Dare to Dream……Again

Stories are interesting.   Life stories even more so.  Scripture says in Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”  And the life of Joseph found in the book of Genesis is no different.

Joseph was the son of Jacob (The Deceiver) which was given another name of Israel (God Strives) a name given to him after he wrestled with God and clung to Him for a blessing. Jacob was not really parenting. There were lots of problems that he was not addressing within his family.

Rape.

Jealousy.

Anger.

Passivity in Parenting leads to problems in the future.  And Jacob, Joseph's father was experiencing some of those problem due to his neglect. 

Genesis 37:1-11
37 Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.  2 These are the generations of Jacob.  Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age.

Now this is interesting because he was actually the first born of the wife that he loved. In case you don’t know the story Jacob had two wives, not by choice but because he was tricked into it. He loved Rachel so much he decided to work for her for seven years however on the marriage day her father gave him Leah. And so he worked for seven more year for Rachel. But Rachel was unable to have children (barrenness was a great stigma in that day) and Leah and the servant produced children, until God opened Rachel's womb and gave her Joseph.

And he made him a robe of many colors.[a] 4 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.

There was deception, the intrigue, the anger, the rebellion, the rivalry, and out-of-control jealousy that were rampant within the ranks of Jacob’s boys—all characteristics that had been displayed by their father. some of this was probably a deserved hatred but they hated him nonetheless.

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 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.” 8 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.  9 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.” 10 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?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.  12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem. (the very place that their sister had been raped) 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.  18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.[b] Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”

You talk about hostility in a family. It’s the dreamer! Let’s kill him!  But that is always the voice of the enemy.  I don’t know what the dream is that you have, but the dream is possible. It will be hard.  It’s hard changing your life.  In the process of working on your dreams, you will have a lot of disappointment. You will have a lot of hardships. The rough times will come but they have not come to stay they have come to pass.

Often times the enemy is more sure of our purpose, than we are.

Our enemy often knows who we are before we discover who we are.
Most people quit pushing themselves. They don’t work on their dreams.
It is necessary to get the losers out of your life if you want to live for your dreams.

1. Everybody won’t see it. Surround yourself with people who do.  Joseph brother's didn't see the dream either.  Surround yourself with people who will help you accomplish it.

2. Some people will try to steal it from you. Don’t Listen.
Get away from other people that are dream stealers and family that takes you down.

3. You have to stay close to the Dream Giver.

He is truly the one that loves you and has a great purpose and plan for your life.