Interpreting Our Longings And Dreams - Joseph
Readings begin at 7:50
The sermon begins at 15:24
Readings Genesis 37:1-11, Psalm 138, Genesis 50:15-21
With so much demanding our time, our energy, and even our longings, how do we know what we actually need? If you are anything like me, it is very easy to get trapped in our culture’s desires and demands. We can have a lot of dreams, desires, and longings, but so often they are pointed or directed to things that don’t truly satiate. Sure, when we are hungry or thirsty, we need to eat or drink. When we are cold, we need to be warmed. But even with these basest necessities and longings, there is something even more beyond it. The hunger and thirst continue. There is a greater thirst, hunger, and longing that cannot be filled by such things. As Jesus says to the Samaritan woman at the well, anyone who drinks will be thirsty again, but anyone who drinks from his water will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
In the book, Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis says, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world”. One could look at the whole biblical story and our human existence and say that the problem is misplaced desire and longing. Adam and Eve longed to be like God, Cain longed for approval, and Abraham longed for safety and a future, all of these are good but where and how did they seek these things?
Today, we hear the story of Joseph, the dreamer. Joseph it seems is spoiled by his father, Jacob, and by God. For Jacob, we hear that it is because Joseph is the child of his old age and probably the child of his favorite wife. For God, it is a little less clear. God often chooses the youngest, the unexpected one, but either way it is clear that God has a big plan for Joseph. We also see that Joseph is faithful to God, even in the hardest times.
God gives Joseph these two dreams. First, the wheat bundles of his brothers bowing down to his wheat and second the stars, moon, and sun bowing down to him. These dreams would eventually become true, in a way, but you can imagine how Joseph’s brothers and parents would have heard these dreams. It would have been easy to see this as pride, arrogance, or greed, but there is no hint of those feelings in Joseph.
The most interesting thing to think about though, is that God gave him these dreams. Dreams that pointed him and his family forward. These dreams are for all of their good, even though they can’t see that right away. When Joseph basically becomes Pharoah his brothers and parents don’t argue with Joseph’s ascension, instead they see the obvious saving potential of his new role and authority. Then Joseph uses all of his authority and position to take care of them, even though they were spiteful to him, jealous, and violent. Just like Joseph’s brothers, we can easily oppose something or someone else’s rise to power because we think it will get in the way of our desires, instead of realizing how it might serve and sustain them.
Eventually, the brothers fight against Joseph’s dreams so much that they capture Joseph, throw him in a pit, sell him as a slave to their third cousins the Ishmaelites, and then pretend as if a wild animal has killed Joseph. Wow, why did they feel like it was necessary to treat Joseph like that? What did they desire or hope to achieve from it? That is a long way to go when fighting against someone that seems to be in the way of our desires. Yet, how far are we often willing to go for something we want? We can often stay at home or not connect with a stranger because we desire comfort. We can often step on others in pursuit of something we want. We can often not care for someone in need because we are too busy or consider other things more important. We can even sacrifice ourselves to make ourselves feel helpful or to give ourselves worth. I would say it is scary how far we will go to pursue our desires.
If only that passion to manifest our desires could be completely and utterly directed toward’s building God’s kingdom and becoming a citizen of it. It could do a lot of good.
Joseph seems to, even in the hardest times, desire to serve God. In slavery, Joseph serves under Pontifar and because Joseph trusts and follows God, he is blessed in all of his work. In Jail, it is the same thing. As Pharoah’s second in command, again, it is the same thing. Through following and trusting God, Joseph’s work creates bounty and life - a kind of paradise at times. Through his rise in authority, he becomes more capable of caring for others and even his bosses seem to be comforted as well. Again, it is interesting, God doesn’t save him, at least right away, from slavery or jail, but through trusting God, we begin to see Joseph creating little visions of paradise, little gardens of plenty. Even if it seems like Joseph lacks freedom, or dwells in a dark cage there is something greater at work through him and around him. Joseph wants to be free, but even more so he wants to serve and follow God where he is.
You will notice that every time Joseph interprets a dream, he always says I will not interpret, it is up to God to interpret your dreams. Joseph becomes a conduit, a mouthpiece for God to direct the baker and cupbearer, and Pharoah. As Joseph is led by God, he leads others to follow God as well. Each time this leads to the truth of their dreams. Our longings and dreams need God’s direction, otherwise, the truth is that they are led by the things of this world and possibly, if not probably, the snake. Joseph’s brothers already showed how they followed the snake. Potiphar’s wife believed she desired sexually after Joseph and when Joseph resists her, she doesn’t see this as a blessing or a redirect from God, she rather gets vengeance. The world without God directs our desires and longings after a great number of things that don’t fill us or aren’t good or true.
