Joseph’s Dreams

Last Thursday in the Christian Students on Campus Ministry Series, we discussed Joseph’s two symbolic dreams in Genesis chapter 37. When I first read these passages in the Bible at a younger age, I saw these dreams as simple adumbrations of later events in Joseph’s life. To me, Joseph’s dreams were something specific to his story, and therefore had no application outside of the story. However, last Thursday’s meeting revealed that – contrary to my preconception – these dreams are necessary for our personal Christian experience. I will be dwelling on one particular implication of Joseph’s dreams in the following paragraphs.

First of all, a bit of context is in order. In his first dream, Joseph sees himself with his brothers binding sheaves of grain in the field. Joseph’s sheaf stood tall while those of his brothers bowed down to his. In his second dream, Joseph sees the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow down to him. By the end of Genesis, we see the fulfillment of these dreams: Joseph is reigning in Egypt and his brothers are bowing to him. While this aspect of reigning is incredibly significant to our Christian lives, I want to address the importance of the sheaves and the stars.

Joseph saw the culmination of God’s purpose for him, even though he did not realize it at the time. In the dreams, his brothers were represented as sheaves and stars. From a New Testament perspective, Christ’s people are sheaves full of life and stars full of light (John 12:24; Phil. 2:15). What’s so significant about this view is that in God’s eyes, all His people are the same in nature, position, function, and goal. They are all expressing Christ’s life and light.

Ultimately, as people of God, our fallen dispositions don’t determine us. As Christ transforms us, we begin to express His nature. Just as Christ views his people as sheaves and stars embodying Him, so also we as members of the Body of Christ must realize that every other member is a sheaf and a star. I have to admit that this is very difficult, not to mention totally contrary to our typical human judgments. Normally, we judge people based on the consequences of their natural dispositions. However, in the church life, each of us is part of a larger picture.

Just as Joseph saw a premonition of the future, we also need to see that in the end, all the members of the church will be built up as the Body of Christ. If we are to have the reality of Jacob’s dream, we need the dreams of Joseph. If we are to have the building up Bethel, the house of God, we need God’s view of His people. This means that we should never judge other believers, or think that some believers are superior to others. In God’s eyes we are all the same – little expressions of His life and light who are being built together.

By: P. Bixby