When we look at the life of Joseph, we see that God had a plan for Joseph’s life. God had chosen Joseph, because God knew that Joseph was reliable and trustworthy for the job. How did God know? Well, God created Joseph, therefore God knew what was on the inside of him and what he was capable of. It’s the same with you. God has created you and knows what’s on the inside of you and what you are capable of. God has a plan for your life, that only you are able to fulfill. Through His Word, He will reveal that plan to you. However, many times there is a period of waiting involved and you have to wait until the dream becomes reality. Just like Joseph, who had to wait until the dream became reality. In the meantime, God prepared Joseph for his task.
Joseph’s dream
Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. He said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? They hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. He dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. Joseph told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying (Genesis 37:5-11)
Joseph was 17 years old when God gave him dreams and revealed to Joseph the future. Joseph, in all his innocence, was so enthusiastic about these dreams that he couldn’t keep these dreams for himself and shared these dreams with his father and brothers.
His father observed Joseph’s dreams, but his brothers envied Joseph. Joseph’s brothers already envied Joseph because Joseph was his father’s favorite, but now they envied and hated Joseph even more.
Joseph was thrown in the pit
Then it happened, one day, when his father sent Joseph to his brothers to observe them and the sheep in the field, in order to report back to his father, that his brothers forged a plan to take his life. Ruben overheard their plan and wanted to prevent their plan. Therefore, Ruben advised his brothers to throw Joseph into the pit instead of killing Joseph.
Ruben knew how precious Joseph was to his father. Therefore he thought if his brothers would throw Joseph into the pit and they would leave, that he would get Joseph out of the pit.
When Joseph arrived, his brothers took his garment and threw him into the pit.
Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver
After a while, his brothers saw a company of Ishmaelites, and Judah suggested selling Joseph to these merchantmen. And so they sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver and got rid of this arch-dreamer. At least, they thought they were rid of Joseph.
They didn’t know that this was all part of God’s plan for Joseph’s life. In fact, by selling Joseph for 20 pieces of silver to the merchantmen, they contributed to the realization of the dreams, which Joseph received from God.
Joseph was sold to Potiphar
Joseph was brought down to Egypt and was sold for a second time to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, and captain of the guard. All this time, the Lord had not left Joseph. While Joseph was Potiphar’s servant, the Lord was with Joseph and He prospered Joseph. Potiphar noticed that the Lord was with Joseph and therefore Potiphar made Joseph the overseer of his house and his entire household.
Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph
Then one day, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph and wanted him to lie with her. But Joseph refused because Joseph respected his master Potiphar and Joseph loved God and did not want to sin against God. But Potiphar’s wife was persistent and did not take ‘no’ for an answer. Every day she tried to seduce Joseph, but Joseph would not give in.
In these days, what man would be able to stand against a seductive woman, who tries to seduce him day after day?
But Joseph was able to stand against her seductions. Potifar’s wife became very frustrated.
Then one day, when everyone was out of the house, Potiphar’s wife laid on the bed and caught Joseph by his garment and told him to lie with her, but Joseph refused and fled.
However, Potiphar’s wife had Joseph’s garment in her hand and made up her own story.
When she called the men of her house, she lied to them about what happened. She told them that Joseph wanted to lie with her and that she cried with a loud voice and that because of her screaming Joseph fled. Yes, she twisted the truth and lied in order to take revenge on Joseph, because he had rejected her.
When Potiphar came home and heard what happened, he became furious. Potiphar took Joseph and put him into prison.
Joseph was put in prison
But this was also part of God’s plan. God knew the truth and what had really happened. God was with Joseph, even in prison.
Even in this most helpless, deserted place, God was with Joseph and didn’t leave him. God showed him grace and He gave Joseph favor in the sight of the prison keeper.
The prison keeper committed all the prisoners to Joseph’s hand and didn’t look to anything that was under his hand. Because God was with him and that which he did, God made it to prosper.
The dreams of the butler and the baker
Then one day, the butler and the baker of the king, who were also put into prison because they had offended the king, dreamt both a dream. Joseph came in one morning and noticed they were sad. He asked them what was wrong and they each told Joseph their dream.
