Two Dreamers

There are two exceptional people in the Bible known for their dreams. One is the best known dreamer and one the least known dreamer. One had great rewards and the other has no mention in the Bible beyond the fulfilling of his dreams. One saw the full fruition of his dreams and the other didn’t see the fruition of his dreams. One understood the purpose of his dreams and the other obeyed without knowing the full purpose of his dreams.

Both were named Joseph. One was in the Old Testament book of Genesis and the other was in the New Testament Book of Matthew. One preserved the Jewish nation and the other preserved our Savior. And in this case as in the Gospel the lesser Joseph became the greater. And like John the Baptist, although he did no miracles, was credited as the greatest among men, Joseph also is a major player in the redemption story of God.

Joseph – eleventh son of the patriarch Jacob

1ST DREAM

(Genesis 37:5-8 WEB) 5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6And he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7For behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood around and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8And 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.

From David Ramey DVM (that’s a veterinary) comes this quote “Is it Kind, Necessary, True, and Does It Improve Upon the Silence? And to me the youthful favorite of his father by his favorite wife lacked humility and judgement. Some will say it was God’s purpose for him to have said this. Even if that’s true, we’ll see later in the story that he needed to grow up and learn humility to be useful to God’s purpose. BTW – when is favoritism ever in order? And wasn’t Leah the mother of six of Jacob’s sons and one daughter, the most Godly of Jacob’s four wives?”

2ND DREAM

(Genesis 37:9-11 WEB) 9And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to 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. 10And he told [it] to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said to 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? 11And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Reuben and Judah

Rueben and Jacob were the first and fourth sons of Leah, wife of Jacob. Reuben saved Joseph by having him cast into an empty cistern. Jacob saved Joseph by selling him to the Ishmaelites (I’m assuming Arabs). Don’t they by their character reveal a little of the influence of the Godly mother?

JOSEPH IN CHARGE

Joseph went from one bad situation after another. He was sold to Potiphar, the Captain of the Pharaoh’s guard. After being tempted by Potiphar’s wife and refusing Joseph, he ended up in prison. But the irony is that Joseph was respected and put in charge of Potiphar’s house and servants; and when he ended up in prison he ended up in charge of Pharaoh’s prison.

(Genesis 39:3-6 WEB) 3And his master saw that the LORD [was] with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4And 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. 5And 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 on all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not aught he had, save the bread which he ate; and Joseph was [a] goodly [person], and well favored.

(Genesis 39:21-23 WEB) 21But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that [were] in the prison; and whatever they did there, was done by him. 23The 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.