Sunday 4 August, 2019

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate[a] robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Joseph had just dobbed on his brothers to his Dad and THEN told them all about his “I’m going to be your boss one day” dreams. Not so smart!

I love that everything is redeemable for our God. Everything! Even when Joseph was shooting off his mouth, God was revealing His plan of salvation for His people.

And God didn’t need to give Joseph those dreams. What purpose did it serve at the time? Not much. Except it relieved the love and generosity of a Heavenly Father that knew this kid had a long road ahead of him. A kid who would need a memory so strong that it would get him through years of waiting, false accusations and alienation. A story that, at the very end, even though Joseph stuffed it up a little, would show how very, very good God is!

God, you are so good. Thanks for redeeming everything – even my mistakes. Thanks for “causing all things to work for good for those that love you and are called according to your purpose.” Romans 8:28.

Amen

Written by Boudy Van Noppen