Miketz - מקץ - "From the end"
Genesis 41:1-44:17
In last week’s Torah Portion, we saw how Joseph’s dreams had upset his brothers. Let us recap those dreams.
Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf. (Genesis 37:7)
“Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” (Genesis 37:9)
It is evident that these were not just dreams, they were promises made by God, a judgment in Joseph’s favor that was set in stone. In this week’s Torah Portion we learn a little about when God communicates with us through dreams. In Joseph’s dreams, although they both took place with different scenarios, they were the same. Joseph explains the importance of having the same dream twice when he speaks with Pharaoh.
And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. (Genesis 41:32)
In this week’s Torah Portion, years after Joseph got his dreams, we see the fulfillment of God’s promise to Joseph and in some religious circles this would be considered a prosperity message.
Prosperity messages have become the rave in this world, those who preach such messages often use scriptures such as Duet 28:1-14, and Jeremiah 29:11-14. They tell their hearers things like, “You are meant to be the head and not the tail,” and “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”
Although such verses and statements are in the Bible, they are often misused and people start viewing God as their personal genie in the bottle. Did Joseph have this same mentality towards God?
God determines who will be rich and who will not be in this world. Blessings are different than prosperity. As believers we should work hard to succeed but we must understand that our real goal is beyond this world, prosperity in this world is fleeting; however, if you believe that God has given you a vision or dream similar to Joseph's dream, then learn from Joseph’s experience.
After God gave Joseph his dream, Joseph got everything stripped from him and he became a slave. Joseph had to start at the bottom to work his way up to the fulfillment of those dreams.
Most people would have given up hope at the point of slavery, but Joseph continued to believe in God. Even after becoming Potipher’s main slave, and then losing that, he still held on to his faith in God.
No matter how bleak and hopeless things looked, Joseph never gave up his faith in God.
When God gives us a promise, we cannot expect for everything to be smooth sailing. It is only through the trials and tribulations that our faith is truly tested and when we have stood the test of time we will receive the crown of life promised to all who love Him (James 1:12).
If God gives you a vision or dream, know that trials will come and it may take a long time before it comes to pass.
Regardless of whether or not God has given you a dream of prosperity in this lifetime, all of us who accept Yeshua as our Lord and Savior have the same ultimate dream of living forever with our heavenly Father, where there will be no more sorrow, death or pain.
This is not just a dream, it is a better promise than what Joseph had, a promise made by God that is repeated throughout the entire Bible and something we should put all our hopes in, just as Joseph had hope in the dream that God gave him.
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