Window #1 -Joseph had a dream

Genesis 37:

⁵ And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

⁶ And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

⁷ 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.

⁸ And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

⁹ And 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.

¹⁰ And he 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?

¹¹ And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

You remember what happened as written in the book of Genesis.

His brothers sold joseph for 20 pieces of silver. 37:18-28

Potiphar bought Joseph as a slave 39:1

The LORD was with Joseph 39:2

Joseph refused to be seduced by Potiphar’s wife and was thrown into prison. 39:7-20

But the LORD showed mercy to Joseph. 39:21

God gave Joseph the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream 41:25

Pharaoh placed joseph in a position of authority. 41:44

Window #2 -Joseph names his firstborn son

Genesis 41:

⁵¹ And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.

Window #3 -Joseph names his second son

Genesis 41:

⁵² And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Window #4 –Joseph’s dream becomes reality

Genesis 42:

⁶ And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

⁷ And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

⁸ And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

⁹ And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

Window #5 –Joseph shares what he learned

Genesis 50:

¹⁵ And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

¹⁶ And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

¹⁷ So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

¹⁸ And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

¹⁹ And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

²⁰ But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

²¹ Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

²² And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.

²³ And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.

²⁴ And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

²⁵ And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

²⁶ So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Window #6 –God’s faithfulness endures

Exodus 12:

⁴⁰ Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

⁴¹ And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

⁴² It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

Exodus 13:

¹⁹ And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

Questions for Reflection

1) Do you have a dream?

2) Do you see how fulfillment of your dream will give glory to God?

3) What barriers do you see toward fulfillment of your dream?

4) Are there any practical steps you can take right now toward fulfillment of your dream?

i.e advanced Bible studies, formal education, seek advice from your pastor, ask other believers to pray for direction

5) Will you trust God for fulfillment of your dream?

6) What do you see of Joseph’s perspective in the names he gives to his sons?

7) When you reflect on God’s faithfulness throughout the life of Joseph, what are your thoughts?

Hebrews 12:

¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race He has set before us, looking unto Jesus,

Coach Patti