How Joseph’s Brothers Helped Make His Dreams Come True
Has anyone ever seemed to have it out for you, betraying and strongly opposing you at every level, making sure to get in your way, to turn others against you, to do whatever they could to trip you up and thwart your plans in life?
Does it sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone.
God created the world, and everything in it was good, and then the devil set out to ruin it. Because betrayal and opposition happened to God at the very beginning of the world, it shouldn’t surprise us when it happens to us, either.
Good versus evil is a running theme throughout the ages, found in the Bible in the lives of biblical heroes, including Esther, Daniel, David, and even Jesus. In these stories, evil sets out to destroy good through acts of betrayal and stirring up opposition.
History books also describe how this storyline has continued beyond biblical times and continues today, with television shows and films depicting villains who set out to destroy those who are trying to do good work, playing out this ancient storyline again and again.
Like in the Garden of Eden, the devil continues to influence the hearts of men and women in the world today, doing to others what he’s been doing since the start of creation. Yet, just like he can’t thwart or stop God’s will from being fulfilled, neither can he stop it in our lives.
Joseph Had Dreams
One such story in the Bible is the life of Joseph, the highly favored son of Jacob. Looking at his life, we may say that Jacob is to blame for the evil against Joseph, favoring him, giving him an extravagant coat, and causing jealousy between him and his brothers.
As Genesis 37:3-4 describes, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”
To make the situation worse, we read in Genesis 37:5-7, “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, ‘Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.’”
Some scholars and Bible teachers have tried to point fingers at Joseph, blaming him for sharing his dreams, saying he was bragging, being arrogant, showing off his many-colored coat in front of his brothers, and bringing his brothers’ wrath upon him.
But nowhere in scripture does it describe Joseph as any of those things, and when looking at how he carried himself throughout his life, there is no indication that this was how he behaved in life.
Still, Joseph’s brothers’ anger stirred against him, wanting to strip him of the honor his father gave him and steal his dreams away from him, leading them to beat him and sell him as a slave, which led him to be falsely accused, jailed, and then rise to Egyptian power.
Others’ Hateful Actions May Be the Very Things Propelling Us to Success
Isn’t it interesting that everything Joseph’s brothers did actually helped to propel him towards fulfilling his dream? Although it looked like it would never happen because of their actions, it was exactly what was needed to bring Joseph’s dream to fruition.
Joseph’s faith in God helped him to recognize that God works all things together for our good, as revealed through his words later in his life, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”(Genesis 50:20).
As God worked everything together for Joseph’s good, we can believe that when others do against us, their actions cannot stop God’s plan for our lives and, in actuality, may be the driving force that ushers in His will to take place.
When opposition comes against us at times, it doesn’t mean we caused it. Instead of becoming filled with anger, despair, hate, and more, ask God to help you do as His word encourages, like Jesus says in Luke 6:28, to bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/BibleArtLibrary
God’s Providence Working through Others for Our Good
Isn’t it fascinating how others believe they are doing their own will in going after others, when in fact it may be the hand of God’s providence being fulfilled through their actions and words?
Also, remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:11: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
For most of us, it is quite a stretch to consider ourselves blessed when facing betrayal and opposition, especially when we’re going through heartache and its suffering. Although it doesn’t seem or feel like it while experiencing it, this can be a time when our faith, trust, and belief in God’s will for our lives have the opportunity to deepen and grow stronger.
If we trust God with the terrible things happening in our lives, then we can rest in knowing they aren’t keeping us from His plans for our lives but are working in ways to fulfill His calling in our lives, even when we don’t understand or see how they possibly could do that.
5 Ways Joseph Dealt with Mistreatment
Joseph understood what the Apostle Paul urged in 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”
When it comes to enduring betrayal and opposition in life, Joseph’s godly attitudes and responses in the midst of it lead and teach us what to do when being mistreated. The following are four ways he reacted to it.
1. Joseph stayed faithful to God. He didn’t turn against God when his brothers turned against him, and he didn’t let people's actions change his trust in God.
Psalm 105:17-19 describes, “And he sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.”
Joseph didn’t let others’ mistreatment change him. He remained true to God and to living a godly life.
2. Joseph excelled in all he did. Joseph did his best, no matter how insignificant the tasks may have seemed, whether serving as a slave, residing in jail, or running a ruler’s home. He didn’t wallow in self-pity or give up, but served excellently in all that he did.
Even as a slave, Genesis 39:2 describes how, “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.”
We, too, can believe that we can excel wherever God has led us, even if it seems in the opposite direction to where we want to go or where we believe we should be: no matter how low, even seemingly hitting rock bottom, that God is with us and will give us success when we put our trust in Him and His will for our lives.
Likewise, as a prisoner, Genesis 39:23 describes how, “The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”
3. Joseph fled temptation. When the boss’s wife tried to seduce him, Joseph didn’t stay around to see how it would go but fled temptation, not giving it an opportunity to overcome him.
Genesis 39:10 describes the daily temptation facing him: “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.”
He continually rejected her advances, leading up to Genesis 39:12. “She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.”
4. Joseph kept his heart tender. Despite all that Joseph suffered at the hands of his brothers, he didn’t allow his heart to grow cold and hard towards them.
Genesis 45:1-2 describes what happened when his brothers came to him. “Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, ‘Have everyone leave my presence!’ So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.”
Like Joseph, we can ask God to keep our hearts tender and free from unforgiveness, bitterness, and anger.
5. Joseph offered forgiveness over revenge. Joseph was put in a position where he could have inflicted revenge on his brothers, but instead of punishing them for what they had done to him, he forgave them.
Genesis 45:4-7 describes Joseph’s response to seeing his brothers. “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now, there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years, there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.’”
Not only did Joseph forgive, but he went the extra mile to abundantly provide for his family, who had so wretchedly turned against him and treated him so ruthlessly. Genesis 45:10-11 explains what he did next.
“’You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’”
Like Joseph, it counts and matters to God how we face mistreatment in life. He calls us to stay faithful to God, to excel in all we do, no matter how insignificant the tasks may seem, to flee temptation, to keep our hearts tender towards Him and others, and to choose forgiveness over revenge.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/duncan1890
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Originally published July 24, 2025.
