God’s Promises—Part 3
“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12 – NIV)
God is sovereign. He is supreme. He is the King, not a president. If President Joe Biden says something, the senators will debate it, and may reject it. But whatever God says must come to pass. Whatever God says concerning you, He will perform it. Even if your church elders debate it, and your relatives argue that it’s not your turn and you are too young, they cannot prevail when it is time. All you need are faith, obedience, and patience, because He determines the timing.
Joseph had a God-given dream about his future, but it did not come to pass without trials, temptation, and hardship. Through his faith, obedience, patience, and diligence, the word of God came to pass in his life.
Genesis 37:5-9 (NKJ)
Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 “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.” 8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 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.”
Joseph, being young and innocent, told his family exactly what he saw in his dream. His father even 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?” (Genesis 37:10). His brothers hated him even more, as he was the father’s favorite son. But Joseph feared God from youth, and never participated in the evil behavior of his brothers; instead he reported their bad practices to his father (Genesis 37:2).
Joseph was not only obedient to God, but also to his father. When his father sent him to go and see to the welfare of his brothers, he went, even though he knew their hatred toward him. Now, when his brothers saw him from a distance, they conspired to kill him to thwart God’s plan for him. They threw him into a pit and eventually sold him to the Midianites, but God was with him wherever he went.
Joseph was eventually sold to Egypt and ended up in the house of Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials. While at Potiphar’s house, he was not slothful; he did so well that Potiphar made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all he had. Now comes a big trial: Potiphar’s wife set her eyes on Joseph and asked him to lie with her in bed. But Joseph refused, and said, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” This happened before God gave the Ten Commandments (you shall not commit adultery or covet your neighbor’s wife). Joseph could have lain with her, and others might not have known, but nothing is hidden from God. So, Joseph fled when she tried to force him. The woman now accused Joseph of sexual molestation, which landed him in prison.
While Joseph was in prison, God gave him favor with the prison warden and he was put in charge of other prisoners—the Lord made Joseph very successful. Instead of being bitter and resentful toward those who treated him badly, he worked hard everywhere he found himself, and trusted his God.
Joseph’s gift of interpreting dreams shined in the prison. Pharaoh’s chief butler and chief baker were in prison, and they both had troubling dreams. Joseph gave them interpretations, and all happened exactly as he said. Joseph told the chief butler to remember him when all was well with him and to mention him to Pharaoh to get him out of prison. The butler forgot him for two years, but God never forgot Joseph. Then, Pharaoh had two disturbing dreams, and all the wise men and magicians of Egypt could not interpret them. It was then the chief butler remembered Joseph, and he was brought to the king.
Joseph started by ascribing all wisdom to God: he said, “It is not in me, but God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Joseph gave Pharaoh the exact interpretation of the dreams, and that same day he was set free from prison. He eventually became a powerful governor in Egypt. He oversaw the Egyptian resources and sold food to all people of the land. When a severe famine came to the then known world, people came to Egypt to buy food. His brothers came to Egypt to buy food, and all bowed down before Joseph with their faces to the earth (Genesis 43:26-28). It happened as God had revealed to Joseph, just as he saw in his dreams.
After the death of their father Jacob, Joseph’s brothers were concerned that he would retaliate for all they did to him, but hear what he said: “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 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” (Genesis 50:19-20). No matter what others are doing to hurt you, if you continue to do good, God will turn it around and bless you.
My friends, what dreams has God given you for your life, your family, your church, and your country? The journey to your God-given dreams may not be smooth, and there may be pits or valleys on the way—do not let circumstances or people talk you out of your dreams. With determination, faith, obedience, and patience, they will come to pass. You may say, “I have no dream”—go to God in prayer and He will reveal it to you. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”