9 “Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.” (Genesis 37:9–11 (ESV)
Ecclesiastes 3:7 (ESV) says, “…a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;” Perhaps it would have been wise for Joseph to have kept his mouth silent and to have said nothing to his brothers. His second dream paralleled his first (Gen. 37:5-8).
The reaction by his brothers, and his father Jacob, was similar as with his first dream. In fact, Jacob rebuked Joseph and was incredulous towards his young son. He could not see how Joseph would be honored and worshipped by all the members of his family, including Jacob.
Dr. John MacArthur writes, “The content of the dreams that Joseph recounted exacerbated fraternal hostility, with the second one also incurring paternal rebuke. The dream symbolism needed no special interpretation to catch its significant elevation of the favored son to ruling status over his brothers (vv. 8–10)”
However, Jacob continued to ponder what Joseph dreamed. Rather than remain angry like Joseph’s brothers, he considered the meaning of the dreams.
Dr. MacArthur further explains, “Unlike the brothers, who immediately rejected any meaning to Joseph’s words yet still allowed the dream to sorely irritate them into greater resentment of their brother (v. 19), the father, notwithstanding his public admonishment of Joseph, continued to ponder the meaning of the dreams.”
John Calvin writes: “It often happens that they who are ill-disposed, quickly perceive what is the will of God: but, because they feel no reverence, they despise it.”
May we never despise the will of God when God reveals it through His inerrant Word and the providential circumstances of life.
Soli deo Gloria!
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