1. Children of the Bible

2. Lesson 4

3. Lesson Text—Genesis 37:5-7 Genesis 37:5-7 5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

4. Lesson Text—Genesis 37:5-7 7 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.

5. Lesson Text—Genesis 37:8-9 Genesis 37:8-9 8 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.

6. Lesson Text—Genesis 37:8-9 9 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.

7. Lesson Text—Genesis 37:10-12 Genesis 37:10-12 10 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?

8. Lesson Text—Genesis 37:10-12 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying’ 12 And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

9. Focus Verse—Genesis 50:20 Genesis 50:20 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.

10. Focus Thought Joseph viewed the circumstances of life in the proper perspective, realizing that what God had promised him in his visions would come to pass.

11. I. Joseph’s Early Years Culture Connection Living Your Dreams Dreams are mysterious mental commotions that flutter through our brains and sometimes disturb our sleep. Occasionally, their residue lingers into our waking hours. Dreams can be quite dramatic and bring deep emotional feelings. We are helpless as our dreams take us to strange and unseemly places. They are without normal boundaries and can take us to the heights of grandeur or to the depths of despair.

12. I. Joseph’s Early Years Some believe dreams are expressions of the dreamer’s deepest fears and desires. It is from this idea that some individuals use the dream metaphor to refer to personal vision of achievement. The ability to envision our future is an ability that separates humans from animals. Although life is unpredictable, we are able to plan and plot our future. God dreams and envisions the future as well. The prophets of the Bible manifested God’s vision of the future. His dreams are not “pipe dreams,” but they become reality.

13. I. Joseph’s Early Years God has given us the ability to plan and envision. So let’s dream about lofty attainments and then endeavor to achieve them. The dream comes first and then reality. Just don’t sleep too long!

14. I. Joseph’s Early Years Contemplating the Topic Words such as dreams and visions resonate with Spirit-filled believers. After all, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter took his text from Joel 2:28. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).

15. I. Joseph’s Early Years Surely Joel’s message does not mean visions and prophecy come only to the young and dreaming is relegated to the old. Instead, it means that the lives of those upon whom the Spirit is poured are characterized by the miraculous. They prophesy, uttering words given to them by the Holy Spirit. They see divinely inspired visions. They dream dreams that come from God. (See Acts 16:9-10; 18:9, in which the word translated “vision” can refer to something seen in one’s sleep.)

16. I. Joseph’s Early Years Dreams like those experienced by Joseph and the dreams promised by Joel and Peter have their origins in the Holy Spirit. They are supernaturally given; they would never occur to the dreamers on their own. They take the dreamer beyond himself or herself, out of the realm of the natural and into the supernatural. God gives the dreams to suit His own purposes and to accomplish His will. The secular concept of dreaming is something quite different.

17. I. Joseph’s Early Years It springs from the idea that there is nothing a human being cannot do if he just puts his mind to it. We can be anything we want to be if we think positively enough, dream vividly enough, cast a large enough vision, and refuse to take no for an answer. Such dreaming is often whitewashed with sacredness by the claim that we want to dream big dreams for God. But God may have something else in mind. The dreams He gives may lead to betrayal, to a pit, to false accusations, or to prison.

18. I. Joseph’s Early Years They may, in the end, lead to a palace, but they may not. God has a unique plan for each of us. We must avoid the attractive but deluding philosophy expressed in William Ernest Henley’s poem Invictus: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” The poem, celebrating man’s “unconquerable soul” while ignoring the necessity of faith in God, leads down the path of despair. God is the master of our fate; He is the captain of our souls.

19. I. Joseph’s Early Years A person who, like Joseph, recognizes the divine origin of Heaven- sent dreams can put his entire life— regardless of where his dreams lead— into the eternal perspective. He knows that what God has promised will come to pass, no matter how impossible it may seem on the journey. He is the kind of person who sees God at work even in human failure. Like Joseph, he can say, “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 (Genesis 50:20).

20. A. Joseph’s Miracle Birth Searching The Scriptures Joseph’s Early Years A.Joseph’s Miracle Birth Divine involvement in the lineage of the Old Testament patriarchs was frequently marked by miraculous births for barren women like Sarah and Rebekah. Jacob’s wife Rachel was also barren, but she too birthed a son whom she named Joseph and who became one of the most significant figures in early history.

21. Genesis 30:22-24 “And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: and she called his name Joseph” (Genesis 30:22- 24).

22. B. Joseph Favored by His Father Joseph’s relationship with his brothers was troubled from his youth. When he was seventeen years old, he gave Jacob a bad report about the roguery of the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, a tale which the older half-brothers resented.

