BIG DREAMS
The Dream of Joseph
TEXT: Genesis 37.1-6
INTRODUCTION:
God will give us a dream. He has a special plan for your life and want to fulfill His will in you. In August of 1963, Martin Luther King made a famous speech, in which he told them, “I have a dream.” His dream was that segregation would be done away with. Several years later, that dream came to pass. You may have a dream today, and have not seen it fulfilled yet. Just hold on, God will fulfill it in you, if you will allow Him to.
Here is a story of a young man who is 17 years of age. He, along with his brother Benjamin, are the sons of Jacob and Rachel. Jacob has other children by other wives. All of them are older. Joseph is very well-loved by Jacob, because he is the first-born son of Rachel, who is now deceased. Joseph receives special treatment from his father. Jacob made for him a coat of many colors. Apparently, Joseph is exempt from doing work on the farm, in which his brothers do. Jacob saw something special in Joseph, God sees something special in you.
GOD GIVEN DREAMS
1. God gave Joseph a dream.
“And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.” (Genesis 37:5)
2. Joseph began telling others about his dream.
“And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:” (Genesis 37:6)
a. Some dreams are not ready to be told.
b. Will make some envious and others will not believe it will happen.
3. He dreamed that his family bowed before him.
a. First dream
“For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.” (Genesis 37:7)
b. Second dream
“And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” (Genesis 37:9)
ENEMY FIGHTS DREAMS
1. Notice the response of his brothers.
“And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.” (Genesis 37:8)
2. His father even wondered at the dreams.
“And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, 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?” (Genesis 37:10)
3. His brothers hated him, but his father still loved him.
“And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.” (Genesis 37:11)
4. His brothers conspire against him.
“And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.” (Genesis 37:18, 19)
5. Their plan to kill him.
“Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” (Genesis 37:20)
6. Reuben’s intervention to save him.
“And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.” (Genesis 37:21, 22)
7. They throw him into a pit.
“And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.” (Genesis 37:23, 24)
8. They decide to sell him as a slave.
“And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?” (Genesis 37:25, 26)
9. He is sold in slavery.
“Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.” (Genesis 37:27, 28)
10. Sometimes the greatest enemy to your dreams is you.
a. We do not allow God to work the dream through us.
b. Sometimes we begin to worship the dream instead of God. (Story of Phil Visher)
c. Do not seek the dream, instead seek the dream giver. (Matthew 6.33)
GOD IS STILL THERE
1. Joseph is sold in Egypt.
“And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither.” (Genesis 39:1)
2. God was with him even there.
“And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.” (Genesis 39:2, 3)
3. Potiphar made Joseph the leader in his house.
“And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.” (Genesis 39:4, 5)
4. Joseph was well-favored.
“And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not aught he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favored.” (Genesis 39:6)
5. Even in prison, God was with Joseph.
“But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.” (Genesis 39:21-23)
CONCLUSION:
Dreams are given to you for the Glory of God. You may not understand your dream, but you must trust God with it, for it will come in time. Dreams will many times come by trials by fire.
