Pt. 3, The Biblical Story - Joseph
![Dreams, Despair, More Dreams, and Deputy Ruler
Joseph
From Slave to Deputy Pharaoh Genesis 37; 39; 41-48; 50
The Biblical Story, pt. 3
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© January 19, 2014
www.pastorkennedy.com
Today, in our third part of The Biblical Story, we are reviewing the Biblical account of the life of Joseph. Few people in Scripture have 13 chapters in the Bible devoted to their life, but such was the life of Joseph. Dreams profoundly affected Joseph’s life! So, let’s begin with a look at the subject of dreams since they are a universal phenomenon touching each of our lives. Let’s see how dreams may originate and how they might be interpreted from a practical and Biblical perspective, and then let’s go on to look at an overview of the Joseph’s life.
Dreams
Many psychologists have studied and projected a variety of theory’s about dreams.
Charles Fisher, in Newsweek, once humorously penned:
“Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.”
There are good dreams and there are bad dreams. Dreams can bring euphoria and dreams can bring nightmares…and dreams can bring confusion!
Dreams may rise from urgent physical conditions…
A famished person’s dreams of banquet tables of food and a dehydrated person’s dreams of rivers of water, but neither have the hunger pains nor the quenching of their terrible thirst assuaged by the illusion of their dreams (Isaiah 29:8).
What does Solomon say about things that we randomly dreams about…
Ecclesiastes 5:3
3 For a dream comes through much business [cares and activity]…
Dreams can be a means whereby God can guide us – fulfilled at Pentecost, and especially for “the End of Days” (Acts 2:17-21)
Joel 2:28
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
God uses dreams and visions, from time to time in these “end of days”, to relay God’s Truth to His people. This specific information is always consistent with His Word and in support of His Truth.
The Deceiver Uses Dreams and Visions to Distort the Truth
Satan’s demonic spiritual forces terrify us and cause truth to be gravely distorted through the illusion of deceptively false, terrorizing dreams and visions; or, by smooth spiritual sounding but spiritually crippling dreams of carnal false-truth and false security.
How can we know whether a dream (or prophecy) is from God?
Both prophecy and the dreaming of dreams were to be tested in the same way according to Deut. 13 and Deut. 18.
1. By the Truth of its Message
Deuteronomy 13:1–5
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”
If your dream (or prophecy) is against the principles of God’s Word, then you know that the dream is not from God. You should reject and resist its power in your life, under Christ’s Authority.
2. By the Accuracy of its Fulfillment
Deuteronomy 18:21–22
21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
If the dream (or prophecy) fails to come true, then you will have a confirmation that this dream is not of God, and that the one giving the prophecy is not of God.
“Not every dream was thought to be from God. Not every dream was significant. Some could be wishful thinking (Ps. 126:1; Isa. 29:7–8). In times of need and especially when a person sought a word from God, dreams could be significant.
Not every dream needed to be interpreted. To note this we can distinguish three types of dreams. A simple “message dream” apparently did not need interpretation. For instance, Joseph, in Matt. 1 and 2, understood the dreams concerning Mary and Herod even though no mention is made of interpretation. A second type, the “simple symbolic dream,” used symbols, but the symbolism was clear enough that the dreamer and others could understand it. The OT Joseph had this kind of dream in Gen. 37. Complex symbolic dreams, though, needed the interpretive skill of someone with experience or an unusual ability in interpretation. The dreams of Nebuchadnezzar described in Dan. 2 and 4 are good examples of this kind of dream. Even Daniel himself had dreams in which the symbolism was so complex that he had to seek divine interpretation (Dan. 8).”
Thus, while God often used dreams to reveal His will, there is a warning, too, not to rely on this method to know the will of God.”
How has God has used dreams in Biblical times?
