Joseph and the dreams    Genesis 41
    Apparently Joseph did not learn that dreaming got him into trouble.  Remember earlier when he was dreaming in chapter 37?  He dreamed his brothers were bowing down to him.  That did not go over too well  with the family.  The response by the brothers in 37:19 was when they saw him coming was to say ," Behold this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit..."  Reuben gets them to agree not to kill him but just to put him into the pit in the wilderness.  Dreams got Joseph into trouble.  We may say that happens a lot.  Anyone have any dreams lately?  God does work through His people in various ways and He certainly used dreams in Scripture.
      When God communicates it sometimes gets us in trouble as well.  I just remember when that happens what my grandfather had over his study door, " One with God is a majority."  William Gladstone.  At eight years old I lived with him while my father was in Viet Nam for a year.  I used to go into his study and look at all the books and read the little Bible he gave me.  The small things are the beginnings of dreams .  We are dust but God gives us His glory through many people, and yes even His dreams.
        Joseph answers Pharoah after dreaming again.  He lets God use him.   Pharaoh says, " I have dreamed a dream , and there is none that can interpret it....Joseph answered Pharoah ,' It is not in me: God shall give Pharoah an answer...." 41:16  I like how Joseph gives God the credit.
          This parish is getting ready to celebrate an big anniversary.  At the minister's meeting at Schreiner university this week I got into a discussion with another pastor, and said ," Ideas and great ideas are more important than people."  Well that started a discussion.  I think this is true.  We come and go.  Of course people are important but what is more important is the idea of dreaming of a great place where God is loved worshipped and adored.  He works through people .  But we are dust.  We are here for only a few years.  God and His work go on and on as from eternity past to the future.
             We do not glory in people but in the ideas that are the foundation of what God is doing.  For example, His Word which is eternal .  A lovely form of worship and praise in the Book of common prayer & a wonderful anglican tradition of discussion, prayer and common worship and love for all.    " It is not in me.....God shall give ...an answer."  That should be our feeling as well I think.
           Well what happens?  Remember Joseph has been in prison, and he has been forgotten even though he interpreted dreams before and got it right.  It is possible that some of us feel forgotten.  We sit and wonder if we have any influence at all.  Joseph had an influence because he was someone who the Lord was with .  39:20 .  Not only that at the root of it was that Joseph was someone who had convictions about right and wrong.  He refused to lie with Potiphar's wife 39: 8 .  That got him into trouble.  If we stand for God we will inevitably get into trouble too .  This happens in the church too.  When the world gets into the church then the true church must reform and stand, and say , " This idea is not of God."  " We say no, and resist...."   This is not a negative thing.  It is a standing with God and that is always a good thing.  It may not be safe but it is good.  ( CS Lewis)  
       Pharoah listens.  It may be we too will see that our government will listen.  Pharoah listens and he appoints Joseph as head of all .  Joseph was not asking for that position.  But he was the right man at the right time in the place that God made for him.  He was " wise and discreet".  He understood God's ways and that was more important than anything else in his life.  " Wise"- Proverbs says the " wise man is strong" 14:24 and Job could not find any wise men among his friends. 17:10  Joseph is not only wise but he is a man of discernment.  That word means " understanding".  It comes from the root " to separate mentally."  Jesus told us to be like this in the Gospels as well...to be " wise as serpents and gentle as doves."
       The end of the story is a happy ending for Joseph.  He is appointed by Pharoah as over all Egypt.  God has a purpose for him even though it seemed that his life was a real waste after going through very hard situations. He was  betrayed by his brothers, almost killed, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, thrown into prison, forgotten, and finally redeemed by Pharoah and brought into the leadership of the state.  And how was your day?  Joseph's faithfulness and wisdom before God is rewarded and God works out His plan for His people despite the above.  Well we may say through it , God works out His plan.  What do we say?  Time heals all wounds or God works out all things through it. 
        " And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands." 41:57  I remember what a chaplain used to tell us in the army, " Do the right thing."  Well it sounds so trite but it is so true.  Do the right thing that God asks and He will give us what we need and others too will be blessed by our faithfulness.

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