The Dreamer E-Book

Brian Simmons

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: The Passion Translation Devotional Commentaries
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 210

Beschreibung

Unveil your destiny in Christ. Dreams have the power to set your life in motion, shift focus, impart knowledge, heal, save, and change the course of your life. In this third and final volume, Brian and Candice Simmons conclude their biblical commentary on the book of Genesis with the breathtaking story of Joseph—a man who God prepared for great authority and privilege with a divinely inspired dream. Learn how to grow spiritually through every season of life and gain fresh insight from rich footnotes that include comments, word studies, cross references, and alternate translations.  Discover the power of a dream, the purpose of trials, and the true meaning of forgiveness. Let the spirit of wisdom and revelation uncover God's plan for you.   

Leseprobe

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

The Dreamer: the path of favor

Copyright © 2021 Brian Simmons and Candice Simmons

978-1-4245-5955-8 (softcover)

978-1-4245-5956-5 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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“Don’t be afraid...Even though you intended to hurt me, God intended it for good. It was his plan all along, to ensure the survival of many people.”

GENESIS 50:19-20

CONTENTS

Introduction

1Joseph, Teenage Dreamer

2The Secret Ways of God

3The Favored One

4The Despised Dream

5The Misunderstood Dream

6An Evil Plot, an Empty Pit

7A Pit on the Path to Promotion

8Faithfulness Honored

9Scandal

10The Power of a Dream

11Falsely Accused

12Waiting without Breaking

13The Dream Interpreter

14God’s Perfect Timing

15From Prison to the Palace

16Revealing the Future—Again

17Promotion

18The Prime Minister of Egypt

19Joseph’s Dream Fulfilled

20Simeon, the Hostage

21Benjamin

22Brothers Welcome

23Joseph’s Silver Goblet

24Pleading for Benjamin

25Joseph Revealed

26A Model of Forgiveness

27The Deliverer

28The Good News

29To Egypt

30Meeting Pharaoh

31Ephraim and Manasseh

32Prophetic Blessing

33Simeon and Levi

34Judah

35Zebulun, Issachar, and Dan

36Gad, Asher, and Naphtali

37Joseph, a Fruitful Vine

38A Blessed Life

39Jacob’s Last Words

40Joseph’s Death

Appendix 1 The Twelve Sons of Jacob

Appendix 2 Pictures of Jesus in Joseph’s Life

Endnotes

About the Authors

INTRODUCTION

It was like a dream come true when you freed us from our bondage and brought us back to Zion! We laughed and laughed and overflowed with gladness.

PSALM 126:1–2

There is such great joy when our dreams come true. Like Mary, we may ponder and treasure a word or dream from God long before we actually begin to see it materialize (Luke 2:19, 51). But as we hold on to those dreams, they have the ability to carry us through the dark valleys of disappointment. Joseph did not go from having a dream to being a prince and ruler overnight. On the contrary, there must be a period of learning to trust, a season of faithfulness and testing. In that season, we learn not to give up on the promises or on our dreams.

On our way to seeing our dreams fulfilled, we encounter difficulties and trials that we never asked for or imagined along the way. And we find ourselves ushered into God’s waiting room, the place no one likes to be. In the waiting rooms of life, it would be extremely easy to lose heart and to forget the dream that you carry. But if we forget our dreams, then it will only remain a dream and no more. We do not have to perceive seasons of waiting as a time of inactivity; instead, we can use them as a time of seeking the Lord for the next step forward.

The Hebrew word for wait can also mean “to be entwined.” For it’s in the waiting room that we begin to learn how to wrap our heart with his, combining our love for him with his love for us. And it’s in the waiting room that we begin to understand that we can trust him against all odds. God never gives us a dream or a promise that he does not intend to fulfill.

The Lord can bring your dreams back around in an instant. Just try to imagine Joseph. He had these illustrious dreams, and then he went into exile. He didn’t just have one waiting room experience; he had three. He waited at the bottom of a pit, faced enslavement under the tyranny of a ruthless regime, and was thrown into a dark, dirty dungeon. If he were here today, he could tell you all about the waiting room. But even after all that time Joseph never forgot his dreams. Instead he learned to swap his fear for faith, his pain for purpose, and his obstacles for opportunity.

Dreams have the power to set our lives in motion, to change our focus, to heal us, to save us, to impart knowledge to us, and change the course of our lives and history. Our Father in heaven does not slumber or sleep, but he works the night shift and says and does some incredible stuff while we’re asleep. The whole of our society has been affected through dreams that may have appeared ordinary to others, but to the receiver who understood it, it wasn’t ordinary at all. And as they meditated on those dreams, they released a whole new world of new discoveries.