Here are some examples:
• Jacob at Bethel: Jacob had a dream of a ladder extending into heaven, at Bethel (Gen. 28:12);
• Abimelech and Abraham: God came to Abimelech in a dream regarding Sarai being Abram’s wife (Gen. 20:3; Gen. 20:6);
• Laban and Jacob. God came to Laban in a dream to not harm Jacob (Gen. 31:24);
• The Amalekite and Gideon: The Amalekite’s dream of Gideon conquering their army (Judg. 7:13–14);
• Solomon: Solomon’s dream regarding his desire as a king (1 Kgs. 3:5-15);
• Nebuchadnezzar: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue (Dan. 2:1; 27–45);
And, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the tree and Daniel’s interpretation (Dan. 4:10–28);
• Daniel: Daniel’s dreams and visions of the four beasts (Dan. 7:1–8);
• Joseph, regarding Mary and the Christ Child: God spoke to Joseph in a dream, that he should take Mary as his wife (Matt. 1:20; God also told Joseph to flee to Egypt from Herod’s slaughter of the children; to return to Israel after Herod’s death; and, to live in Galilee since Herod’s son was reigning in Jerusalem (Matt. 2:13, 19, 22). God spoke to the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod, after finding the Christ Child, but to return home another way (Matt. 2:12);
• Pilate’s wife: Pilate’s wife suffered much in a dream regarding Jesus’ trial before Pilate (Matt. 27:19).
There are many instances of how God has used dreams today in the Muslim world, for those who have no access to God’s Word, to point believing hearts to salvation through Jesus Christ.
Have you ever had a critical dream that affected your life?
How do we know if a dream is from God or from Satan?
How do you deal with dreams that might come into your life?
Do dreams from God always have consistency with God’s Word? In other words, would a dream from God have us do something that would be inconsistent with God’s Word? Remember what we learned earlier…
How can we know whether a dream (or prophecy) is from God?
Both prophecy and the dreaming of dreams were to be tested in the same way according to Deut. 13 and Deut. 18.
1. By the Truth of its Message
Deuteronomy 13:1–5
If your dream (or prophecy) is against the principles of God’s Word, then you know that the dream is not from God. You should reject and resist its power in your life, under Christ’s Authority.
2. By the Accuracy of its Fulfillment
Deuteronomy 18:21–22
If the dream (or prophecy) fails to come true, then you will have a confirmation that this dream is not of God, and that the one giving the prophecy is not of God.
Rejecting Dreams that are not from God
Proverbs 26:2
2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
a curse that is causeless does not alight.
A Prayer to Almighty God
“Through the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Power of Jesus’ Precious Blood, I reject the presence and power of that which is not of God. That which would cause me to fear and be afraid.”
“If this is from God, I accept it. If it is not from God, I reject it by the Power and Authority of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ!”
Dreams that affected Joseph’s Life
Joseph’s dreams as a teen. Joseph had dreams (Gen. 37:5–7; Gen. 37:9); and Joseph remembered his dreams when his brothers came to buy grain and he was ruler (Gen. 42:9);
Joseph’s interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh’s Butler and Baker. The butler and the baker each had a dream and shared their dreams with Joseph, who interpreted them (Gen. 40:5-17; Gen. 41:11);
Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh’s dreams of good years and famine, interpreted by Joseph, which propelled Joseph into the highest position of power in Egypt under pharaoh (Gen. 41:1–32);
Today we are reviewing the life of Joseph.
• Joseph was a teenager to whom God had given special dreams about his future.
• Joseph enjoyed the admiration of his father;
• But, Joseph suffered severe rejection from his brothers…
o Because of honesty to his father about his brothers’ inappropriate behavior;
o And, relaying the audacity of his dreams which suggested him being elevated to positions of grandeur, over that of his family.
• Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers who had also conspired to kill him.
• Joseph was purchased by Potiphar in Egypt, who was an officer of pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
• Joseph was blessed by God in all that he did as he served Potiphar and the household prospered.
