Genesis 37: 3-11 (TPT)
3Now Israel’s love for Joseph surpassed that for his other sons because he was born to him in his old age. So Israel had made him a richly ornamented robe. 4When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, they hated him and would not speak a kind word to him.
5One night Joseph had a dream, and when he shared it with his brothers, they hated him even more! 6“Listen to this dream I had,” he told them. 7“There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly, my sheaf rose up and stood upright. Then your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to mine!” 8His brothers asked him, “Oh, so you think you’re going to be our king? Do you actually think you’re destined to rule over us?” So, the dream that he told them about made them hate him even more.
9Then another night he had a dream, and he shared it with his brothers, saying, “Listen, I had another dream. This time, the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10When his father and brothers heard it, his father scolded him, “What kind of dream is that? Do you really think that I, and your mother, and your brothers are going to come and bow to the ground before you?” 11So his brothers grew more jealous of him, but his father kept pondering Joseph’s dream.
Good day, beloved teen, and welcome to another beautiful day. It's been a while, because I had to focus on other stuff, but thank God I'm here.
Remember our last convo on purpose? Joseph being honest, obedient and faithful in all his ways. He hadn't yet discovered what God wanted him to be and do, for the rest of his life. This is a continuation of that story. Joseph was still consistent in fulfilling his duties and being a great kid. In the midst of that, purpose found him.
He had two dreams. In the first, there were twelve sheaves, and those of his brothers bowed down to his. In the second dream, the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed to him. Let's not forget that by this time, his brothers had hated him for his good-boy attitude, his father's love, and the coat of many colors the father gifted him. By the time Joseph told them these dreams, the hatred became worse. Even his father questioned the second dream. Hearing his son say he would bow as a father, to his son, wasn't easy to accept. However, he wasn't jealous. Just confused.
There are a few lessons I want us to learn from the story we just read. First, Joseph didn't get the revelations because he was hated. God doesn't play the victim game. God isn't Hollywood. Joseph was not selected to be great because God pitied Him. Joseph had the right heart posture for what God wanted to do in the family, and for the nation. What does this teach you? For every God-given assignment, there is a heart posture God is looking for. It might not make sense to the people around you, but God is the one who qualifies those He uses.
Secondly, Joseph telling his brothers about his dreams looked like a suicide mission. These guys have never hidden how they felt about you. They don't say kind words to you. Why would you take such a revelation to them? One that put them in a position of hating you so much more? After telling them the first dream, their reaction wasn't pleasant. He still went ahead to tell them the second one. What different reaction was he expecting? I'm sure these questions have run through your mind once or twice, after reading this passage. But I want us to remember that Joseph was young and innocent. Titus 1:15 says, "to the pure, all things are pure......". Joseph was a pure and soul. He was just being himself. This is not an excuse not to employ wisdom in divulging sensitive information. You shouldn't talk anyhow, especially around people that have shown you constantly that they don't value you or what you represent.
Reading scriptures further, we would discover that his innocence towards his brothers worked in his favor. God's ways are not ours. He doesn't think or react or analyze like us. He is God and all-knowing. What looks like foolishness, becomes wisdom in His hands. You see why you need to depend on Him for every area of your life? Even what looks like foolishness and naivety, can become profound wisdom in His hands.
Thirdly, Joseph was a favored child, and that attracted hatred. Favor is not fair normally, so its side attractions are not necessarily fair. The hatred he attracted from his brothers, came as a result of him doing the right thing. His brothers saw him do the right thing and get rewarded for it. Instead of them to emulate his good works, so they can get rewards, they chose hatred. The human mind is beyond comprehension, really.
What does this teach us? Doing the right thing doesn't always come with rewards the way we expect. Sometimes we end up being humiliated, lied on, isolated, betrayed and even punished. Doing the right thing could be hard or painful. This is when we get to remind ourselves that we were not called to a fellowship of instant rewards. We were called to a life of total dependence and obedience. Even when the rewards are nowhere in sight, our obedience should never be conditional, reward-based or transactional.
Another thing about the brothers; they could have gone to inquire from God, about their own destinies. If Joseph, their younger brother, could get such deep insights, that means the presence of God was in their midst.
When people share revelations with us, most times, it is ideal that we seek God for ourselves, on the matter, and everything else. But this was not the case of Joseph's brothers. They chose animosity towards their younger brother. A part of me is tempted to conclude that they knew the revelations were true. One thing I need every teenager to understand, is that, people who hate on you, do it mostly because they see what you cannot see, about yourself.
They brothers didn't laugh at him or mock him for his dreams. They got angry instead. Because they knew Joseph didn't lie, and there was every possibility that it would happen. What does this also tell you? Sometimes people hate on you because you are a reflection of what they think they could never be. So the next time someone tries to talk down at you, or make you feel small, don't be quick to feel bad. They could be seeing something about you, that you are yet to see.
Joseph's conversations around the dreams didn't sound boastful or condescending, but his brothers knew they were not ordinary dreams. They had some level of understanding of how God worked. They knew those dreams stood a high chance of becoming a reality. Instead of also inquiring from God about theirs, they chose to be hateful and envious. Never let the heart posture of envy and jealousy rob you of the chance to receive your miracle. Celebrate with others and grab yours. God is in the neighborhood.
In our next conversation, we will discuss what became of Joseph after his dreams. Revelation changes your life forever. Joseph was never going to be the same again.
I hope you are available for the next conversation. I also hoped you learnt something tangible. Till we meet again. Stay prayed up and obedient. I love you
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