Good morning,
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gave his “I have a dream” speech on 28 August 1963. His dream was to see the unity of the black and white communities.
Joseph dreamed dreams in his day. God allowed him to interpret the dreams of others. His dreams caused his brothers to hate him and his father to rebuke him. Little did they know that those dreams would be fulfilled in their lifetime.
We will look at six dreams. Two are Joseph’s, two are prison, and two are Pharaoh’s. We will see how Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams saved both the nations of Egypt and Israel from a disastrous famine.
I HAVE A DREAM
And Joseph dreamed a dream… (Genesis 37:5)
Introduction 2 dreams: Joseph, Prison, Pharaoh
Joseph’s dreams (Genesis 37:2-11) (v 2,5,7,9,10)
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Prison dreams (Genesis 40:1-23)
Dream prelude (Genesis 40:1-4)
And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
Butler’s dream (Genesis 40:5-11)
And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.7 And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:11 And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
Joseph interprets the Butler’s dream (Genesis 40:12-15)
And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
Baker’s dream (Genesis 40:16-17)
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
Joseph interprets the Baker’s dream (Genesis 40:18-19)
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:19 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
Interpretations confirmed (Genesis 40:20-23)
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand:22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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