Joseph explained the dreams to them and said that the baker would die within 3 days and the butler would be restored unto his butler-ship. And indeed, it came to pass, that the baker was killed and the butler was restored unto his butler-ship to Pharaoh. Joseph had asked the butler to remember him, but the butler didn’t remember Joseph and forgot him.
Pharaoh’s dream
Then one day, Pharaoh dreamt a dream, which disturbed his spirit. So, he called every Egyptian magician and wise man in order to interpret his dream. But no one was able to interpret his dream. Then the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh what happened in prison. So, Pharaoh called for Joseph.
And so it happened, that Joseph, the arch-dreamer, was brought from prison. After so many years of living in captivity, Joseph was ready to fulfill the job, that God had chosen for him.
Joseph interpreted the dream to pharaoh; 7 years of great plenty would come and after these 7 years, 7 years of famine would arise. Joseph advised Pharaoh to look out to a wise and discreet man and set him over the land of Egypt in order to overcome these 14 years.
Pharaoh saw that Joseph was a wise man, because God was with him. Therefore Pharaoh appointed Joseph over the whole land of Egypt.
Joseph was appointed over the land of Egypt
Joseph was 30 years old when Pharaoh appointed Joseph over the land of Egypt. During the first seven years, Joseph gathered the food and stored it in the cities. Then the seven years of famine came and when all the land was famished, the Egyptians cried to Pharaoh, and Joseph opened the storehouses and sold the grain to the Egyptians.
Now the famine was brought all over the world. When the other countries heard that there was corn in Egypt, they all came to Egypt to buy corn.
Joseph met his brothers
When Jacob heard there was grain for sale in Egypt, Jacob instructed his sons to go to Egypt to buy grain. Jacob’s ten sons obeyed Jacob and went to Egypt to buy grain. Benjamin the youngest son, the son of Rachel, stayed with Jacob. Because Jacob was afraid that something awful might happen to him, just like Joseph.
When the ten sons of Jacob arrived in Egypt and stood before Joseph, they bowed before Joseph with their faces to the earth. Joseph recognized his brothers but Joseph pretended that he was a stranger and started to interrogate his brothers. In the meantime, Joseph remembered the dreams that he dreamed, when he was 17 years old.
Joseph made himself known to his brothers
To make a long story short, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. At that time, Joseph was 39 years old.
When his brothers heard, that the ruler of Egypt, was their brother Joseph, they cried and were afraid that Joseph would punish them because of what they had done to him. Oh, they really regretted their actions.
But Joseph told his brothers, to not be grieved.
Joseph saw the greatness of God in everything that happened to him. Therefore Joseph couldn’t be angry with his brothers.
Joseph saw the mission and the plan, which God had for his life.
God’s plan was to keep Joseph’s family; the seed of Jacob; the people of (Israel) alive. That’s why God sent Joseph to Egypt. So that Joseph could provide for his family (Israel) during the famine and keep them alive and assured a life on earth.
Because Joseph loved God and saw God’s plan for his life, Joseph didn’t see any evil in his brothers. He saw what truly happened and that God was the One, Who sent him to Egypt. Joseph did not look back, nor was Joseph full of revenge.
Joseph had to wait 20 years before his dreams came to pass
Joseph’s dream didn’t come to pass immediately, but Joseph had to wait more than 20 years before his dreams became reality. In the meantime, many awful things happened to Joseph.
Joseph was rejected by his brothers and was sold to strangers for 20 pieces of silver. Joseph became a slave and was not a free man anymore. For twenty pieces of silver, Joseph’s freedom was taken from him.
Joseph was falsely accused and broken
When Joseph was sold for a second time to Potiphar, Joseph arrived at a good place until the wife of Potiphar falsely accused Joseph. Although Joseph was innocent, he was falsely accused and locked up in prison.
How long did Joseph stay in prison? 10 years? 11 years or even 13 years? Because Joseph was 17 when he was sold and 30 when he got out of prison. Let’s say it was ten years. Imagine, being locked up in a dungeon for ten years! But this was also part of God’s plan.
Joseph was broken by the people around him and was rejected. His brothers didn’t want him and his master Potiphar turned him down because he believed the lie of his wife above the integrity of Joseph.
