In the Bible, there is a story of a man named Joseph who had a dream that revealed what would happen to him in the future.
In the dream, Joseph saw eleven stars bowing down to him. He also saw that his brothers were bowing down to him as well.
When he told them about his dream, his brother’s were jealous of him and sold him into slavery. He was taken to Egypt where he became second in command of Egypt’s entire economy and administration.
Have you ever had a dream, and then when you woke up, you couldn’t remember it? It’s frustrating, but sometimes that happens to us. Sometimes we only have one shot at remembering what we dreamed—and if we don’t get it down on paper, or tell someone about it right away, it will be lost forever. In this article you’ll read about josephs dream bible lesson.
That is what happened to Joseph in the Bible. After he had a dream about his brothers bowing down to him, he told them about it—but they didn’t believe him. They thought he was making up stories again!
But God had something else planned for Joseph—God made sure the dreams were recorded for all time. And now we get to read about Joseph’s dreams and discover how God used them to change history forever!
I have always been interested in dreams.
Dreams have been a part of human culture for a very long time, and they are still a part of our culture today. Dreams play an important role in the Bible, especially in the Book of Daniel. You’ll also read the story of joseph in the bible summary.
Joseph Dream In The Bible
Genesis 37:1-11. Joseph had a dream in which his mother, father, and brothers would bow down in front of him.
This came true when Joseph was 30 years old when the Pharaoh made him Second in Charge of Egypt.
Joseph in Hebrew means: May Yahweh add.
The fulfillment of the dream was when Jacob arrived in Egypt in a Cart.
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 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.” His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us?
Background Reading:
Joseph’s Dreams
Joseph’s Life before His Captivity
37:1 Jacob continued to live in the land they were occupying, where his father had journeyed in the territory of Canaan. 2 This is a record of Jacob’s descendants.
When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was helping his brothers tend their flocks. He was a young man at that time, as were the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. But Joseph would come back and tell his father that his brothers were doing bad things. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his brothers, since he was born to him in his old age, so he had made a richly-embroidered tunic for him. 4 When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father loved him more than all of his brothers, they hated him so much that they were unable to speak politely to him.
Joseph’s Dreams
5 Right about this time, Joseph had a dream and then told it to his brothers. As a result, his brothers hated him all the more! 6 “Let me tell you about this dream that I had!” he said. 7 “We were tying sheaves together out in the middle of the fields, when all of a sudden, my sheaf stood up erect! And then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf!”
8 At this, his brothers replied, “Do you really think you’re going to rule us or lord it over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his interpretations of them.
9 But then he had another dream, and he proceeded to tell his brothers about that one, too. “I had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven of the stars were bowing down before me!”
10 When Joseph told his father about this, his father rebuked him and asked him, “What kind of dream is that? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come to you and bow down to the ground in front of you?” 11 As a result, his brothers became more envious of him. But his father kept thinking about all of this.
Genesis 37:1-11
Josephs Dream Bible Lesson
Listed below are seven takeaways from Joseph’s dreams.
- The Predictive Power of Dreams
Joseph’s dreams have unmistakable prophetic overtones. We can see that they are providing a glimpse into the future, both for the family and for the world at large.
The grain sheaves in the dream are a metaphor for the family’s dependence on Joseph for provision and his eventual rise to power in Egypt. He holds a position of authority and supplies necessities for everyone.
Oftentimes, the dreams God sends us are foretellings of things to come. Someone can visit us to give us advice, help us get ready, or give us hope. The Holy Spirit’s guidance and intercession are essential as we seek to decipher its meaning.
Secondly, your destiny may be revealed in your dreams.
We can learn more about Joseph’s destiny as a leader by delving into his dreams. As a young man of 17, God entrusted him with these visions. On the inside, God was preparing him for what was to come.
What Joseph didn’t anticipate was the time and effort required to develop him into a capable leader.
When God gives us a dream, He may be showing us the path He has for us and the work He wants us to do. When I was first asked to speak publicly, I knew God had opened a door I’d been praying for since I was a young man.
You should always record your dreams on paper and pray about them. A dream from five or ten years ago may foreshadow a chance encounter that has just opened up.
Historically, it was common practice to interpret one’s dreams.
A member of the family might say, “Hey, check out THIS…
In my dream, the other four phones all bowed to my iPhone.
We would tell him things like, “Man, you really need to cut back on the late-night pizza and go through a phone detox.”
But that was not the case with Joseph’s family. Joseph’s father, Jacob, was no stranger to God appearing to him in dreams (Genesis 28:10-17, Genesis 31:6–12).
Knowing this, Jacob taught his children the value of dreams and how to interpret them. Dream interpretation is increasingly taboo in today’s churches, with some even calling it “evil” and “not of God.”
One of two possible explanations for this…
They dismiss the possibility of divine communication through dreams.
This occurs because many people follow every or any dream they have. One of the quickest ways to make a disaster. Many people, as a result, discard the good with the bad.
I think Christians need to return to their Christian roots by exploring the nature of dreams and seeking meaning in nocturnal experiences. We need to take a biblical, wise, prayerful, and responsible approach.
Joseph Brags About His Desires
Joseph, at the ripe old age of 17, was well aware that he was his father’s favorite child, and that his older brothers resented him for it. And he didn’t, as far as we can tell from the text, approach his family with a humble request for interpretation of the dream.
If his loved ones could interpret his dreams with such ease, he probably already knew what they meant. He didn’t hide his feelings from his father or arrange a special moment to share them.
He made a brag.