23. Genesis 37:2, NKJV “Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father” (Genesis 37:2, NKJV).

24. I. Joseph’s Early Years Joseph’s tendency to tell his father what his brothers were up to was not the main reason for the jealousy and discord among the siblings. The bad feelings stemmed from Jacob’s open favoritism of Joseph. (See Genesis 37:3.) According to the Septuagint, this coat of many colors reached to the ankles. It was apparently the mark of a tribal chief (Samuel J. Schultz, The Old Testament Speaks, 5th ed.).

25. C. Joseph Envied by His Brothers “And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.... And his brethren envied him” (Genesis 37:4, 11).

26. I. Joseph’s Early Years Every time Joseph’s brothers saw him in his new coat, their disdain increased. Their hatred, rude insults, and threats eventually goaded them into betraying their little brother and deceiving their elderly father. But since we know the end of the story, we know God used their hatred and envy to bring about something good not just for Joseph, but for the entire family and nation.

27. II. Joseph’s Visions Joseph’s Visions “And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 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.

28. I. Joseph’s Early Years 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. 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 37:5-9).

29. A. Brought Rebuke from His Father Jacob did not let his fondness for Joseph hold back his sharp reprimand.

30. Genesis 37:10 “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).

31. I. Joseph’s Early Years Still, Jacob, who had himself experienced divinely inspired dreams, must have wondered if his son’s dream had also come from God, for he “observed the saying” (Genesis 37:11). As the New Living Translation puts it, he “wondered what the dreams meant.”

32. I. Joseph’s Early Years His father had mixed feelings about Joseph’s dreams, but his half- brothers viewed him as a downright arrogant upstart. However, had Joseph’s dreams been simply expressions of personal ambition, the end of the story would have revealed an overdeveloped ego. But to the contrary, the outcome revealed Joseph’s humility, love, and benevolence.

33. B. Brought Deceitful Acts from His Brethren Following Joseph’s revelation of his dreams, his envious brothers led their father’s flocks to Shechem, located in the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim on the route taken by Abram when he left Haran and journeyed to Egypt. Jacob sent Joseph to Shechem to see how his brothers fared.

34. I. Joseph’s Early Years Along the way Joseph learned that his brothers had moved the flocks to Dothan, meaning “two wells,” located a short distance north of Shechem. Joseph’s brothers hated the very sight of the one who betrayed their actions to their father. They conspired to kill him.

35. Genesis 37:19-20 “Behold, this dreamer cometh. 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 37:19-20).

36. I. Joseph’s Early Years But Reuben, Joseph’s oldest brother—born to Jacob by Leah—said, “Let us not kill him.... Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him” (Genesis 37:21-22). Reuben planned to deliver Joseph from his brothers and to return him to their father. When Joseph caught up with his brothers, they stripped off his coat and threw him into an empty, waterless pit.

37. I. Joseph’s Early Years They ignored his cries and sat down to eat only to be interrupted by an Ishmaelite caravan en route from Gilead to Egypt. Apparently Reuben was away from the campfire when Judah said, “What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh” (Genesis 37:26- 27).

38. I. Joseph’s Early Years The brothers agreed, and they hauled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver. Perhaps their last sight of him was his piteous backward look as his new owners led him away. When Reuben returned and peered into the pit, it was empty. He tore his clothing in anguish and said, “The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?” (Genesis 37:30). It is possible that as the eldest son, Reuben, had always been blamed for the machinations of his younger brothers.

39. I. Joseph’s Early Years Evidently the rest of the brothers told Reuben what they had done, but none of them could summon the courage to tell Jacob. So they dipped Joseph’s beautiful coat in goat’s blood and took it to Jacob with a fake display of innocence and remorse. “This have we found,” they said to their father. “Know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no” (Genesis 37:32).

40. I. Joseph’s Early Years Recognizing the coat, Jacob cried, “It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces” (Genesis 37:33). Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for many days. His sons and daughters tried to comfort him to no avail. Jacob said, “I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning” (Genesis 37:35). In the meantime, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to an officer of Pharaoh, a captain of the guard named Potiphar. (See Genesis 37:36.)

41. C. Brought Strength for Deliverance What can a dreamer do when his dreams seem to vanish? If a dream came from God, he can dream on, for it will come to pass regardless of the seeming hopelessness of life’s circumstances.

42. I. Joseph’s Early Years 1. From the Pit. Joseph’s dreams did not include the pit. He saw only the sheaves, the sun, the moon, and the stars bowing down to him. But God does not always give us all the details of His plan. God’s purpose is more powerful than man’s. His brothers thought they had found a profitable way to get rid of him, but actually they were acting by God’s direction to get Joseph to Egypt so he could deliver the very ones who sold him into slavery.

