Joseph’s Journey: From Prideful Dreams to God’s Purpose
How long does it take to go from arrogant and foolish to humble and wise? I am not sure, but the Bible does give us many examples of those who did eventually mature and some examples who never repented but stayed ignorant and foolish. One clear marker that someone has successfully traveled the road from pride to humility may be found in who they understand to be behind their abilities and their successes.
If Jacob’s teenage son Joseph were alive with us today, his Instagram feed or TikTok posts would be filled with video messages telling his brothers, his parents, and every one of his bright future:
“Hear this dream I had.”
“Everyone will bow down at my feet.”
“I am the shining star.”
But when you fast forward a few years later, after Joseph is brought to Pharaoh from prison, he has a new understanding of the source of his insight and abilities. Consider his interaction with Pharaoh:
“And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
Joseph was no longer impressed with his dreams. Any arrogance he exhibited in his youth to his brothers was gone. He had learned that God was with him and was the source of his ability and of his safety and his future.
Joseph lived a long time before David was born and the psalms were written. But I wonder if Joseph didn’t pray in some similar ways to David. Joseph would have heard of God’s promises to his great grandfather Abraham and to his grandfather Isaac. Jacob would have shared the stories of his inheritance and of the tensions with Joseph’s uncle Esau. But he would have also learned of their reconciliation and of Jacob’s dreams and of his night of wrestling with God. So, it is not hard to imagine that in the pit where his brothers threw him, or while traveling to be sold as a slave, or when faced with temptation and pressure from Potiphar’s wife, or when he was unjustly thrown in prison, that he did not pray. Certainly, he prayed for deliverance, for justice, and to see his father again.
Reading parts of Psalm 9 makes me wonder if Joseph’s prayers might have sounded like this:
“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but men!”
I imagine the distance and time it takes for our pride and arrogance to be cancelled and humility to be revealed has much to do with the amount of time we spend in prayer. Through prayer we come to see that God is always working in ways we cannot see.
So today, whatever old hurt you are holding. Whatever uncertain situation you are in. Whatever injustice you have experienced. Can you, can we, take it to the Lord in prayer and ask him to soften our hearts, that we might receive his mercy and strength as we wait for him to appear in and through our current dilemmas?
Father, like Joseph of old we pray that you would transform our hearts to understand your great love for us. Help us to trust that your hand will deliver us. Help us to understand that the gift of Jesus changed everything for us. We long for his return and for heaven to come to earth as you promised. Take our lives and use them for your kingdom purposes today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Genesis 37:2-11, 39:1-3, 21, 41:1, 8-16; Psalm 9:9-10, 18-20 ESV
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Photo by Samir Jammal