Books are born, works of art created, incredible pieces of music composed, victories won, and miracles released through the power of individual dreams. Here are some of the things invented because of a dream: the sewing machine, the periodic table of elements, the theory of relativity, books by Robert Louis Stevenson, music by Mozart, Stravinsky, Bach, and others—and the list goes on and on.

Our problem all too often seems to be that when we get an amazing dream or prophetic word, we’re tempted to say, Lord, how in the world can this possibly happen to me? Don’t you know who you’re talking to here? Really! You’re gonna do what? Through me? But instead we need to be like Joseph, who identified with his dreams immediately and made them the passion for his fire for the future. When an amazing dream gets ahold of you, it can be a game changer for you.

For example, Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights leader, had a dream of freedom for all, no matter what our skin color. His dream not only affected him and how he lived his life, but it affected all of us and changed history, releasing freedom and hope for others to carry on. And all because he refused to give up on a dream that seemed impossible to others.

What about you? What’s the Father’s dream for you? I (Candice) can remember one dream that I had while I was in high school. I dreamed that one day I would serve others and be a Peace Corps worker. I saw myself going off to faraway places, ministering hope and healing to those in need. But after graduating from high school and while finishing up college, it looked like none of that would happen. It was during that time that I met Brian and we were married. So I set my dream aside thinking that we would probably settle in our hometown, and that would be it.

Just when I had given up, the Lord remembered (as if he forgets) and resurrected his promise to me. A few weeks into our marriage, some missionaries at our home church challenged us to give our lives for the gospel and go to the ends of the earth to reach a forgotten people group. And we were not only able to reach a tribal people with the gospel, but we’ve also ministered in over forty nations. God places no limits on the dreams he gives us. His idea for my dream was much grander than my puny little plans.

May God give you dreams and fulfill your destiny!

Brian & Candice Simmons

To dream the impossible dream

“THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM (THE QUEST),” LYRICS BY JOE DARION1

1

JOSEPH, TEENAGE DREAMER

Jacob’s son Joseph was seventeen.

GENESIS 37:2

The story of Joseph, the teenage dreamer, is perhaps one of the most dramatic stories in all the Bible. It is full of intrigue and contains a plot that twists and turns its way to a beautiful ending. The Joseph Journey takes one from youthful zeal and dreams of greatness to despair, disappointment, and betrayal. This is the most incredible story of forgiveness that you will ever find in the Bible, aside from the story of Jesus himself. We promise you that it will touch you in the deepest places of your heart. It is a story of family intrigue. A story of dysfunction and drama that even some of today’s families continue to grapple with. And the Scriptures do not hold back the gory details but disclose it all. At times, it’s like reading a soap opera.

It is a true story filled with the emotions of jealousy, fear, hate, and ambitions run amok. It is the story of a father named Jacob, who loved his son Joseph above his other eleven sons. It is the wonderful story of Joseph, the dreamer, who never gave up on his dreams but carried them through years of heartache until their day of manifestation. The Joseph Journey starts with a seventeen-year-old boy and ends with a man who sits as a ruler and prince over all the known world of his day. What a very melodramatic climax to the conclusion of Genesis.

Joseph’s brothers hated him for his dreams and for the favor that he found in life. As you read about Joseph’s journey with all its ups and downs, think of your own life and the things that you, too, have faced. We’ll study in vivid detail the way God the Father used Joseph’s experiences to form and develop his character. God used every trial and tribulation that the enemy put Joseph through as part of his preparation and positioning for him to rule and reign.

At times, this story is breathtaking—full of suspense, intrigue, and mystery. More than other human biographies in Scripture, you’ll be able to draw parallels between the life of Joseph and the life of Christ. So much of the world’s history and hopes are wrapped up in this young man and his dreams. Yet he had no clue while he was living it. God was raising him up to be a savior for his family and for the world.

This is a story of how God prepares a man for great authority and privilege. A pit, persecution, and a prison will all find a place in the preparation of this deliverer and savior, Joseph. The Father doesn’t waste the trials and tribulations that we face each day but uses them to makes us his deliverers and leaders. We, too, can emerge on the other end as mighty conquerors with Christ. When we know the love and favor of a Father in heaven, each trial can yield the pleasant fruit of integrity.

As we study the life of Joseph, we will see not only how God used the enemy’s attacks to benefit him. But we will also see how others benefited from them. For the Father’s ultimate plans were accomplished in the end. Life has pain, and life has pleasure. There will be suffering, and there will be glory. Yet the overruling hand of God is seen in this amazing account of Joseph’s life and will be seen in yours as well.

LET’S PRAY

Heavenly Father, I know your blessing and your favor rests upon my life. Your goodness to me is everywhere around me. You have never failed me, and you are my one true friend. I ask, as I begin this journey, that you give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation to unveil your plan for my life. Put your dream inside my heart. Amen.

