Joseph Tells His Brothers the Dream of the SheavesBible World
37:5Genesis 37:5
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Joseph innocently told his brothers the dream God had given him, and their hatred grew because of his dreams and his words about them. His dream of the upright sheaf to which his brothers' sheaves bowed foretold that he would have dominion and rule over them. That hatred was fed by jealousy at his favored place shown by his father's special coat and by suspicion he would receive the birthright, and by a Cain-like hatred of one who was innocent and beloved while they were wicked. His brothers despised the dreams and sold him as a slave to keep them from coming true, but the Lord overruled their cruel course so that it brought about the very dominion they meant to prevent, fulfilled when they bowed with their faces to the earth before him in Egypt to buy food. Their treatment of him prefigured Christ's rejection, in which jealous leaders sought to stop Him from becoming king but His murder made Him Redeemer and ruler over the whole world.
Dream and Family Hatred
Joseph told his brothers in innocence what had been given to him through God's instruction, and their hatred of him grew because of his dreams and because of what he said about them. The dreams were a means by which God taught Joseph, yet his father rebuked him so that the envious brothers would not discover his true feelings. That telling belongs to Joseph's favored place in Jacob's family, where growing hostility was connected with Jacob's open preference for him. The preference was shown plainly by the special coat and costly gift, and jealousy had already been stirred by suspicion that Joseph would receive the birthright.
The dream was of his sheaf standing upright while his brothers' sheaves bowed to it, foretelling that he would have dominion and rule over his brothers. Jacob regarded it as God's revelation of the future to Joseph. Joseph told it as a youthful prophet in simplicity and virtuous innocence, with his countenance lighted up with the spirit of inspiration. His brothers admired his purity and goodness, but they did not choose to leave their wicked course to become virtuous and noble like him.
They accused him of telling his dreams to exalt himself above them and to win still more of their father's love. Their envy and anger turned them against him until they stripped off the coat that represented their father's love and had stirred their jealousy. Their deeper hatred came from the spirit that actuated Cain, hating their brother because he was innocent and righteous and beloved of his father while they were wicked and a source of grief to their father. The account is of one whom God chose in his youth to do special work for His people.
Opposition That Fulfilled Prophecy
The brothers despised the dreams and labored to prevent them from coming true. Envying Joseph, they purposed to kill him but were content to sell him as a slave to keep him from becoming greater than themselves. They thought they had placed him where they would be no more troubled with his dreams and where fulfillment would be impossible. Their envy, hatred, intent to murder, and sale of him were efforts to defeat the dreams, yet by those very acts they carried out their fulfillment.
The dreams foretold events the brothers tried to prevent, but the Lord directed and controlled events and overruled their cruel actions. The very course they pursued brought about what they meant to prevent, that he should have dominion over them. God turned their actions toward the outcome they opposed.
The dreams meant his brothers would come to him to buy food and bow with their faces to the earth before him. This came true when Jacob's sons came with the crowd of buyers to purchase corn of Joseph in Egypt and bowed before him without knowing him, and Joseph remembered the dreams at that moment. Their later obeisance to Joseph fulfilled what the dream had foreshadowed.
When the ruler of Egypt proved to be Joseph and made himself known, all their ill treatment painfully came before them, especially his dreams. They remembered the dreams with painful conviction, seeing that they had repeatedly made obeisance to Joseph exactly as foretold. They stood before him condemned and amazed with the fulfillment evident.
The brothers' treatment of Joseph prefigured Christ's rejection. Jealous leaders sought to stop Jesus from becoming king, but his murder made him Redeemer and ruler over the whole world. God's providential purpose did not lessen the guilt of those who harmed Joseph or Christ.
Joseph innocently told his brothers the dream God had given him, and their hatred grew because of his dreams and his words about them. His dream of the upright sheaf to which his brothers' sheaves bowed foretold that he would have dominion and rule over them. That hatred was fed by jealousy at his favored place shown by his father's special coat and by suspicion he would receive the birthright, and by a Cain-like hatred of one who was innocent and beloved while they were wicked. His brothers despised the dreams and sold him as a slave to keep them from coming true, but the Lord overruled their cruel course so that it brought about the very dominion they meant to prevent, fulfilled when they bowed with their faces to the earth before him in Egypt to buy food. Their treatment of him prefigured Christ's rejection, in which jealous leaders sought to stop Him from becoming king but His murder made Him Redeemer and ruler over the whole world.
Dream and Family Hatred
Joseph told his brothers in innocence what had been given to him through God's instruction, and their hatred of him grew because of his dreams and because of what he said about them. The dreams were a means by which God taught Joseph, yet his father rebuked him so that the envious brothers would not discover his true feelings. That telling belongs to Joseph's favored place in Jacob's family, where growing hostility was connected with Jacob's open preference for him. The preference was shown plainly by the special coat and costly gift, and jealousy had already been stirred by suspicion that Joseph would receive the birthright.
The dream was of his sheaf standing upright while his brothers' sheaves bowed to it, foretelling that he would have dominion and rule over his brothers. Jacob regarded it as God's revelation of the future to Joseph. Joseph told it as a youthful prophet in simplicity and virtuous innocence, with his countenance lighted up with the spirit of inspiration. His brothers admired his purity and goodness, but they did not choose to leave their wicked course to become virtuous and noble like him.
They accused him of telling his dreams to exalt himself above them and to win still more of their father's love. Their envy and anger turned them against him until they stripped off the coat that represented their father's love and had stirred their jealousy. Their deeper hatred came from the spirit that actuated Cain, hating their brother because he was innocent and righteous and beloved of his father while they were wicked and a source of grief to their father. The account is of one whom God chose in his youth to do special work for His people.
Opposition That Fulfilled Prophecy
The brothers despised the dreams and labored to prevent them from coming true. Envying Joseph, they purposed to kill him but were content to sell him as a slave to keep him from becoming greater than themselves. They thought they had placed him where they would be no more troubled with his dreams and where fulfillment would be impossible. Their envy, hatred, intent to murder, and sale of him were efforts to defeat the dreams, yet by those very acts they carried out their fulfillment.
The dreams foretold events the brothers tried to prevent, but the Lord directed and controlled events and overruled their cruel actions. The very course they pursued brought about what they meant to prevent, that he should have dominion over them. God turned their actions toward the outcome they opposed.
The dreams meant his brothers would come to him to buy food and bow with their faces to the earth before him. This came true when Jacob's sons came with the crowd of buyers to purchase corn of Joseph in Egypt and bowed before him without knowing him, and Joseph remembered the dreams at that moment. Their later obeisance to Joseph fulfilled what the dream had foreshadowed.
When the ruler of Egypt proved to be Joseph and made himself known, all their ill treatment painfully came before them, especially his dreams. They remembered the dreams with painful conviction, seeing that they had repeatedly made obeisance to Joseph exactly as foretold. They stood before him condemned and amazed with the fulfillment evident.
The brothers' treatment of Joseph prefigured Christ's rejection. Jealous leaders sought to stop Jesus from becoming king, but his murder made him Redeemer and ruler over the whole world. God's providential purpose did not lessen the guilt of those who harmed Joseph or Christ.