And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
Joseph as a youthful prophet innocently told his brothers a dream given him by the Lord through His angel. The dream meant that he would become greater than his brothers and have dominion over them, his sheaf standing upright while theirs bowed down in subordination to him. The telling increased their envy, jealousy and hatred, so that they hated him the more for his dreams and his words. They purposed to prevent fulfillment by killing him but sold him into Egypt, yet the Lord overruled that very cruelty to bring about what they designed never should take place. The dream was fulfilled years later when his brothers bowed with their faces to the earth before him as ruler in Egypt, illustrating Christ whom His murderers refused as king yet by that murder God made Redeemer and ruler over the whole world.
Dream Told to Brothers
Joseph innocently told his brothers the dream the Lord had given him through His angel, standing before them as a youthful, inspired prophet. The dream meant he would become greater than his brothers and have dominion over them, his sheaf standing upright while theirs bowed before it, so that they would bow down and be subordinate to him. Years later those bowings before him in Egypt fulfilled what the dreams had shown.
Jacob regarded Joseph's dreams as revelations from God about the future, believing the Lord was teaching Joseph through dreams as He had instructed Jacob himself in dreams. His confidence that God would bless Joseph led him to center his hopes on him. The dreams as a whole pointed to Joseph's future and were believed to reveal what the Lord would bring about.
The telling increased the brothers' envy and hatred, so that they hated him more because of his dreams and words and despised the dreams. The favor shown by the special coat also stirred that jealousy and hatred. They could have admired his purity and goodness, yet they hated him because he was righteous and beloved by their father rather than turning from their own wrongdoing. They later accused him of telling the dreams to exalt himself above them and win more of their father's love, and the dream-sharing became a source of their resentment.
Opposition Overruled in Fulfillment
His brothers set themselves to keep the dreams from ever coming true, first purposing to kill him and then selling him as a slave into Egypt. They thought that by that sale they had put him where they would no more be troubled by his dreams and where fulfillment would be impossible. They despised the dreams and labored to defeat them, hoping to make impossible what had been shown. The Lord controlled events and overruled that very course to bring about what they designed never should take place. Their cruel and envious actions instead helped bring the dreams to pass, so that Joseph came to have dominion over them and to become saviour to his father's family.
Years later the dream was fulfilled in Egypt in the time of famine, when his ten brothers came with other buyers to purchase corn. There they repeatedly bowed down before Joseph as ruler, with their faces to the earth in obeisance according to his dream. Joseph knew them, and at that moment he remembered the dreams of his youth about his brothers bowing before him. When he revealed himself as Joseph, they stood before him condemned and amazed. All their ill treatment and their contempt for the despised dreams painfully passed before them as they remembered what they had done.
Christ Foreshadowed, Youth Called
Joseph's telling of the dream of dominion over his brothers, with his own greatness set above theirs, set in motion their resolve to stop it. They purposed to kill him but instead sold him as a slave, thinking they had put him where his dreams would trouble them no more and where fulfillment would be impossible. The very course they pursued was overruled to bring about what they designed should never take place, so that he gained dominion over them and became saviour to his father's family. This illustrates Christ, whom the chief priests and elders refused as king and murdered to prevent His becoming king. They cried Crucify him, yet by that murder He was made Redeemer and Saviour of the fallen race and ruler over the whole world.
More generally the experience foreshadows Christ, whose enemies likewise acted from jealousy to prevent His rise. Their opposition instead helped bring about the outcome they meant to prevent, issuing in His saving work and rule. The telling belongs to Joseph's youth, when he was chosen to do special work for God's people. It shows that God may honor the young. It shows that He may call the young to important service.
Joseph as a youthful prophet innocently told his brothers a dream given him by the Lord through His angel. The dream meant that he would become greater than his brothers and have dominion over them, his sheaf standing upright while theirs bowed down in subordination to him. The telling increased their envy, jealousy and hatred, so that they hated him the more for his dreams and his words. They purposed to prevent fulfillment by killing him but sold him into Egypt, yet the Lord overruled that very cruelty to bring about what they designed never should take place. The dream was fulfilled years later when his brothers bowed with their faces to the earth before him as ruler in Egypt, illustrating Christ whom His murderers refused as king yet by that murder God made Redeemer and ruler over the whole world.
Dream Told to Brothers
Joseph innocently told his brothers the dream the Lord had given him through His angel, standing before them as a youthful, inspired prophet. The dream meant he would become greater than his brothers and have dominion over them, his sheaf standing upright while theirs bowed before it, so that they would bow down and be subordinate to him. Years later those bowings before him in Egypt fulfilled what the dreams had shown.
Jacob regarded Joseph's dreams as revelations from God about the future, believing the Lord was teaching Joseph through dreams as He had instructed Jacob himself in dreams. His confidence that God would bless Joseph led him to center his hopes on him. The dreams as a whole pointed to Joseph's future and were believed to reveal what the Lord would bring about.
The telling increased the brothers' envy and hatred, so that they hated him more because of his dreams and words and despised the dreams. The favor shown by the special coat also stirred that jealousy and hatred. They could have admired his purity and goodness, yet they hated him because he was righteous and beloved by their father rather than turning from their own wrongdoing. They later accused him of telling the dreams to exalt himself above them and win more of their father's love, and the dream-sharing became a source of their resentment.
Opposition Overruled in Fulfillment
His brothers set themselves to keep the dreams from ever coming true, first purposing to kill him and then selling him as a slave into Egypt. They thought that by that sale they had put him where they would no more be troubled by his dreams and where fulfillment would be impossible. They despised the dreams and labored to defeat them, hoping to make impossible what had been shown. The Lord controlled events and overruled that very course to bring about what they designed never should take place. Their cruel and envious actions instead helped bring the dreams to pass, so that Joseph came to have dominion over them and to become saviour to his father's family.
Years later the dream was fulfilled in Egypt in the time of famine, when his ten brothers came with other buyers to purchase corn. There they repeatedly bowed down before Joseph as ruler, with their faces to the earth in obeisance according to his dream. Joseph knew them, and at that moment he remembered the dreams of his youth about his brothers bowing before him. When he revealed himself as Joseph, they stood before him condemned and amazed. All their ill treatment and their contempt for the despised dreams painfully passed before them as they remembered what they had done.
Christ Foreshadowed, Youth Called
Joseph's telling of the dream of dominion over his brothers, with his own greatness set above theirs, set in motion their resolve to stop it. They purposed to kill him but instead sold him as a slave, thinking they had put him where his dreams would trouble them no more and where fulfillment would be impossible. The very course they pursued was overruled to bring about what they designed should never take place, so that he gained dominion over them and became saviour to his father's family. This illustrates Christ, whom the chief priests and elders refused as king and murdered to prevent His becoming king. They cried Crucify him, yet by that murder He was made Redeemer and Saviour of the fallen race and ruler over the whole world.
More generally the experience foreshadows Christ, whose enemies likewise acted from jealousy to prevent His rise. Their opposition instead helped bring about the outcome they meant to prevent, issuing in His saving work and rule. The telling belongs to Joseph's youth, when he was chosen to do special work for God's people. It shows that God may honor the young. It shows that He may call the young to important service.