the way in which God was going to get him out of prison

He must have been excited and expectant but then it didn’t happen – in fact he had 2 more years to wait (41:1)

We can be very good at working out how God is going to do things – we can be very logical and our plans can make a lot of sense

We can be impatient wanting to see a good thing come to pass – we can even remind God how the good thing will bring glory to his name – more so if it happens now

God does not employ management consultants! God does not employ advisors of any kind! He knows what he is doing and when and how!

When God is at work we need to be aware that he does things his way and that we might well be surprised by the way in which he operates

6. Be ready for your moment of opportunity

41:9-14 He was quickly brought

Joseph had spent two years in prison after he had expected to be released – he could have given up – he could have drifted away from the Lord

I believe he maintained his relationship with the Lord – when he had to hear from God to give the interpretation of the dream it was what he was used to doing

It is important to stay close to the Lord at all times – even when nothing much seems to be happening

For Joseph one day must have rolled into another in that prison until that day came when his situation was transformed in an amazing way – in one day he was transformed from forgotten prisoner to governor of all Egypt

All of a sudden people were bowing down to Joseph – the dream had come to pass

Joseph was ready for the moment of opportunity – he was walking with the Lord even though he was confined to prison

Times when nothing much seem to be going on are times of preparation – times to build relationship, build character and learn the lessons we need to learn

Grow in the gifts that God has given to you – even though you don’t yet have the opportunity to exercise them at the moment

Don’t despise preparation time – remember Jesus was only active in ministry for 3 years of his life