in the beginning Genesis chapter thirty-seven VIII
Let's take a closer look at Joseph's dreams in Genesis chapter 34...
"...'Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.' "
"...Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. 'Listen, he said, 'I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me'" (Genesis 37:6-7, 9).
Since many people don't live in an agricultural society today, the images behind Joseph’s dream may be a little unfamiliar. For example, a “sheave” (like the one mentioned above) referred to some cut stalks of grain that had been tied up into a bundle. When a farmer reaped a grain field back in those days, the cut stalks would be gathered together into a group and tied into a sheaf. These sheaves would then be loaded onto a donkey and taken to the threshing area when the grain portion would be removed.
Joseph's second dream involved the sun, moon, and 11 stars bowing down to him. We'll talk more about the meaning of this second dream later, but for now, let's just say that bowing down to someone is not normal behavior for inanimate objects like sheaves or stars. So it was obvious that there was a symbolic meaning behind these elements- and that was something that Joseph's family picked up on right away...
"...His brothers asked, 'Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?'" (Genesis 37:8a CEV).
The idea of bowing down before someone or something else suggests the idea of superiority or rulership. So the obvious meaning behind each dream was that Joseph would eventually take a leadership role over the other members of his family. It’s also interesting that the symbolism in one of these dreams involved food, something that will become very important later on in Joseph’s relationship with his brothers.
In any event, Joseph's brothers weren't very happy with what they heard...
"And because of his dream and his words, their hate for him became greater than ever" (Genesis 37:8b BBE).
Now Joseph's brothers could have laughed this off as just two silly dreams from their little brother- but they didn't. Instead, they got really angry. The best explanation for this reaction seems to be that Joseph actually showed some real leadership potential- and his brothers didn’t appreciate hearing about how that leadership potential would eventually be exercised over them.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptural references taken from The
Living Bible, © 1971, Tyndale House Publishers Back
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