The last part of the story I want to look at is the end. Joseph’s father has died. His brothers become scared that they have only been protected for their father’s sake. So, they come up with a plan to try to get Joseph’s favor. When Joseph hears it, he starts to cry. I think he starts to cry because he knows they still don’t trust him. He sees that they have forgotten all the years of mercy, love, and companionship he has shown them. How easy is it for us to forget all of God’s faithfulness?
Joseph’s words become so pertinent. 1) “Do not be afraid”. One of the most common things God says to people when they first encounter him. God doesn’t want us to live in fear, responding and fighting against what we are scared of. He wants us to live in the bounty and trust Joseph himself knew even in the hardest times. 2) “Am I in the place of God?” Reminding us first that Joseph has never assumed God’s position, but also showing us that through humility and service to God, we actually image God more and more. 3) “What you meant for evil, God meant for good”. God has the power to shape and move things beyond human intentions and ultimately his will is done. But this is also an important reminder to us in our suffering. We might not see the good or purpose, but if we follow and trust God, we know that he will be faithful and lead us to good. 4) and lastly, “God did this to save many lives.” By looking at what Jesus did on the cross and what Joseph did through his life, we can see what powerful things God can do through suffering. We might not want suffering, but Joseph is just a normal man and yet through faithfulness, his suffering meant so much to so many. Ours can too if we hold on with faith, hope, trust, and diligence.
Unlike his great-grandfather Abraham, Joseph seems to get a lot right. He seems to become a blessing to those he comes in contact with. God’s blessing even spreads broader than that as he cares for people through the famine. Through Joseph, we do see visions of the garden and yet, it still isn’t enough. Egypt is not paradise, it is not even the promised land. Joseph still knows he will die. And Joseph’s family is still waiting on that closeness with God. Joseph speaks to both this struggle and the hope when he says, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised to Abraham”. Joseph can see, if only limitedly, that God has something greater for them and that they are meant for even more than this. They are meant for a different land and they need God’s aid.
Joseph may not be the one to do this, but in him we see a grand vision of who our saving help will be. We can see that one in the form of a slave, a servant to all, will be lifted up to be our Lord and King. One who was mistreated, abused and dead to us, will through his suffering and time in the pit deliver us from our deprivation and lack. The one who will turn our grief into joy. The one who restores our broken relationship with him and God. The one who will become a well of bounty and riches, a blessing for all nations. We are looking for one who can resist the snake, even if it means suffering. One who will know our longings and dreams and point the way to their fulfillment and so much more.
Yet again, Joseph is not the answer. Even a great human, who trusts and follows God, doesn’t seem to be enough. What human could ever be this snake crusher? What human could ever become a true blessing to all? What human could rise to such a height that he could restore paradise and show us what we truly long for? Thankfully, we know to whom our longing points. It is Jesus, a man, and God in one that accompanied Joseph through all of his struggles delivered him and blessed him even turning evil into good. AMEN
Take a moment to think about: What do you desire right now? How are you pursuing that?
Why did Jacob favor Joseph?
Why did God?
How did his brothers feel about him? Why?
What do you think they thought of Joseph’s dreams? How would you feel about this?
What happens after this in the story? Why would his brothers or Pontifar’s wife do this?
Joseph’s faithfulness - God blessed him
What did Joseph want in slavery or prison? How could Joseph hold onto faith/hope even as a slave or in prison?
Interpreting of dreams
What do you think the meaning was of these dreams?
It led to Joseph becoming the salvation for many - something his brothers couldn’t easily see when it happened, but at the time they rejected his rise to power outright with no sense of what it could mean for them and others
Earthly kingship and a heavenly kingship
Why were Joseph’s brothers scared?
Why would Joseph cry from this?
Why does God say to us so often, “Do not be afraid”?
Why is it important that Joseph rejects judging them in the place of God?
How could God turn evil for good? Why might this be very hard for us when it is happening? Why must we remain faithful anyways? What does that mean to remain faithful?
How did Joseph become God’s salvation for many? Who does this remind you of?
What does Joseph’s request about his body tell us we are still lacking?
