Genesis Bible Study: Genesis 40

Joseph Interprets Two Dreams; Then Is Forgotten

⁽¹⁾Some time later, Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer* and chief baker** offended him.

"Both officers, especially the cup-bearer, were always persons of great rank and importance and generally the highest nobles or princes of the blood." (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown). Both would have been responsible to guard against the king being poisoned.

*cup-bearer: He's not just the cup-bearer, but he's the overseer of the royal vineyards, having probably hundreds of people under him. He probably was also the wine taster - drinking some of the wine first to assure Pharaoh that it wasn't poisoned. The king’s cupbearer had an extremely important and high ranking position. It was he who handed the cup to the king after tasting it to check for poison, and so he was the only one who could slip something into the drink after it had been tested. He was therefore a highly trusted officer.

**baker: (or cook) supervised everything relating to the providing and preparing of food for the royal table.

Possibly both the cupbearer and the baker were thrown into prison because someone was poisoned in Pharaoh's household.

⁽²⁾Pharaoh became very angry with these officials,

⁽³⁾and he put them in the prison where Joseph* was, in the palace of Potiphar, the captain of the guard.

*Joseph is now about 28 years old and has been in Egypt at least 11 years.

Just as there were two malefactors crucified with Christ, so two offenders were in the prison with Joseph! Whatever apparent reason they were sent to prison, actually God sent them there to meet Joseph.

⁽⁴⁾They remained in prison for quite some time, and Potiphar assigned Joseph to take care of them.

Such important prisoners were treated with special dignity and Potiphar put Joseph in charge of them.

It appears that Potiphar was convinced of Joseph's innocence, but he couldn't say anything against his wife.

⁽⁵⁾One night the cup-bearer and the baker each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning.

⁽⁶⁾The next morning Joseph noticed the dejected look on their faces.

⁽⁷⁾"Why do you look so worried* today?" he asked.

*worried: Why did these particular dreams bother them so much?

As a servant of these men in prison, Joseph could have chosen to be indifferent to them as he attended them. In the same way, we are not to go about in the world indifferent to the needs and feelings of those around us. Rather, we are to look not only to our own interests, but to the interests of others (Phil. 2:4). We are to feel for others, and rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn (Rom. 12:15). Our empathy is a powerful witness for God. Through our empathy, we demonstrate God's love. Thus, through our empathy, we can open doors to share the gospel of Christ.

⁽⁸⁾And they replied, "We both had dreams last night, but there is no one here to tell us what they mean." "Interpreting dreams is God's business," Joseph replied. "Tell me what you saw."

The Egyptians had believed that "sleep puts us in real and direct contact with the other world where not only the dead but also the gods dwell. Dreams therefore are a gift from the gods." (Joseph en Egypte by Vergote.)

"Joseph took advantage of this 'teachable moment' and told them of his relationship with Yahweh, the one and only living God in this land of hundreds of manmade gods. Joseph's attitude was consistent with the Old Testament's rejection of occult practices and its reliance on prophecy as a means of discovering God's will (see Deuteronomy 18:10-22). -- STEPS TOWARD SPIRITUAL MATURITY by Ron Ritchie http://www.pbc.org/dp/ritchie/4419.html

Joseph steps way out in faith. He says first, Interpreting dreams is God's business, and then, Tell me what you saw, fully believing that God would give him the interpretation. God gives Joseph the gift of interpreting dreams. This gift would eventually be used to exalt Joseph to second-in-command of all Egypt.

There are several parallels between Joseph and Daniel. Both were prisoners who were promoted eventually to high positions. Both had been given by God the ability to interpret dreams and were awarded greatly for that ability. Nothing bad was said about either in the scriptures.

⁽⁹⁾The cup-bearer told his dream first. "In my dream," he said, "I saw a vine in front of me.

The cupbearer, who knew he was innocent was probably more anxious to hear the interpretation, so he related his dream first.

⁽¹⁰⁾It had three* branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon there were clusters of ripe grapes.

*three: "Number in Scripture Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance" - E. W. Bullinger 1837-1913): Three denotes divine perfection. The number three points us to what is real, essential, perfect, substantial, complete, and Divine:

Three is the number associated with the Godhead, for there are "three persons in one God."

