One the eve of the Holiday that we have distinguished for Dr. King, we cannot help but see the parallels with him being a dreamer along with Joseph. The first question that I will ask is what is more significant the dream or the dreamer? My reply is both are significant and dependent upon one another. The dreamer is important because the dream is inspired through him. And if it is a dream of purpose he will impart the significance of the dream to the people. Proverbs 29-18 lets us know that if there is no vision the people will soon perish. The dreams of Joseph and Dr. King both were dreams with purpose and deliverance for their people. Joseph’s dream was a dream of deliverance and pointed us to Gods redemptive power. Dr. King’s dream was one of love and equality and acceptance for all, along with deliverance for an oppressed people. All dreams of deliverance originate with God, meaning they are God inspired. When a dream is God inspired the dream will on without the dreamer. When we look at Joseph, we see that God chose him from among his many brethren to be the dreamer. One could get the impression that Joseph’s dream had made him somewhat prideful if one reads Genesis 37- 5-7. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers: And they hated him yet more. In essence he was not prideful, instead rather he just interpreted dream as he received it. Dr. King was pasturing a small church in Alabama when the civil rights cause fell into his lap. He never chased the limelight, but rather his dream and destiny put the limelight upon him. Dr. King’s call could be compared to Gods call on Moses life on Sinai. Moses and Dr. King were given the tremendous task of telling Pharaoh let my people go. Moses told Pharaoh, Dr. Ling told Jim Crow. Both groups had made racial superiority a false God within their minds. Joseph was hated by his brethren for no other reason than having divine favor on his life.
Therefore looking at Joseph’s life is that we see he attained Gods favor; he also had the favor of his father. Joseph took all that Joseph said to heart and realized that God had plan for his son. At times we may only know in part but we realize that there is a purpose. You may only know part of the dream now, but in your spirit you know God has a purpose. Jacob Joseph’ father was so enamored by his next to youngest son that in verse 37-3-4 that he created a coat of many colors. This coat of many colors was significant and his brothers knew it. The coat of many colors distinguished Joseph as his father’s heir, even though he was not the eldest son; God’s favor had put the heir ship upon him.
Ah but the significance of the dream is that once the dreamer has moved on to his master and his creators glory, the dream lives on. Joseph’s dream was not fully fulfilled until Christ came as redeemer for his people. Like Joseph Christ was rejected by his own, and sent away as an outcast so to speak. In St. John 10- 22-30, we see Jesus being rejected by the very people he came to redeem and be Messiah too. In verse 24 they asked of Jesus, do not keep us in suspense, Are you the messiah? Jesus replied that those of whom God has placed in his care will never be taken from his grip, and that they recognize who he is without asking and that he and the father are represented as one. Jesus told the people standing there that they believe not because you are not of my sheep fold.
Jeremiah 29-11 God states through Jeremiah that I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord.
Thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you and expected end. While we move toward our dream we have to know that our being where we are at is by no accident. That God has purposed a plan for our lives before the worlds were formed. Jeremiah 1-5 reminds us this. It reads that before we were created in our mother’s womb, God had a plan for us. Joseph and Dr. King lived up to the plans that God had established for their lives. The Question is, are you living up to the plans that God has determined for your life? Have you tapped into the dream that God has for you? Have you given the thought to what the lord wants from you? Have you realized that even though you may not have a coat of many colors, that you have a covering called the anointing?
As we move on through Genesis 37, we see the fruit that hatred and jealousy produce. In verse 19, while they were grazing the sheep near Dothan, they saw Joseph from afar off. They said here comes the dreamer, with sarcasm. There they plotted to kill Joseph, but ended up selling him off into captivity.
Dr. King also knew something about captivity. In April of 1963 Dr. King found himself in jail in Birmingham Alabama, for peacefully protesting for civil rights. As he sat in that jail he read the statement of 8 white Birmingham ministers. These clergymen so to speak, criticized Dr. King for being a trouble maker, a lawbreaker to speak. Dr. King was criticized as an outsider making trouble. Dr. King responded with his famous Birmingham Jail letter. In that letter the words that sting the most by Dr. King were. An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. Joseph faced injustice, he was wrongly accused of rape, he could of sinned and dropped his morals. No my friend Joseph still loved God, and because of that love we see that he ended up in prison. What an injustice.
You know Jesus faced injustice; he was innocent and gave up his life for the guilty. And listen we know we are guilty, guilty of what? Some may say, well guilty of sin. Romans 3-23 say, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Listen many of us would have failed and have failed in our of temptation unlike Joseph who ran from the sin. Rather today many of us embrace the sin we should be fleeing.
I thank God that we have Jesus as a high priest who we can come to and ask forgiveness and that his blood cleanses from all sin. That Jesus is a friend that will stick closer than a brother. Dr. King and Joseph probably had some doubts while in jail especially Joseph. But listen I believe that their faith kept them moving forward, when doubt and anxiety and fear tried to creep in.
In conclusion we can learn a valuable lesson from Dr. King and Joseph. A lesson of forgiveness. Listen years later Joseph had a chance to get even with his brothers. They were terribly afraid when they found out they were standing before Joseph as second in Egypt only to Pharaoh. No Joseph had a heart of forgiveness. In Genesis 50-20 Joseph said. But as for you, ye thought evil against me: but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people alive. What a heart of forgiveness, what a lesson for us today who occupy the pews in churches across the world today. Can we tell those who have harmed us, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. If we had that type of attitude in the church today we would have less divorce, less backbiting, more peace and we have the fruit of the spirit spoken of by Paul in Galatians Chapter 5, Peace, love, joy and understanding, longsuffering.
Dr. King in his famous speech in our nation’s capitol told us that he had been to the mountain top and that he was not afraid of death. He went on and said thank God almighty, thank God almighty. He saw the dream where we would treat one another as equals and all peoples of all races would sing that old Negro spiritual. We shall overcome, we shall overcome. There are some of us today whom God has revealed a dream to. What will we do with the dream God has inspired you with.
My dear friend Jesus is the most important dream we can relate to someone, a dream that is true and his saving grace. Jesus lived upon this earth in human flesh for 33 and 1 half years and was sentenced to die on the cross, at a place called Calvary. Then three days later he rose from the grave. Redeeming us from the sin, and the sentence of sin death. For those of us who believe we inherit eternal life.
Jesus purpose and mission was redemption and wholeness and restoration.
