David Bahn – Reflections

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas.This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Genesis 37-39; Psalm 37.

Genesis 37:17b-24

Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

¹⁸ They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. ¹⁹ They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. ²⁰ Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” ²¹ But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” ²² And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. ²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. ²⁴ And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

“Here comes that dreamer,” was not a complement. It was, however, the verse chosen by the pastor at my dad’s funeral service. My dad was a dreamer – in the good sense except to the “doers” who might be tasked with taking his dreams and ideas and actually making them work. I’m a bit that was as well. I often recall the time when I shared a ministry idea with a staff member who asked, “Have you thought about who would do this and when and were we could make it happen?” I told her, “I haven’t gotten that far yet.” She was exasperated and said, “That does it! When I come back, I’m coming back as an idea person.” She was kidding, of course, but the message still stands: dreamers and doers don’t operate in the same altitude.

Joseph’s dreams are a bit different. They were from God, and offered a look into the future that the others had no desire to play out. They would bow down to him? This Papa’s Favorite wearing his coat of many colors was going to receive their honor? Surely not! Bitterness grows to ill will, and ill will hardens into hatred with murderous intent. The doers take down the dreamer.

Joseph winds up in a pit. The brothers want to kill him, but Judah intercedes in his behalf. Joseph is sold to Ishmaelite traders for twenty shekels of silver, and they took Joseph to Egypt. What will become of Joseph’s dreams? Will his father and brothers actually bow down to him? How will this possibly come about? The path to this fulfillment will be long and challenging. But these dreams are from God, and not for Joseph’s personal glory.

This is a good lesson for us to keep in mind. We will all see hardship, challenge, misunderstanding, and injustice. Yet God has a plan that is worked out according to his providential grace and ultimate will. Romans 8:28 reminds us that in all things God is working for the good of those who love him. The ultimate good is for our salvation, and the vindication of his Son, Jesus Christ. It reaches to whoever believes in him, and vindicates their faith.

Joseph’s dreams will come true. His father and brothers will bow down to him in honor and they will receive far more help from him than they could ever have imagined. He will be a type of Christ who reigns for the good of others and blesses and preserves many lives – a reflection of Jesus’ act of ultimate service and redeeming love.

* [This statue is outside the court of appeals in Valparaiso, Chile. The figure’s scales are at her side and not held high. Her eyes are open, not blindfolded. It is rumored that a French businessman, angry at the local courts for ruling against him in a dispute over a woman, commissioned this statue to intentionally mock the judiciary by portraying justice as sloppy or compromised.]