Joseph dreamed a most remarkable dream. He dreamed that he was binding sheaves in the field, and that his sheaf arose and stood up while his brother’s sheaves bowed down to his. Then he dreamed again that the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed to him. This made his brothers envy and hate him still more, for they could not help but feel the truth of what he had dreamed. So the Lord Jesus was particularly hated by His brethren the Jews, when He told them of His kingdom and glory and warned them that there was a day coming when they would have to acknowledge it (Matthew 26:6464Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64)). Although the nation still abides in unbelief, what a wonderful time it will be when that One whom they rejected comes in power to set up His kingdom at Jerusalem. They will gladly bow down to Him in that day; in fact, all shall bow before Him then, even the lost who will be cast into the lake of fire (Philippians 2:1010That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:10)). May the Lord lead any unsaved one who is reading this paper to bow the knee now, and own Him as Lord while it is still the day of His grace. If you do, you will be saved (Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)), but those who bow at the great white throne judgment will not find any mercy there.
A Willing and Obedient Son
One day Joseph’s father asked him to go and see how his brothers were, and his immediate reply was, “Here am I.” He was a willing and obedient son. In this day of disobedience to parents, it is good to see some children who want to obey the Scripture which says, “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:2020Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)).
What a beautiful picture we can see in all this of the Lord Jesus, who, at the Father’s word, came down to this ruined world — sent by God His Father in love to poor sinners. He was always willing to do His Father’s will, even to dying on the cross.
Joseph set out to find his brothers who were wandering away from him. At last he found them in Dothan after seeking them for some time. This reminds us of the Lord who is seeking sinners, even though they are wandering farther and farther away from Him. When Joseph’s brothers saw him afar off, even while he was coming to them in love, they were planning to kill him. This makes us think of the Jews when the Lord Jesus was here on earth; for though He went about doing good, healing the sick, and raising the dead, they hated Him and sought to kill Him.
No Man Can Serve Two Masters
We know that the Jews really did kill the Lord Jesus, but in Joseph’s case God graciously intervened, delivering him from death. Reuben suggested that they put Joseph in a pit, hoping to be able to get him out of their hands so he could send him back to his father. Reuben was like a Christian who is in bad company, trying to please his unsaved friends, and please the Lord too. Of course we know that this cannot be done, for the Scripture says, “No man can serve two masters” (Luke 16:1313No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Luke 16:13)). We must take a clear stand for the Lord or we will be in trouble all the time. A Christian who is trying to be good friends with the world is a most unhappy person, for he is sure to have a bad conscience, and what is more solemn still, the Word of God says, “whosoever ... will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:44Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4)).
Further Meditation
1. What did Joseph dream?
2. An obedient child is a delight to his parents. How many verses from the book of Proverbs can you find that refer to the obedient or disobedient son?
3. You might find the booklet Obedience: The Saint’s Liberty by J. N. Darby a real eyeopener if your mind has been subtly trained to think of obedience as bondage.