43. I. Joseph’s Early Years 2. From Prison. Not only did Joseph’s dreams pass over the pit, they also left out the prison. At first, when Potiphar bought Joseph, it looked as though things were going well. Joseph performed his duties in such an excellent manner that his master promoted him to overseer and placed all of his affairs under Joseph’s authority. Potiphar did not have to tend to anything but the food on his plate.

44. I. Joseph’s Early Years But Joseph’s favorable circumstances went awry when Potiphar’s wife developed a lewd infatuation for her husband’s handsome overseer. She tried to seduce Joseph but he refused her.

45. Genesis 39:8-9 “But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:8-9).

46. I. Joseph’s Early Years How easy it would have been for Joseph to set aside his dreams for a moment of pleasure! But he knew his God-given dreams would be fulfilled only if he remained faithful. Joseph continued to refuse the advances of Potiphar’s wife until she became so aggressive that he fled from her presence. She managed to capture his garment as he turned to run, and she used it as evidence to accuse Joseph of trying to rape her.

47. I. Joseph’s Early Years She claimed Joseph left the garment behind when she screamed for help. In a rage Potiphar thrust Joseph into the prison where the king’s prisoners were kept, and there “they bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons” (Psalm 105:18, NIV). Rather than succumb to bitterness and hopelessness, Joseph showed himself such a model and trustworthy prisoner that the keeper released him from the chains and gave him the oversight of the prison. (See Genesis 39.)

48. I. Joseph’s Early Years After Joseph stepped into his new position the king sent his butler and baker to prison. One night they both had dreams, which Joseph interpreted with the help of God. The news was good for the butler: he would be restored to his former position. The news was bad for the baker: he would be executed. Before releasing the butler, Joseph told him his own story and asked him to appeal to Pharaoh for his release. (See Genesis 40.) But the butler forgot.

49. I. Joseph’s Early Years Two years later Pharaoh had a dream none of his wise men or magicians could interpret. Only then did the butler remember Joseph’s kindness and request. He explained his friend’s giftedness to Pharaoh and the king ordered the prisoner’s release. God gave Joseph the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream and the king was so impressed with Joseph’s abilities and manner that he promoted him to a place of power and authority next to Pharaoh himself.

50. I. Joseph’s Early Years Joseph ruled over Pharaoh’s house and over all the land. (See Genesis 41.) 3. From Revenge. Joseph’s dreams not only kept him from despair in the pit and in the prison, they also prevented him from seeking revenge against his brothers when they finally did bow their knees to him, just as Joseph’s dreams had foretold.

51. I. Joseph’s Early Years If Joseph’s dreams had been merely an exercise in self-exaltation and egotism, he would have treated his brothers as harshly as they had treated him. But Joseph knew his dreams were from God. He had done nothing to deserve his high position. He recognized that his brothers had acted as instruments in the hand of God.

52. Genesis 50:18-21 “And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 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. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them” (Genesis 50:18-21).

53. III. Joseph Rewarded by His Vision Joseph Rewarded by His Vision When we say Joseph was rewarded by his vision, we must keep in mind that his vision was not self-inspired but God-given. It was not even something he conjured up with the idea that it would bring glory to God. His dream came when he was asleep; he could claim no credit for it. Joseph accepted the dream, however, and took ownership of it. And because he did, God rewarded him richly.

54. A. Interpreted the Dream of Pharaoh Joseph’s ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dream was part of God’s plan to fulfill the dream of the sheaves and the stars. Joseph made no claim to be an interpreter of dreams. When Pharaoh said to him, “I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it,” Joseph answered, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Genesis 41:15-16).

55. I. Joseph’s Early Years Although some may question Joseph’s wisdom in sharing his dreams with his brothers and father, those who read the biblical story must acknowledge that Joseph never claimed credit for his revelations. No hint of personal ambition is evident in his life. Wherever he found himself, Joseph served others, whether it was his father, Potiphar, the keeper of the king’s prison, or Pharaoh. There is no account of Joseph questioning the circumstances of his life in view of the delay in the fulfillment of his dreams.

56. B. Exalted in Egypt Truth is stranger than fiction. Who would ever imagine that a man who was not an Egyptian, who was hated by his brothers, who was cast by them into a pit and then sold into slavery, who was falsely accused of attempted rape, and who was imprisoned would find himself elevated to the place of second in command to Pharaoh himself? (See Genesis 41:38-44.)

57. I. Joseph’s Early Years But dreams given by God do not guarantee smooth sailing in life, nor does their fulfillment depend on human effort or assistance. All that is necessary for these dreams to come to pass is for the dreamer to continue to trust God regardless of how deep the pit, how vicious the lie, or how long he is forgotten by others. No pit is deep enough to block out God’s view of the person in it; no lie is so scandalous as to obscure the truth; no amount of human neglect can cause God to forget His promises.