Joseph’s brothers and Potiphar’s wife both took his garment and Joseph became ‘naked’. Almost everything was taken from Joseph and Joseph became a slave in a dungeon (prison).
God was with Joseph all the time
But luckily Joseph kept the most important thing in his life, namely God. God didn’t forget about Joseph and He didn’t let him down, rejected him, or left him. God was with Joseph all the time. No matter where Joseph was. God did not forget about Joseph and did not turn Joseph down.
Joseph never complained but did his job and stayed faithful to God (Reas also: The thankfulness of the sons of God).
Even in prison God took care of Joseph and arranged, that the prison keeper noticed Joseph and gave him favor, therefore he committed all the prisoners to Joseph’s hand. The whole time, God was holding the reigns.
The impossible became possible because after a long time, Joseph was freed from prison and appointed by God as ruler over Egypt, because God was with him. Who would have thought, that this would happen to a slave, who was locked up in prison? But with God, all things are possible!
Joseph had to wait until the dream became reality
The dream that Joseph dreamed, when he was 17 years old, became reality. It didn’t happen overnight. It took about 20 years for the dream to become reality. But Joseph was patient and trusted God.
Do not give up your dream
Maybe you think about a dream, a vision, or a prophecy that you received from God some time ago or maybe even years ago, but nothing has happened. You might doubt if that dream, vision, or prophecy was really from God, because you don’t see anything happening yet.
What happens while you wait until the dream becomes reality?
But I would like to encourage you, based on the story of Joseph, to not give up! Sometimes you may find yourself in difficult situations. But these difficult situations are necessary to change and mold you into the person that God wants you to become.
Look at Joseph’s life. When Joseph was in Potiphar’s house and appointed over his house and household, Potiphar’s wife, a married woman, tried to seduce Joseph.
While Joseph was tempted in the flesh, instead of giving in to the temptations, Joseph chose to stay obedient and faithful to God and chose not to sin.
Joseph loved God above all and he loved his neighbor (Potiphar) as himself, therefore Joseph did not sin.
Joseph chose to obey the will of God and stay in His will, instead of giving in to the carnal temptation. But Joseph had to pay the price for his obedience to God and His will and for choosing God’s way.
As a result of his obedience and faithfulness to God, Joseph was falsely accused and put in prison for approximately ten to twelve years.
But this was also part of God’s plan. While in prison Joseph was appointed to a leadership position, where he learned, developed, and practiced his management skills. Joseph did not see a hopeless situation. Joseph didn’t cry, murmur or complain.
No, Joseph did his job and stayed patient and faithful to God. God saw Joseph’s love and faithfulness and blessed Joseph.
It is not about what you’re going through, but how you are going through it
In the meantime, while you wait until the dream becomes reality, you don’t lean back and do nothing. No, it’s a time of preparation. Therefore it’s important to spend time with God and study His Word. Meanwhile, you do the work for the Kingdom and do what Jesus has commanded you to do, and be diligent, because you do it for God.
When difficult situations arise, don’t become weary or dismayed, and don’t murmur and complain, because God doesn’t like you to murmur and complain. When you murmur and complain, you will only make it worse and cause the situation to last longer (Read also: ‘Stop blaming God!’ and ‘Whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges‘).
Instead, submit yourself to God and His Word and let those difficult situations mold you. Remember, it’s part of God’s plan. He wants you to become strong and resist temptations, so that you will be able to handle and overcome every situation.
When people hurt you, wrong you or falsely accuse you, let it go, and don’t fret about it. God knows the truth and that is what counts. He knows what happened and this is just part of the preparation process. The most important thing is that you trust God and stay faithful to God.
So, hold on and be joyful and thankful. Study the Word of God and renew your mind with the Word. Take the Word in your mouth and speak the words of God out loud, so that you become spiritually strong and empowered. Build yourself up in your most holy faith.
Let no doubt enter your mind, but tell it to go! Hold on to the dream and to the promise that God has given you and let nothing or no one steal it from you.
Don’t give up, but hold on until that moment comes, when the dream becomes reality.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
