More Than A Dream

It is no accident that approximately one-fourth of the book of Genesis was dedicated to the life of Joseph, the favored son of the patriarch Jacob. That is more literary space than was given to anyone else, including Joseph's illustrious great-grandfather, Abraham. His life was the bridge between the patriarchs and the exodus. Without the details of Joseph's life, the history of the Jewish people in Egypt would be filled with unexplainable gaps.

If Moses was indeed the compiler of this history, then he intentionally wanted his readers to understand the life lessons Joseph left as a legacy for people of faith. It is important to see the role and motivation his childhood dreams played in shaping his life and holding him in the embrace of grace through unjust treatment and the exaltation of power. His life can be summarized in the words to his brothers: "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).