Three times the Seraphim cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy"--one for each of the three persons in the Trinity (Isa 6:3). The living creatures also in Revelation 4:8.

Three times is the blessing given in Numbers 6:23,24: (1)The LORD bless thee and keep thee (the Father); (2) The LORD make His face shine upon thee; and be gracious unto thee (the Son); (3)The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (the Holy Spirit).

In Genesis 18:2, three "angels" appear to Abraham.

Jonah was in the belly of the "great fish" three days, as Jesus was in the tomb three days.

The first occurrence of the number 3 is in Genesis 1:13. "The third day" was the day on which the earth was caused to rise up out of the water, symbolical of that resurrection life which we have in Christ.

Three is a number of RESURRECTION, for it was on the third day that Jesus rose again from the dead.

It was the third day on which Jesus was "perfected" (Luke 13:32).

It was at the third hour He was crucified; and it was for three hours (from the 6th to the 9th) that darkness shrouded the Divine Sufferer and Redeemer.

The inscriptions on the Cross in three languages show the completeness of His rejection by Man.

The complete separation of Israel from Egypt is shown in "the three days' journey into the wilderness" (Exodus 5:3), marking the complete separation with which God would separate His people from Egypt then, and from the world now.

The sheet let down three times to Peter was the fullness of the testimony as to the admission of the Gentiles into the Church (Acts 10:16).

The Old Testament: Testimony was complete and perfect in its three-fold division--Law, Prophets, and Psalms (Luke 24:44). The same three divisions mark its character to the present day.

The three-fold nature of man: Spirit, and Soul, and Body, the man consisting of neither separately, but of the whole three together.

⁽¹¹⁾I was holding Pharaoh's wine cup in my hand, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into it. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

The "wine" is apparently unfermented.

⁽¹²⁾"I know what the dream means," Joseph said. "The three branches mean three* days.

*three: Joseph was probably aware of the Pharaoh's upcoming birthday and the tradition followed about prisoners during the party.

Joseph's interpretation was not vague, but very explicit. In fact, his interpretation would be tested within a matter of days. Within three days, the officials would know whether Joseph was a true or false prophet of God.

⁽¹³⁾Within three days Pharaoh will take you out of prison and return you to your position as his chief cup-bearer.

⁽¹⁴⁾And please have some pity on me when you are back in his favor. Mention me to Pharaoh, and ask him to let me out of here.

Joseph sees this interpretation as an opportunity to somehow be released from prison, so he enlists the cupbearer to help him in this. Despite his godly attitude through his affliction, Joseph surely hated being in prison.

⁽¹⁵⁾For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I'm here in jail, but I did nothing to deserve it."

Nothing has hitherto met us in the record indicative of Joseph's feelings; but this earnest appeal reveals a sadness and impatient longing for release, which not all his piety and faith in God could dispel.

⁽¹⁶⁾When the chief baker saw that the first dream had such a good meaning, he told his dream to Joseph, too. "In my dream," he said, "there were three baskets* of pastries on my head.

*baskets: white--literally, "full of holes"; that is, wicker baskets. The meats were carried to table upon the head in three baskets, one piled upon the other; and in the uppermost, the bakemeats. And in crossing the open courts, from the kitchen to the dining rooms, the removal of the viands by a bird was a frequent occurrence in the palaces of Egypt (as I also discovered in Hawaii). The risk from these carnivorous birds was greatest in the cities because it was unlawful to destroy them - because they were sacred.

The chief baker only related his dream when encouraged by the apparently favorable interpretation of his colleague's.

⁽¹⁷⁾In the top basket were all kinds of bakery goods for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them."

⁽¹⁸⁾"I'll tell you what it means," Joseph told him. "The three baskets mean three days.

⁽¹⁹⁾Three days from now Pharaoh will cut off your head and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh."

The language of Joseph describes minutely one form of capital punishment that prevailed in Egypt; namely, that the criminal was decapitated and then his headless body impaled on a tree by the highway till it was gradually devoured by the birds. Such a death would be the worst indignity for an Egyptian because the Egyptians believed that if you weren't mummified, you wouldn't be resurrected!

