Good morning, dear family,
We all know the story of Joseph’s dreams – the dreams that almost cost him his life. His jealous brothers were angry with him and hated him for sharing those dreams. We read further that those dreams were fulfilled many years later.
“One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. “Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.”
Genesis 37:5-8 NLT
A few lessons:
1. GOD HOLDS THE FUTURE : It was God who prophesied through Joseph’s dream what was going to happen to the nation of Israel. What was promised to Abraham centuries ago, was shown again in Joseph’s dream. “Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.” Genesis 15:13 NLT.
2. GOD DETERMINES THE PATH : Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not know how and when they would land into the Promised Land. They saw that the land that was promised to them by God was occupied by others. And yet, in their lifetime – for centuries together, they held on to the promise of God. “After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”” Genesis 15:16-21 NLT.
3. GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISES : What started with Abraham’s first step of obedience from the land of Haran is seen getting fulfilled through Joseph’s obedience and holding on to God’s promises. Joseph could have easily kept the dreams as secret and refrained from sharing them but he knew they were not ordinary dreams. He shared them though it cost him dearly. “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”” Genesis 12:1-3 NLT.
Maybe God is beginning something new with you or you are that one step closer to seeing the fulfilment of God’s promise – remember no Word of God has ever failed. He shall accomplish His promises and plans in your life. Joseph had no clue what those dreams meant at that point, but he could trust God, the One who had given him those dreams. Let us trust God even when we may not see things immediately because our God holds our future.
Later, the writer of Hebrews summarises it very beautifully to encourage us today:
“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 11:13-16 NLT
Amen 🙏