The Stages of a Dream

Abraham and Joseph are examples of what I want to call "The Stages of a Dream" or "The Stages of a Vision". It seems in both Abraham's life and in Joseph's life they experienced the same stages. The four stages are:

1.) The Birth of a Dream.
2.) The Life of a Dream.
3.) The Death of a Dream.
4.) The Resurrection of a Dream.

Now in these stages we see the Life of Jesus Christ. We see the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord and we can see this in each stage of Abraham's vision and in Joseph's dream. The first stage is the Birth of the Dream. Abraham and Joseph experienced this birth when God came to them sovereignly and providentially to tell them what He would do in and through their lives. In Abraham's case we see the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:1-3. In Joseph's case we see his boyhood dream in Genesis 37.

The second stage is the Life of a Dream. God gives life to the dream as we walk obediently to His vision or dream. In Abraham's case he leaves his family and moves to Canaan. He was being led by God. It seemed everything was going right. In Joseph's case we can get a clearer picture because Joseph follows the Lord and becomes the 2nd in command at home as Jacob places him in charge of his possession and brothers in Genesis 37-38. He is 2nd in command in Potiphar's house in Genesis 38-40. Joseph was 2nd in command in prison under the prison guard in Genesis 40-41. And in the end Joseph becomes 2nd in command over all of Egypt in Genesis 41 to 50. 

The third stage is the Death of a Dream. God gives death for the purpose of exaltation. As God continues to bless us in His vision or dream we may become prideful or self-centered. Therefore we begin to think God has no part in fulfilling the dream and its because we've done all the right things and God has nothing to do with it. In the Life of Abraham God causes Sarah to be barren and Abraham and Sarah start feeling the vision is dead and uses Hagar to give birth to Ishmael to help God out. Abraham takes matters into his own hands. God puts a vision to death for a time until you realize God is raising you up for His Name's Sake not yours. Joseph had the same experience. He found himself hated by his brothers. He was placed in a pit, sold into slavery, and put into prison. From Joseph's perspective he certainly was not seeing how God was fulfilling his dream in Joseph's life.

The fourth stage is the Resurrection of a Dream and it occurs when all things seems helpless. The disciples are hiding in confusion wondering what is going to happen now that Jesus is dead only to have their hopes resurrected when Mary brings word that JESUS IS ALIVE!! Abraham and Sarah were beyond child bearing years. Joseph was 13 years in on a 20 year prison sentence and he gets word that the Pharaoh had a dream and wants to speak with him. Joseph could follow the Providence of God in his interaction with all the dreams in his life; two as a child, two different dreams of the butler and baker and now two dreams of Pharaoh. Joseph could also follow the Providence of God in the favor of God in his leadership as he was 2nd in command in every position he had in life. He was able at the end of his life to see the Life of Jesus all the way to the end that he could stand in front his brothers as they offered and apology and say, "you meant it for evil but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).

If you've experienced an encounter with God in a vision or a dream the first thing you should do is make sure it is Biblical. God offers no further revelation and Satan is an Angel of light.  However God will call you through a vision from God's Word or from a dream. He may press something upon your heart that you just know God is going to do something through your life. It is nothing more than a conception or an understanding of the task God has called you too.  You want to follow that up with works for James said "faith without works is dead". Everything may go great for a while and you may get confident or a bit cocky about it. God will certainly put it to death moving you to uncertainty and frustration. You may take it further into your hands and work even harder and take on more responsibility trying to make the dream come about. God will wait until your done. He will let it die in your life. You will question whether you've heard God correctly. You will get to the end of yourself and turn yourself over to God. You will say with Jesus "Not My will but Your Will". It is at this point that God may choose to resurrect the dream. You've realized that it is about God's Name Sake not your own.  You will have a fresh new dependence upon God and you will once again find and see victory in your life. I hope you find this helpful. God Bless!

God's Providence in the Life of Joseph

Joseph himself tells us that the circumstances of his life represents God's providence. Joseph said in Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Therefore when you study the life of Joseph everything Joseph's brothers do to him is seen by Joseph as the hand of God in his life.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Meant:

transitive verb

1

a : to have in the mind as a purpose : intend

b : to design for or destine to a specified purpose or future

2 : to serve or intend to convey, show, or indicate : signify 

3 : to have importance to the degree of

4 : to direct to a particular individual

 

intransitive verb

: to have an intended purpose

 

The interesting terms are intend or destine. In keeping with Scriptures we are familiar with the word predestined. Therefore we can say this was Joseph's destiny because God intended to predestine him to these situations. God meant it for good while Joseph's brothers meant it for evil. Therefore as we read and study the details of Joseph's life we are simultaneously reading and studying the predestined providence of God in the life of Joseph. In this story we are reading what Joseph was doing, what his brothers were doing and most importantly what God was doing.

The first thing we notice is Jacob setting apart Joseph from the rest of his children. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him" (Genesis 37:3-4).

 

The second thing we see is God setting Joseph apart from the rest of his family by making Joseph the main character of two dreams. "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf".....Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me".”  (Genesis 37:5-7,9) I believe we see to "poster children" here. Joseph being the "poster child" of the elect and his brothers being the "poster children" of natural man. God shows favor and sets Christians apart and above the world and natural man hates it. God is providentially and sovereignly setting apart Joseph and his brothers want him dead. 

 

Joseph is a man of character and his father trusts him with supervising his brothers who have shown themselves untrustworthy. The brothers are off to Shechem to feed Jacob's flock and Jacob summons Joseph to go get a report from the brothers. Joseph gets to Shechem only to discover that they've moved on to Dothan. So Joseph leaves Shechem to meet his brothers in Dothan. Joseph was coming into Dothan and the brothers saw him and began to plot how they would kill him.

Reuben spoke up and said lets throw him in a pit with the hopes he could come back later and help Joseph out of the pit. But while Reuben was gone Judah spoke up and suggested that they sell him to slave traders from Egypt. So when they saw the Ishmaelite's coming they pulled Joseph out of the pit and onto the slave wagon for 20 pieces of silver. Once Joseph arrived into Egypt he was sold to the Potiphar on the auction block.

God placed His favor upon Joseph and he prospered and rose to be Potiphar's right hand man. He was trusted with all of Potiphar's possession except his wife. The Potiphar's wife lusted after Joseph and attempted to seduce him on several occasions. The last advance by the Potiphar's wife was the last because Joseph left the house running. The wife of Potiphar lied about the situation and Joseph found himself unjustly in prison.  

 

I don't know where you are this hour as you read this blog but when Joseph found himself in a pit his brothers meant it or intended it for evil but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good. Joseph was sold into slavery. He was bound - in bondage. The brothers meant it, intended it, purposed it, but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good. Joseph also found himself in prison.  The brothers meant it, intended it, purposed it, but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good and His.

 

So if your feeling like your in a pit or in bondage or in slavery remember God is providentially at work in your life to set you free. In fact you are free to trust and believe God is sovereignly and providentially working every thing for the purpose of good in your life. He is preparing you for glory - His glory. He is preparing you for Heaven. Do not succumb to your circumstances. Trust God to lead you in them and through them. There is no record of Joseph trying to escape or flee Egypt. Joseph simply obeyed God where he was. We are so quick to escape uncomfortable and hurtful situations and we lose the training trials were created to give. Stay faithful and trustworthy no matter what life offers you.