Joseph was a dreamer-and one whose
dreams came true. In a lifetime filled with extraordinary extremes, he never lost
his trust in God. The story of Joseph is a saga of sacrifice, of one sent ahead by
God to preserve life and restore and reconcile those who followed.
Joseph had many uncommon experiences, to say the least. An honorable
existence among honorable men is much easier than a crusade that blazes a path seldom
traveled. Yet Joseph, even as a young man, was moral and honorable when those around
him were debauched.
Surely a young man who strives for righteousness will immediately reap the rewards
of living a godly life. Or do trials plague even the righteous? Do matters go awry
when one least expects?
Joseph and his dreams
Joseph's mother was Rachel, the great love of his father, Jacob. Even working
seven years to obtain Rachel as his wife seemed to Jacob as "but a few days."
In time Joseph and his brothers would become the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of
Israel. But Joseph, the 11th son of Israel (Jacob), soon became his father's favorite.
Sibling rivalries and jealousies brought the young man Joseph considerable trouble.
At 17, Joseph was a delight to his father. Genesis 37 records that Jacob dearly
loved Joseph, more than he loved his other children (Genesis 37:3). As a token of
his affection, he gave Joseph a richly embroidered coat, a "coat of many colors"
(King James Version).
The gift of the coat didn't endear Joseph to his brothers. They knew he was their
father's favorite, so, seemingly inevitably, his brothers began to hate him. He contributed
to their jealousy and hatred through his naïveté and inexperience. Family
strife followed sibling rivalry.
