The Dreamer With a Misunderstood Call
Genesis 37:2-11
Joseph is a young man when God starts to reveal His will through dreams. It didn’t help matters that Israel favored Joseph more than the other brothers – he was the favored son.
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a robe of many colors for him.” (Genesis 37:3, CSB)
Joseph innocently told his brothers the dream he had.
“Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.” (Genesis 37:5, CSB)
But combined with is favored status, the brothers became jealous.
““Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said.” (Genesis 37:8, CSB)
Yet it didn’t stop Joseph and his dreams. He has another dream.
“Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?”” (Genesis 37:9–10, CSB)
But the brothers are jealous.
“His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” (Genesis 37:11, CSB)
Why does this tension arise? It rises because the brothers and Joseph himself misunderstood the call that God had on him. Israel recognized God’s call but doesn’t reveal it – probably to prevent a family war.
The lesson that one can learn from this exchange is that God can reveal His call in unusual ways. One has to watch and be ready to discern that call. The dream was for a later time. But God revealed it early on.
If you sense that God is calling you, you should pursue it with discernment. Don’t let the dreams pass you up. Seek counsel and follow what God shows you. Don’t worry about people who get jealous. They have a different call, but they don’t see it through their jealousy.
Photo by Cameron Kirby on Unsplash
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