Genesis 37:5-8

" And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said unto him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words."

The relation of such a dream by Joseph to his brothers poured additional fuel upon the smoldering embers of their jealous hatred, and one may only marvel at the naive, childish, immaturity of Joseph, who either was unaware of the effect his words would have on his brothers, or was egotistically pleased by it. Certainly he does not appear here as an "ideal brother."

These dreams (including the one next related) actually came true; and it may be assumed that they were of God. Thus, God was using the wicked partiality of Jacob, the foolish immaturity of Joseph, and the sadistic hatred of his hardened brothers to bring about the transfer of all Israel into Egypt. How wonderful are the ways of God! It was not until long afterward that God's people were able to see the hand of the Almighty in these events.