Genesis 37:1-11

< Back to Genesis Index


TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Joseph's Dreams

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. God’s faithful servants should tell the truth, even though it may hurt others.

  2. God’s faithful servants should tell the truth, even though they may get hurt themselves.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Teenagers! You can do it since Joseph did.

QUESTIONS

  1. Why did Joseph’s brothers hate him?

  2. Joseph forms a great link between what?

  3. Describe Joseph’s two dreams and their interpretation.

  4. Was Joseph a tattle-tale or was he being responsible when he brought back a bad report about his brothers?

  5. What prompted Joseph to reveal his dreams to his family, even though he knew this revelation would hurt him?

  6. List some of the parallels between Jesus and Joseph.

ANSWERS

  1. They hated him because of his dreams of greatness (and their subservience to him in his dreams). They were also jealous because he was the favored son of their father, Jacob.

  2. Between the patriarchs of Israel and the nation of Israel.

  3. He dreamed that sheaves, which represented his brothers, bowed down to his sheaf (representing himself). Then he dreamed that the sun and the moon (representing his father and mother) and the stars (representing his brothers), bowed down to him.

  4. He was being responsible to report this wickedness. As God’s faithful servant, he told the truth, even though his brothers were hurt. In the long-run, it was beneficial to them.

  5. He considered these dreams as God’s revelations. As such, they must be shared.

  6. When Jesus came to Israel, he was hated; Joseph was hated by his own brothers. The people of Israel would not have Jesus reign over them; Joseph’s brothers would not accept Josheph’s leadership. Joseph’s dreams came true, as will the Lord’s predictions.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Regardless of the cost, are you responsible for reporting wickedness?

  2. Using Joseph’s life when he was a teenager, how would you counsel a teenager?

  3. How do you handle love/hate relationships within your own family?

CHALLENGE

  1. Count it a privilege to share the truth from God’s word to those in your spheres (family, neighbors, place of work or study), even though you will be hated for it. See John 15:18.

KEY VERSES

  • “His brothers said to him, ‘Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?’“ Genesis 37:8

  • “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord....” Philippians 2:10-11

Genesis, Old Testament, TalksRon Reid