The fact that Joseph was born to an elderly man made him Israel’s favorite son, so he made him a special robe.
Because their father loved him more than any of his other children, his brothers turned on him and refused to speak to him kindly.
When Joseph told his brothers about his dream, it only made their hatred for him grow.
When asked about his dream, he told them, “Listen to this dream I had: 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.” GENESIS 37:3-7
His boasting pushed his brother over the edge, putting him on a path that was both challenging and humbling. The path he took got him to the palace, but not without a personal cost. Proverbs 16:18 says.
No matter how great our spiritual achievement or revelation may be, we must never use it as a means to promote our own ego.
- Your vocation will not be shared by all.
Do you plan to rule over us?” they asked him. Do you intend to take control of us? And because of his dream and his words, they hated him even more. Scripture Reference: GENESIS 37:8
Joseph’s dreams upset not only his siblings but also his parents. I don’t see how he could have a “bigger” calling than them. In his family, Joseph was the baby.
The Hebrew culture dealt him a poor hand. On the other hand, God doesn’t see things that way.
It’s accurate to say that not everyone will recognize or approve of who and what you’re meant to become. You may also share your convictions about what God is calling you to do. It doesn’t guarantee that they’ll accept it or wish you well.
In my early twenties, the associate youth pastor who had previously moved back to our church and taken a position in the department I was working in. To formally welcome him to the group, I’ve decided to pay his office a visit.
When I congratulated him on joining the team, he said, “I’m surprised you have made it this far.” An actual event!
For a moment I was taken aback, but then I said, “Apparently, you didn’t know who I am.”
Sometimes people just don’t recognize you. The Christian life always includes things like that. Do we put more stock in what man says about us and our calling or what God has said?
Remember that God works on His own schedule, not yours, in verse 6.
After having those dreams, I highly doubt Joseph had any idea how long and difficult the road ahead would be. Probably he anticipated it happening pretty quickly after that.
Joseph exclaims, “That was one sweet dream!” Within six months, I should be Pharaoh’s second-in-command. BOOM!
His entire life serves as a powerful reminder that God’s timing is ultimately more important than our own. To get us where He wants us, God has a plan involving a series of steps.
It’s crucial that we maintain hope and patience as we move forward. Slavery and incarceration were inevitable outcomes for Joseph. However, when the famine struck, he was able to put past grievances with his brothers aside.
God is in control, and He knows what He’s doing.
Despite the difficulty, trust in God’s timing.
- Our Vision Is Limited
Even if we have a complete picture revealed to us in a dream, vision, or prophetic word, that is not guaranteed. Earlier I mentioned that Joseph lacked information about what to expect from the procedure.
Although prophetic, his dreams could only show him a fraction of what God had planned.
The future holds surprises, and you cannot predict them all. But you have the assurance that God is walking beside you always. What this comes down to is putting one’s faith in Him.
Story Of Joseph In The Bible Summary
Joseph was the second-to-last of Jacob (later renamed Israel) and Rachel’s twelve sons. According to Genesis 37:3-4, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made for him a robe of many colors and a beautiful turban.” His brothers hated him and couldn’t bring themselves to speak kindly to him after they realized that their father loved him more than they did. In the same place, we learn about two dreams Joseph had that infuriated his siblings, dreams in which he saw his brothers submitting to him. Due to their father’s obvious favoritism toward Joseph, his brothers hated him as well.
Joseph made a surprise visit to his brothers while they were tending to their sheep. His siblings concocted a scheme to have him killed, threw him in a dry well, and then sold him as a slave to a group of itinerant Midianites. They returned home after applying animal blood to his “ornate robe,” convincing Jacob that his son had been killed by a pack of wolves.
While this was going on, Joseph was kidnapped and sold as a house slave to the Egyptian guard captain, Potiphar. Later, Joseph was thrown in jail after being falsely accused of trying to rape Potiphar’s wife. In the midst of his incarceration, Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants. In time, Pharaoh had a nightmare that no one could explain. Joseph’s reputation as a dream interpreter led one of Pharaoh’s servants to suggest he consult with Joseph. Once Pharaoh had a dream that only Joseph could interpret, he had Joseph brought out of prison and make him second in command of Egypt.
Pharaoh dreamed that his kingdom would be plagued by famine for seven years. Joseph’s older brothers came to Egypt during the famine to stock up on supplies. Joseph, now twenty years older, was not recognized by them, and he acted harshly toward them as if he believed they were spies. To prove they were not spies, the brothers had to bring their youngest brother Benjamin back to Egypt, so Joseph could release the other brother he had locked up. On their way back, they took Benjamin with them, and events unfolded such that Joseph’s brothers bowed down to him, just as he had dreamed they would. They were shocked, yet soon glad to be reunited. The famine was severe, so Joseph arranged for his entire family to come to Egypt with him.
After Jacob passed away, Joseph’s brothers worried that he’d get even with them for how they’d treated him as a child. They came to Joseph asking for mercy, citing a dying wish of their father’s (Genesis 50:16–17) When Joseph heard their plight, he broke down in tears. The idea of exacting vengeance far from his mind. Joseph reassured them, “Don’t be afraid. Do I get to play God? Although you meant me harm, God will use this for His good, and He will save many lives as a result of what you did (Genesis 50:19–20).
Forgiveness, father-son relationships, sibling rivalry, brotherly love, God’s sovereignty, and the greater good despite suffering are all reflected in the story of Joseph and his brothers. Like Joseph, we are tasked with forgiving our wrongdoers and viewing our hardships as part of God’s plan to make us better equipped to serve others.
