“Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.”
~ Genesis 37:36
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you have dreams? Your grandpaa thinks that every guy, gal and kid dreams. Do you remember the dreams that you have? Sometimes a dream can be super scary. Sometimes a dream can be really weird. Sometimes a dream will have a guy, gal or kid in it who you recognize. Do you know why you dream? No one really knows why. God a long time ago had a kid dream a couple of dreams. The two dreams got the kid in a lot of trouble with his bros. Why do you think that God would have a kid dream two dreams if what the kid dreamed would get himself in a whole lot of trouble with his bros? When God created planet Earth and all that is on planet Earth, God created everything to unfold according to a prescribed schematic that He had formulated. God knows before it happens exactly what is going to take place in the life of every guy, gal and kid. Nothing that has happened, is happening and will happen has surprised, is surprising and will surprise God. What God has created and is creating was and is in place before God created planet Earth. God’s creation blueprint had in it a very bad famine for the land area where the kid lived who had had the dreams. God’s creation blueprint at the same time had a country in place where grain would be stored up in preparation for the famine. This country neighbored the land area where the kid lived who had had the two dreams. Do you know what a famine is? A famine can happen when it does not rain for long periods of time. Crops need water to grow. If crops do not grow, guys, gals and kids and animals will not have enough grain to eat. It was in God’s preplanned plan to have this kid end up in the neighboring country – the country which would store up grain for the impending famine. The kid was the second youngest of twelve bros. The kid was seventeen years old when he dreamed the two dreams. The kid’s dad loved the kid more than he loved his other sons. The kid’s dad had a multicolored coat made for his kid. The coat demonstrated to the kid’s bros that the kid was his dad’s favorite kid. How do you think that the kid’s bros felt about him? The kid’s bros became very jealous of him. The kid did not seem bothered that his bros were really jealous of him. The kid did not seem bothered that he was really disliked by his bros. The kid told on his bros to his dad. This made the kid’s bros dislike, detest and hate him even more. The kid’s bros decided that their brash bro had to go. God had preprogrammed all this to happen so that His specially chosen guys, gals and kids would grow into a nation which He would lead one day to call Him their God.
Do you know who the kid is who your grandpaa was telling you about who had the two dreams? Do you know what the kid’s two dreams were about and why the dreams would make the kid’s bro’s so angry with him? Do you know when this kid lived? This kid lived nearly 4000 years ago. This kid was Jacob’s eleventh son. The kid’s name was Joseph. Genesis 37 has the story of Joseph’s dreams and Joseph’s early life. Joseph was born in the Canaan land area. Joseph’s dad Jacob had flocks of sheep. Joseph and his bros would take care of their dad’s sheep for their dad. While Joseph was with his bros one night caring for their dad’s sheep, Joseph had a dream. Joseph in the dream saw himself and his bros binding or tying ripened grain into sheaves. When your grandpaa was young, your grandpaa’s dad had a binder. A binder is a farm implement that cuts and then ties ripened oat stalks into sheaves or bundles. A job that your grandpaa had as a kid growing up on the farm was to shock. Shocking is standing sheaves or bundles on their butt end against other sheaves or bundles. Your grandpaa would stand one sheave or bundle against another sheave or bundle. Your grandpaa would then put a sheave or bundle on both ends of the two sheaves or bundles that were already standing. Your grandpaa would then put a sheave or bundle on both ends of the tent like shape from the six sheaves or bundles that were already standing. Small grains are harvested in August in South Dakota. August is the hottest month of the year in South Dakota with the temperature sometimes going over one hundred degrees. Because stalks of oats can really scratch, your grandpaa always wore long sleeve shirts when he shocked. Shocking oats was very hot, dirty work. Joseph in his dream saw his bros sheaves or bundles bowing down to his sheaves or bundles. Instead of keeping his mouth shut and not telling anyone about what he dreamed in his dream, Joseph told his bros the dream. Joseph’s bros did not like it all that Joseph had a dream which had them bowing down to him. Joseph soon had another dream. This time Joseph dreamed that he saw the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. Who do you think that those eleven stars symbolized? Those eleven stars symbolized Joseph’s eleven bros. Instead of keeping his mouth shut and not telling anyone about what he dreamed in this dream, Joseph told his bros again what he had dreamed. Joseph sure was good at getting his bros really irritated with him.
When Joseph got back home, Joseph told his dad about the two dreams. Joseph’s dad decided to send Joseph back to his other sons to see how they were doing. When Joseph’s bros saw Joseph coming, Joseph’s bros decided to kill Joseph. Joseph’s bros ended up throwing Joseph into a dry well. When some Midianite merchants just happened to pass by on their camels, Judah – one of Joseph’s bros, suggested that they sell Joseph to these Midianites instead of killing him. What do you think happened to Joseph? Verse 36 says “Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.” This story does not seem like it has a good ending but . . . guess who would end up bowing down to Joseph years later? Joseph’s bros! God’s divine plan was to have Joseph in Egypt where he would be the guy who would oversee the storing of grain for an approaching famine.
Genesis 37 (90)