58. C. Fed His Family in Famine When Joseph’s brothers and father first heard about the lad’s dreams, they thought he was trying to devise a way to achieve some kind of superiority over them. They interpreted the bowing of their sheaves and of the sun, moon, and stars to mean that Joseph would reign over them. (See Genesis 37:6- 10.)

59. I. Joseph’s Early Years They did not realize that the symbols in Joseph’s dream actually foretold the way in which God would meet their needs by feeding them. (See Genesis 47:12-14.) What an opportunity Joseph had to say, “I told you so!” How easy it would have been for him to treat his brothers the way they had treated him. But he had a dream, and in that dream was his destiny. Rather than squandering his dream by seeking vengeance, Joseph viewed even his brothers’ abuse as a vehicle for God to bring His purposes to pass.

60. Transparency 3

61. Genesis 45:3-8 “And Joseph said unto his brethren,... Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.... And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God” (Genesis 45:3-8).

62. I. Joseph’s Early Years Just after their father’s death, Joseph reiterated these sentiments to his apprehensive brothers.

63. Genesis 50:20 “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” (Genesis 50:20).

64. D. Blessed with Children Not only did Pharaoh exalt Joseph to a position of authority in Egypt second only to himself, he also gave Joseph a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, the priest of On. (See Genesis 41:45.) Joseph was thirty years old at this time, which indicates he had been a slave for about thirteen years. (See Genesis 37:2; 41:46.) From this marriage came two sons whose descendants would play a significant role in the future of Israel.

65. I. Joseph’s Early Years 1. Manasseh. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, meaning “one who causes to forget.” The idea is that the joy of his firstborn caused Joseph to forget his painful past. As Joseph put it, God “hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house” (Genesis 41:51). 2. Ephraim. Joseph’s second son was Ephraim, whose name means “fruitful.” Joseph chose this name because God had caused him to be fruitful in the land of his affliction. (See Genesis 41:52.)

66. I. Joseph’s Early Years Internalizing the Message When we view life from God’s perspective, even suffering takes on divine significance. Joseph had a glorious dream, but on the way to fulfillment, it took him through rejection, betrayal, false accusation, and imprisonment. If we were able to view Joseph’s circumstances at any point along this painful path, we would be tempted to think Joseph’s dream was merely a figment of his own imagination or perhaps a result of his own arrogant ambition.

67. I. Joseph’s Early Years But the validity of one’s dreams cannot be determined by the attempts of other people to prevent them from being fulfilled. If a dream is from God, it will come to pass. Dreams never die unless we abandon them. 1. We should hold to our dreams. From the story of Joseph we discover that when God gives us a dream, we can cling to it regardless of the circumstances of life. It will be fulfilled in God’s time, even if God works through painful events to bring it to pass.

68. I. Joseph’s Early Years Certainly Joseph could have been elevated to prominence in Egypt some other way, but nothing can stand in God’s way, whether betrayal, deception, or neglect. God is able, Joseph discovered, to work even through the evil intent of human beings to bring to pass something good. We must never think that anyone can thwart God’s purposes.

69. I. Joseph’s Early Years 2. We can turn our dreams into vision for life. If it is God’s vision, it can become our vision. It is important that we maintain this order. Rather than expecting God to endorse our dreams, we must be ready to embrace His dreams as our own. If we put our own dream first, we may well find that life’s circumstances will rob us of that dream. But when the dream belongs first to God, we can expect Him to sustain us through all of life’s circumstances in order to fulfill His will.

70. I. Joseph’s Early Years 3. We can rise above circumstances. No one knows what tomorrow holds. But Jesus gave us excellent direction that can keep us properly focused and prevent us from giving way to despair when things do not seem to be aligning with our expectations.

71. Matthew 6:34 “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34).

72. I. Joseph’s Early Years 4. We should forgive others and refuse to become bitter. Nothing can derail the fulfillment of God’s plan for our lives quicker than our refusing to forgive those who have wronged us and descending into bitter recrimination. Joseph avoided both. He forgave. And instead of blaming his brothers for his suffering, he embraced suffering as God’s way of bringing His purposes to pass.

73. Matthew 6:14-15 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

74. Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31).

75. I. Joseph’s Early Years Who knows why God gives us a dream? Even if no one encourages us in it, and dark circumstances seem to indicate it will never be fulfilled, we can cling to what God has shown us. No pit is deep enough to keep us down. No prison is secure enough to hold us forever. If we cling to our faith, God will lead us into the land of fulfilled dreams.