2

THE SECRET WAYS OF GOD

Jacob’s son Joseph was seventeen, and he served his older half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, helping them watch over the flocks. One day Joseph went to his father with a bad report about their behavior.2

GENESIS 37:2

The story of Joseph gives away God’s secrets. It reveals how God raises up champions and deliverers. Here are just a few of those secrets that you will find in the following chapters.

Joseph had to learn that vindication is from God (Romans 12:19). As long as we don’t try to help God, he will honor us in his time. God is not out to prove us right, but he seeks to glorify himself and transform us, even in the midst of our rejection.

Joseph had to bematured. The lessons of Joseph teach us that there is a thorough preparation time in our lives before God promotes us. The enemy loves to sift us (Luke 22:31–32), but God will use it for preparation. In this world you will face challenges, but the Lord will reward you double for your trouble, turning it all around to prepare you for his call on your life. It’s never easy to walk through to maturity. We all think we’re more ready than we are. But our testing often reveals that we’re not quite ready yet. Joseph had to learn to use authority with humility.

Joseph had to learn to forgive. Our hearts are so easily deceived (Jeremiah 17:9). We often think we have learned a lesson only to see that we have not. Forgiveness is a lifelong lesson that will test us repeatedly. It is a test that comes without warning. Our need to forgive exposes our need of love. Love is the highest spiritual achievement there is. It’s our perpetual goal. Our lack of love justifies God’s delays in exalting us. To judge another is the grossest form of self-worship. When we judge another, we are stating, in effect, God is only working in me. Forgiveness forces us to remove self-pity and personal hurt from our lives. Forgiveness places us on the path of promotion and greater favor. I (Brian) have learned that when I hold hurt inside my heart and cling to my pain, I hurt only myself. The liberation of my soul comes through freely forgiving others.

Let’s see what we can learn from the story of Joseph. It begins long ago in a home and in a land far, far away.

A TROUBLED HOME

Joseph grew up in a troubled home. His father had two wives and two concubines. Besides that, Joseph had eleven brothers who were always stirred to jealousy and competition among themselves. And then there was Joseph’s aging father. When Joseph was born, Jacob was already old, ninety-one years old, to be exact. Joseph was the son of his old age and quickly became his favorite child.

And let’s consider the name Joseph, given to him by his mother Rachel, who had waited and waited to have a child. The name Joseph means “May God add another.” Naming him Joseph infers that she wanted another son. Perhaps that gave Joseph a measure of insecurity, knowing that he was not enough to be Rachel’s only son but that she had to have another.

How would you like to live your life knowing that your mother was wishing for another to come and take your place? With a preoccupied mom, an aged father, stepmothers, eleven brothers, and one sister, their home life was in constant tension due to their clashing emotions. No doubt, the antagonism toward Joseph grew among his brothers over the years. We take up the story with Joseph at seventeen years old.

LET’S PRAY

My Father, I delight in being your child. Your favor and your grace have made me what I am. Your love was fixed on me before I was even formed in my mother’s womb. Help me never to compete or compare myself with other brothers and sisters in Christ. I love what you are doing in my life, and you never make a mistake. Amen.

3

THE FAVORED ONE

Israel’s love for Joseph surpassed that for his other sons because he was born to him in his old age.

GENESIS 37:3

Being your father’s favorite child may give you a lot of self-confidence, but it also separates you from others in the family. Favoritism in a family breeds jealousy. To make matters even worse, Joseph was also a teenage tattletale. One day, he told on his brothers, bringing a bad report to their father. We can presume he was not being malicious but simply wanted his father to know what his brothers were doing. Joseph only wanted to be a faithful son and please his dad.

Joseph’s brothers (except for Benjamin who was a small child at the time) were wicked. Reuben had committed adultery with his father’s concubine (Genesis 35:22); Judah committed fornication with his daughter-in-law, who had disguised herself as a prostitute at the time (38:12–26); Levi and Simeon were cruel, having slaughtered the Shechemites (34:25–29). And ultimately all of them conspired to slay their own brother.

It’s very difficult to understand how they could be sons of a chosen family, isn’t it? They were all destined to be fathers of the tribes of Israel, but their hearts were so dark. But thank God! He knows how to transform our lives and make us into faithful sons and daughters of God.

Joseph was the favorite son, the son of Jacob’s old age, the first-born of Jacob’s favorite wife. Not only did Jacob love him most, but he also unwisely displayed it. And Joseph’s brothers quickly realized that he was the one, the favorite son. It was only a matter of time before they unleashed their sibling rivalry.

The Jewish rabbis teach that Joseph was the servant of his stepbrothers, doing their dirty work (like a male version of Cinderella). None of his brothers knew it at the time, but Joseph was destined for greatness. He served as a shepherd, caring for the flocks. And up until he was seventeen, his chief duties were centered on the flock. With Jacob’s wealth, there would be many flocks and many responsibilities in caring for them. That is, until Joseph received his new robe.

