Please first read
Genesis 37:5-11.
Have you ever had a dream?
"Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated
him all the more." (v 5)
He told them to listen to his dream and he proceeded to share it with
them. "We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when
suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around
mine and bowed down to it." (v 7)
Afterwards, his brothers asked him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will
you actually rule us?” They hated him even more because of his dream and what
he had told them about it. (v 8)
He later had another dream, and he also shared it with his older
brothers. He told them to "listen" and said, “I had another
dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to
me.” (v 9)
After he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him and said,
“What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually
come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of
him, but his father kept the matter in mind. (v 10-11)
Please then read
Genesis 40:8-23.
Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker also received dreams from God.
“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret
them.”
Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me
your dreams.” (v 8)
The chief cupbearer proceeded to tell Joseph his dream. He told him, “In my
dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon
as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes.
Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into
Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.” (v 9-11)
Have you ever been confused about a dream? Have you ever had a dream
that you needed interpreted for you?
Joseph told the cupbearer, “The three branches are three days. Within
three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and
you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were
his cupbearer. But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me
kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I was
forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done
nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.” (v 12-15)
There are some dreams which are interpreted well. They are favorable
to us.
When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation,
he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of
bread. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but
the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” (v 16-17)
Sometimes, dreams are so confusing to us. They may not be initially
understood by us.
Joseph shared with the baker what his dream meant and said, “The three
baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head
and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”
(v 18-19)
There are some dreams which may not be interpreted the way we would like
them to be either.
Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his
officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in
the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his
position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— but he impaled
the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.
(v 20-22)
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
(v 23)
Joseph must have had a very close
and personal relationship with the Lord. He not only received a couple of
dreams from God, but he was also given the ability by Him to interpret dreams
for others.
Therefore, we need to truly know
Him before being able to receive all of the dreams He has for us and also be
able to interpret them well. We must always remember though that
ultimately God is the only dream giver and the dream interpreter. (See Genesis 37:5-7, 9; 40:8)
Copyright 2016 by Dawn Freeman. All rights
reserved.
