Joseph's Dreams 

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe 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 peacefully to him. 

Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed:  Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”  His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.  Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”  But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?”  And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. (Genesis 37: 3 to 11) 

After all those years, Jacob finally settled down. He was letting his sons handle the family livelihood now. However, among those sons, Joseph seemed to be different from his siblings.  One thing for sure was that he was not afraid to tell the truth. At first, he was telling off the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. Then he told his family about his two dreams. 

After telling the dreams, Joseph's brothers were jealous of him even more because both of his dreams showed that he was above the rest of the family. There were more to the dreams. In the first dreams, all the twelve brothers would be bound as sheaves. They were shepherds. Instead of cattle, their fate would be bound with grains in the future. Indeed, the Bible showed that it's the grains that brought the twelve brothers together. Also, Joseph's brothers bowed down to him. Not only that, but they would also be living in the field of Egypt instead of pasturing in Canaan. In the second dream, the status of the whole family was promoted to heaven. They no longer belong to the earth but heaven because they belong to God.   

Joseph was telling the truth. However, the truth didn't bring the reconcile with his brothers but hatred. The same thing happened to John the Baptist. He rebuked people for their wrong doings and preached them to repent. However, the truth eventually brought him to his death.  Jesus was the same. He not only told the truth but also performed miracles and cured sick people to prove his truth. However, the Pharisees and scribes hated him even more for what he did and wanted to destroy him. Jesus prayed for his disciples as below. 

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17: 14 to 18) 

The world hates us because we are not of the world. To tell the truth indeed proves that we are not of the world. Joseph's dreams were not of the world which proved that he was not of the world too. The truth is the word of God.  To tell the truth is to tell the word of God. To tell God's word not only proves that we are not of the world but also proves that we are sanctified and belong to God as Jesus said. It's true that we may need to pay the price for telling the truth. However, eventually, we will prevail as Joseph said to his brothers below. 

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.  So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50: 19 to 21) 

So, we need to be bold to tell the truth as Joseph did for God's sake. Paul also described it as below. 

By no means! Let God be true though every one was a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” (Romans 3: 4) 

To know the truth is one thing. To tell the truth is another. We either tell the truth to be not of the world or hide the truth to be of the world. The choice would decide the outcome of our life in the end. Emmanuel. 

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