⁽²⁰⁾Pharaoh's birthday came three days later, and he gave a banquet for all his officials and household staff. He sent for his chief cup-bearer and chief baker, and they were brought to him from the prison.

It was commonplace for prisoners to be released on the birthday of some great monarch. It was thus a time of much hope for many prisoners.

⁽²¹⁾He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position,

⁽²²⁾but he sentenced the chief baker to be impaled on a pole, just as Joseph had predicted.

Joseph was the means of blessing to one, but the pronouncer of judgment on the other. So it was at the Cross: the one thief went to Paradise; the other to Perdition.

⁽²³⁾Pharaoh's cup-bearer, however, promptly forgot* all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.

*forgot: Forgot for two years!

Upon hearing news of this, Joseph undoubtedly expectantly awaited his own release, since he requested that the cupbearer put in a good word for him to Pharaoh. But, it wasn't yet God's time for Joseph's release.

We learn in the next chapter that two full years pass before the cup bearer remembered Joseph. Joseph could very easily have been plunged into despair as he awaited deliverance every hour, not knowing that he was forgotten. Joseph surely experienced moments of despair, but he continued to be faithful to God, and wait on His timing. God was not inactive during this period of time. God was building Joseph's character, making him strong in the Lord, so that he could withstand the temptations that he would be bombarded with as second-in-command of all Egypt. We see in the Bible that God's best servants - Joseph, Moses, David, Paul, Jesus Himself and others - were forced to endure a period of growth before their ministry commenced in full force. "Some might have thought that the forty years spent by Moses in Midian keeping sheep, were unworthy of the man's position; but the keeping of the sheep was the making of Moses. So also these two years of quiet endurance in prison went far to make Joseph the fine man he afterwards became... Training, whether physical or moral, must necessarily be attended with hardship; and those whom God uses most have to be trained in the hardest schools." As the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews points out: No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. (Heb. 12:11). - Reference: Scripture Studies - Genesis 39: http://www.scripturestudies.com/Vol5/E4/e4_ot.html


Lessons learned:
I.  Prepare to meet discouragement (39:19-40:4).
 A. God uses difficult times in our lives to test our faith.
   1. Joseph's situation was undeserved.
  2. Joseph made the best of his situation, rising to leadership in prison.
 B.  God may make us wait for some time before we see His hand.
  1.  Joseph has spent 11 years in Egypt.
  2.  Joseph's situation is not the most encouraging.

II.  Prepare to meet your destiny (5-19).
 A.  God will provide us with opportunities (5-8).
  1.  The prisoners had dreams, reminding Joseph of his past dreams.
  2.  Joseph seeks to minister to them with his gifts and kindness.
 B.  We should seize opportunities God gives us (9-19).
  1.  The cupbearer's dream shows Joseph he can interpret dreams and that  
 God can restore faithful servants to their place of responsibility.
  2.  The baker's dream shows the danger of presumption.

III.  Prepare to see your dream's fulfilled (20-23).
 A.  God fulfills His word through Joseph, showing that His hand is still with Him.
 B.  When everyone forgets you, God still remembers (23).

Conclusion:
 A few clichés for you:
  --Tough times don't last, but tough people do.
  --When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.
  --Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.
  --When you can't see the future, trust the one who's already there.
  
  Reference: Theologywebsite: http://www.theologywebsite.com/sermon/ot/gen40.shtml

As Joseph suffered unjustly in prison before he was released and placed on a throne, so Christ came to this earth to suffer unjustly on our behalf. As the writer to the Hebrews would tell all of us, "...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3). First the cross, then the crown.

When fear overtakes us at times, we need to stop and remember that the Lord is still with us, then review the truth we find in Joseph's story: In spite of our desires to the contrary, we do find ourselves in these dungeon experiences, but God uses them to mature us. And spiritual maturity begins with learning to live by faith in God regardless of the immediate circumstances. Faith is the belief in invisible realities (Hebrews 11:1-2). The Lord was invisible but ever present with Joseph and blessing him. And so by faith Joseph depended on the Lord to give him the ability to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker.

Reference: "STEPS TOWARD SPIRITUAL MATURITY" by Ron Ritchie http://www.pbc.org/dp/ritchie/4419.html (Sermon at the Peninsula Bible Church)

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