Israel had made him a richly ornamented robe. When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, they hated him and would not speak a kind word to him. (37:3–4)

Jacob made his favorite son a beautiful multicolored robe. This was more than just a pretty coat; it was the robe of a priest. Jacob did not honor any of his other sons in this way. By this act, Jacob had designated Joseph the priest of the family.3 No wonder jealousy consumed his brothers.

Can you imagine Joseph walking out to the sheepfold showing off his richly ornamented, multi-colored, ankle length robe? Joseph was one spoiled teenager. Wherever he went, others knew him by this intricately woven robe of many colors. Would he be able to work with sheep in a robe like this? I don’t think so. This would be like a carpenter wearing a mink coat to the job site. No wonder it made his brothers angry. It’s one thing to be favored but another to flaunt it.

Why didn’t Jacob make a coat for Reuben, his oldest, or for Benjamin, his youngest? A garment like this was to be worn only by a prince. Jacob was showing his sons that Joseph was the mantle-bearer of the inheritance of the favored son.

You are a favored one. God has placed upon you a robe of revelation colors, the robe of righteousness given to you when you believed in Jesus Christ. How you respond to favor and blessing is the key to living for God. Will you take the Father’s hand of favor today and live for him?

LET’S PRAY

My heavenly Father, what favor and blessing spills over my life when I come before you! The endless love you have for me is my strength in life. I delight in knowing you as my Father. Help me to take your right hand of favor and live in purity and light for your name’s sake. Amen.

4

THE DESPISED DREAM

One night Joseph had a dream, and when he shared it with his brothers, they hated him even more! “Listen to this dream I had,” he told them. “There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly, my sheaf rose up and stood upright. Then your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to mine!” His brothers asked him, “Oh, so you think you’re going to be our king? Do you actually think you’re destined to rule over us?” So, the dream that he told them about made them hate him even more.

GENESIS 37:5–9

Joseph was both a dreamer and a prophet. Light and revelation filled this seventeen-year-old boy. His dreams enlarged his heart and released God’s anointing over his life—such is the power of a dream! Although Joseph’s dreams were truly from God and meant to bless his entire family, still his brothers hated him for it.

In his first dream, Joseph saw that his sheaf of grain was raised up over all the others while the sheaves of his brothers bowed to his (an obvious prophetic dream of what was to come in Joseph’s exaltation). Joseph made a big mistake by sharing this dream. As it was with Joseph, so it is with us. There are times when it’s unwise to share your dreams indiscriminately with others. They may not value what God is doing in your life and often misinterpret it as pride. That’s exactly what happened with Joseph, and it almost cost him his life.

It’s only natural to get excited when God speaks to us or when we get a wonderful dream about our destiny. But to take that dream or word and use it to affirm our gifts with others or to try to impress them shows that we are still immature. God is the One who confirms our calling and gifts. No one will fully appreciate the secret life you have in Christ. We selfishly want others to know it. But our need for admiration from others will always cause us to prematurely advance ourselves. God’s wish is to promote us in his way and according to his timetable. But so often our immaturity refuses to wait for God’s timing. Yet if we promote ourselves, God won’t. Joseph’s future imprisonment taught him that promotion comes from the Lord.

Joseph’s brothers didn’t need a dream expert to know the meaning of his dream. They got it in a flash. And this made them hate him more than ever. When we use revelation from God to show off, it only reveals that we desire to be honored by others. In fact, we will often reap the very opposite. Like Joseph, we may reap rejection.

Joseph was genuine and transparent; he was quite happy to tell his brothers his dreams. But Joseph’s transparency lacked wisdom. Rather than thinking about how his dream could make his brothers feel or consider how they would react, he openly told it to them, causing them to turn against him. Always remember to use wisdom in sharing your dreams and revelation with others.

Most of us are like Joseph. We have a measure of gifting, a measure of anointing, and perhaps a true revelation that burns within us. Our gift may be real, but we are not yet ready for public promotion. We assume that just because God speaks to us that we’re ready to run with it, but God knows best. He knows when we are untested, immature, and ministering out of a need to receive attention from others. Our wise Father will never reject us for these faults, for he knows this is our process of maturing.

The only way our life and our gift can operate in the fullness of Christ is when we surrender to his discretion and timing. It requires listening before speaking. Get ready for God to release you further into your destiny as he sees that you have been a good steward and are trustworthy. And as you obey, just watch your promotion begin to manifest.

LET’S PRAY

My Father, I love your wisdom and your ways. Teach me how to wait upon you. I don’t want to promote myself or my ministry. I want to glorify you. Give me grace to learn the deepest lessons you want me to learn today. I offer you my heart. Amen.

5

THE MISUNDERSTOOD DREAM