• Joseph rejected the seductive advancements of Potiphar’s wife and fled from her when she pressured him.
• Joseph was unfairly thrown into prison by Potiphar, where the king’s prisoners were confined.
o “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.” Genesis 39:21-22
• Since Joseph was in the king’s prison, he was in a position to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh’s butlet and baker when they were incarcerated. It was this “royal” contact that brought Joseph into the presence of Pharaoh when he was in need of the interpretation of his dream.
• Joseph had Dreams of grandeur in his teen years.
• Joseph experienced great injustice and considerable Despair in prison.
• Joseph was confronted with more Dreams in prison and was brought before Pharaoh by Pharaoh’s butler whose dream God had allowed Joseph to interpret in prison.
• Joseph became the Deputy Ruler in all of Egypt.
• It was through dreams, despair and Divine Enactment, in Joseph’s life, that God preserved His People through the catastrophic famine that came upon the known world at that time.
Joseph’s brothers held guilt all their lives regarding the evil that they had done against Joseph, but Joseph regarded his difficult circumstances a different way.
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive,
as they are today.”
Genesis 50:20
Discussion Questions
How old was Joseph when he gave a bad report about his brothers? (Gen. 37:2)
What was Joseph’s relationship with his father? What did his father make for him?
What was Joseph’s relationship with his brothers?
What made Joseph’s brothers so mad at him?
What did Joseph’s brothers do to him?
Who bought Joseph in Egypt?
What happened to Potiphar’s household after Joseph began managing the household?
What caused Joseph problems in Potiphar’s home?
What happened to Joseph after he was accused?
Which prison?
What happened to Joseph in Prison? (Gen. 39:21-22)
What prisoners had dreams that concerned them?
What were the dreams of Pharaoh’s Butler and the Baker?
What were the interpretations of those dreams, that God gave Joseph?
Why was it important that Joseph was working for Potiphar, captain of the guard, and thrown into the king’s prison rather than some other prison in Egypt?
What happened after Pharaoh’s Butler went back to his position serving Pharaoh?
How long of a time was Joseph forgotten in prison?
What brought Joseph out of prison?
How many troubling dreams had Pharaoh experienced before he sought their interpretations?
What were the two dreams?
What were the interpretations of the dreams that God gave Joseph?
After Joseph explained the dreams to Pharaoh, what did he continue to advise Pharaoh to do?
What did Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s servants discern in Joseph? (Gen. 41:38)
What did Pharaoh do next?
How old was Joseph when he entered Pharaoh’s service? (Gen. 41:46)
After the seven years of plenty how long did it take Joseph’s dad Jacob, after the famine began, to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain? (Gen. 45:6)
Approximately how many years had gone by since Joseph’s brothers had sold him as a slave?
Did Joseph’s brothers recognize Joseph when they came to Egypt’s to purchase grain?
What name did Joseph call his brothers, to get their attention and begin the process of reestablishing a relationship with them and understanding who they were now? (Gen. 42:14)
Which brother did Joseph use to see what his other brothers had become during those 20 years and which brother was put in prison? (Gen. 42:20, 24)
Was it difficult for Joseph’s dad, Jacob to release his youngest son to go with the other brothers, so they could buy more food for the family?
What happened when Benjamin was brought to Egypt?
What happened to Joseph’s dad, his brothers and all their families?
What does Joseph’s statement to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good,” tell you about God?
Other Discussion Questions from “The Story”
1. Why did Joseph’s brothers want to get rid of him?
2. Why does God allow hurtful things to happen to people?
3. What were the positive effects of Joseph’s being sold into slavery?
4. What does Joseph’s statement to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good,” tell you about God?
5. In what ways have you seen God work through the most bleak and hopeless situations to cause a greater good?
6. Why can God be trusted at all times?
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive,
as they are today.”
Genesis 50:20](Pt._3,_The_Biblical_Story_-_Joseph_files/shapeimage_1.png)
